We must act now to maintain an Arctic able to keep global climate liveable
Human civilization, indeed the evolution of human beings as a species, has depended on a frozen Arctic. But the North Pole as a frozen ice cap on the top of the world is now in doubt. The rapidly melting Arctic—measured in loss of sea ice, melting permafrost, and temperature surges in mid-winter—is a threat to […]
N.W.T., Canada can work together for sustainable northern development
A year ago this week, I was in Ottawa to call for a national discussion on the future of the Northwest Territories. My red alert was motivated by the continued stagnation of the Northwest Territories economy, compounded by concerns that federal decisions and policies could create roadblocks to meaningful economic development and cut our people […]
The North
Excluding Indigenous voices at Columbia River Treaty talks puts salmon restoration at risk
Salmon used to swim all the way up the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean near Astoria, Oregon, to the Canadian Rocky Mountains at the river’s headwaters in Canal Flats, B.C. It was an astounding journey of nearly 2,000 kilometres upstream that cut through a landscape of lush forest, dry desert, and high peaks. But […]
Supreme Court ruling shouldn’t mean the death of Indigenous consultation
We live in an era where cultural accommodation is a cornerstone of our multicultural society. This is a necessary and natural result of multiculturalism and, in theory, is a concept that should be extended to all cultures that call Canada home. Yet, a very public struggle exists surrounding the original culture to call Canada home—that […]
We must go from Inuit exclusion to self-determination in research
Inuit are one of the most researched peoples in the world. We are also one of the fastest-growing populations, yet the number of peer-reviewed publications and dissertations that focus on Inuit and Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, has outpaced the rate of our population growth by a wide margin. In 1996 there was one publication […]
A turkey in the North shouldn’t cost $200
Many Canadians are hitting the gym this week to make up for their overindulgence on Thanksgiving turkey over the weekend. They may have splurged a bit on some expensive cheese or a prime cut of meat for dinner, but for people in the fly-in communities of Nunavut and other parts of the North, everyday food […]
Greater need for Canada, Denmark to lead on world stage, new envoy says
Even before arriving in Canada last month, Denmark’s new envoy had plenty of connections to work with: colleagues from Ottawa’s international legal community, a few trips under his belt, and the familiar responsibility of covering a vast, cold country given his recent stint in Russia—never mind Thomas Winkler’s expertise drafting one of the key documents […]
A whale of a problem developing in Canada’s Arctic
VICTORIA, B.C.—The horrors of right whales drowning in tangles of fishing ropes and the alarming prospect of endangered orcas crossing paths with oil-laden tankers has created more than a few headaches for the federal government. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the feds have been forced to respond to public—and legal—demands that more be done […]
‘Use or lose it’: Canada’s best way to claim Arctic sovereignty
Despite department assurances that Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic isn’t under threat, some MPs say more needs to be done to ensure Canada’s claim isn’t weakened. In the face of “increased pressure” on the Arctic from climate change, commercial interest, Russian militarization, China’s claim it’s a “Near-Arctic State,” and continued international disagreement over territorial borders, […]
