Increased military presence in the North could provide much-needed infrastructure to the region: MPs, experts
Northern MPs are open to the idea of an increased military presence in the Arctic, and say they could see the benefit of sinking military dollars into the remote region, insofar as it would have the side effect of improving infrastructure for locals. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has some in Canada worried […]
Time to re-evaluate Canada’s defence spending, writes Mike Mueller
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is forcing a close examination of defence and foreign policy with a focused attention on the need for Canada to have the means to play a bigger role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and continental defence within NORAD. From a NORAD perspective, more than ever, the security of […]
Military investments in the North must also benefit northern communities
Any increase to military spending and resources in Canada’s Arctic must also have the dual function of serving Canada’s northern communities. Amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, Russia’s involvement in Arctic co-operation has been called into question, as seven of the eight members of the Arctic Council have withdrawn their membership and refused […]
Work across the aisle to advance gender equality in the Arctic
I was raised by a single mother of four boys—not an easy task in the 1960s and ’70s. But she managed to keep food on the table and clothes on our backs and care for us all by working three to four jobs at the same time. After I was born, she needed to change […]
Ottawa on the hook for $4-billion tied to abandoned mines’ cleanup in the North
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for $4-billion in environmental liabilities for mines abandoned by private operators in the territories, according to the federal government’s public accounts for 2020-21. This figure represents the amount required to bring 162 contaminated sites back up to current minimum environmental standards. But in extreme cases the remediation […]
It’s time for a serious rethink on Canada’s border strategy
The unprecedented threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced unprecedented responses, not least in Canadian border security management. Faced with the surging Omicron variant, the Government of Canada is once again advising against non-essential travel. But whatever happens in this latest COVID wave, the time has come to assess the effects of prolonged limits […]
Biodiesel can help meet the climate challenge
The transportation sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing GHG-emitting sectors. Diesel is one of the dirtiest fuels within this sector, and has been one of the most challenging fuels to find cleaner alternatives for. While electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel are emerging cleaner technologies that might be phased in over the next decade […]
Canada has a role in Arctic security amid nuclear arms dilemma
A new strategic weapon environment is emerging that has enormous impacts for the long-term security of the Canadian Arctic and Canadian security in general. Decisions are now being taken by the great powers that are transforming the accepted role of nuclear weapons as deterring great power war into one in which they are used to […]
How long-awaited ‘transformative investments in infrastructure’ could address civilian and security needs in the Canadian Arctic
Canada’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF), released in 2019, remains almost entirely unrealized. While promising “an opportunity for Arctic and northern people, and their institutions, municipalities, organizations and governments, to come together with the federal government to shape and direct change toward better outcomes,” co-implementation plans have been stymied or delayed by COVID-19. The […]
Expand beyond unreliable solar and wind energy to service the North, says Tory Senator
Weaning communities in northern Canada off their reliance on diesel fuel will involve expanding into power sources beyond wind and solar, which cannot collect and store energy reliably in the North, according to Conservative Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson. “Wind and solar may work in the South. It hasn’t worked well in the North. It hasn’t […]
