Arctic Council after 25 years: including Inuit knowledge key to the path forward
Inuit across four circumpolar nations—Alaska (United States), Canada, Chukotka (Russia), and Greenland—consider Sept. 19, 1996, a historic milestone in the advancement of our social, political, and economic issues. On that day, the Ottawa Declaration was signed, formally creating the Arctic Council. It is particularly significant for Inuit in Canada as the former Inuit Circumpolar Council […]
Promises, promises, but the GG might actually keep hers
In Beauty and the Beast, there is a scene where the Beast is looking for advice as to how he can win the love of Belle. Lumière, the talking candlestick, helpfully suggests that the Beast make Belle “promises you don’t intend to keep.” As we have entered the season where election promises are made, some […]
Sloan should ditch his party idea
OAKVILLE, ONT.—It seems former Conservative MP Derek Sloan wants to form his own political party—tentatively called “True North”—as a vehicle to promote his ideological values. Essentially, he wants to create a party that’s unabashedly to the right of Canada’s Conservatives. Now, I get why Sloan wants to do this, and I also get why “true […]
Biden-Putin Arctic co-operation gives Canada an opportunity
When the American and Russian presidents met in June for their summit, the Arctic represented a rare point of common ground. Arctic watchers noted U.S. President Joe Biden’s intent that “the Arctic remains a region of cooperation,” and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s equally interesting desire for the Arctic to continue as “a zone of understanding.” […]
ITK’s strategy to combat food insecurity crisis ‘a step along the way to a solution,’ says Obed
The high cost and inadequate supply of food have exposed Inuit people to a complex national public health crisis that needs to be addressed, according to a food security strategy released by the national Inuit organization. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) released the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy (INFSS) on July 12, considered the first of […]
Greenland takes front seat on Arctic Council on behalf of the Kingdom of Denmark
At a historic meeting on June 10, followed by a press conference between the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, and the leaders of the two other parts of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the Danish PM came with a very clear message. For the first time, a Danish prime minister […]
Community-centred, Indigenous approach needed for mental health in the North, say territory denizens
Although the recent federal budget included some new provisions for mental health in Canada, it fell short in addressing the pressing needs in the North, says Nunavut’s representative in the House of Commons. NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq (Nunavut) said she less pleased with broader efforts outside of the “bare minimum” of government apologies. “They keep […]
Co-operation, pragmatic engagement the path forward for Canada’s Arctic foreign policy
A rapidly evolving Arctic environment has turned the North into a new frontier of international economic, political, and environmental importance, intensifying geopolitical rivalries in a region that is in many regards a microcosm of the increasingly multipolar international system. This complicates Canada’s foreign policy in the North, particularly toward Russia, as many Canadian policymakers continue […]
Canada joins EU Military Mobility initiative: why does this matter?
It may seem like a small, administrative step, but it is a significant move for EU-Canada security and defence cooperation: on May 6, the Council of the EU formally invited Canada to join the EU’s Military Mobility initiative in the framework of the Permanent and Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Significantly, two other NATO members, the U.S. […]
Opposition MPs say they’re worried about lack of defence spending in budget, as experts to future of NORAD
A lack of defence spending in Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s first budget has some experts and MPs worried about the future of Canada’s military at a time when, they say, its responsibilities are getting bigger both at home and abroad and allied nations are beefing up their defence spending and reworking their strategies. The budget’s […]
