We need to increase our visible presence using the Coast Guard, and Canadian Forces
The Great Canadian North is a land of opportunity, where opportunities present themselves in many faces. Whether it is the great people who inhabit the region, the natural resources which can be found at the bottom of the sea or under the soil, its unique natural habitat or its pristine waterways, there are many reasons […]
Climate change in Canada’s North should not be exploited by feds
Climate change in Canada’s North should not be exploited by this government as just some opportune excuse to buy new military equipment; it will fundamentally change communities and ecosystems, and it is raising issues of Arctic sovereignty. To be sure, the Prime Minister has focused the government’s attention on Canada’s Northern sovereignty in an unprecedented […]
Harper should fulfill Arctic equipment purchases sooner than later, say critics
Prime Minister Stephen Harper stands upon an ice floe with the chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Forces by his side. Metres away, hooked on to another ice floe, black-clad military divers sit on a Zodiac watching as an Airbus 320 refuelling tanker thunders above, flanked by two CF-18s. A Canadian Coast Guard […]
Arctic leaders call for bigger investments in communities, job creation
Security and sovereignty in Canada’s North should be protected not just through patrol ships and boots on the ground, but through empowering people by investing in infrastructure in communities and job creation, say Arctic leaders. “The first and highest priority of our northern strategy is the protection of our Arctic sovereignty,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper […]
Observers split on reality of $16.2-billion Mackenzie Valley pipeline project
Observers and actors involved in the Mackenzie Valley pipeline project are split about whether the $16.2-billion scheme is a pipedream that market conditions won’t support or a plan that has all the support and potential to create jobs and allow cash to flow North. Since large natural gas deposits were first discovered in the Beaufort […]
Canada’s world-renowned ‘ice superhighway’ critical to N.W.T. economy
OTTAWA—For remote Northern Canadian communities, ice roads and airstrips are critical supply links. Arctic communities and regional mining industries depend heavily on these links for the transportation of equipment, building supplies, oil, and essential goods necessary for survival. The world-renowned “ice superhighway,” Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road (TCWR), is the only overland route that services […]
Yukon known for its growing economy, potential for future expansion
WHITEHORSE, YUKON—Yukon is well-known as the Land of the Midnight Sun and the home of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Today’s Yukon is also known for its growing economy and potential for future expansion. In 2009, Yukon posted the highest real growth in the country. In five of the last six years Yukon’s GDP […]
Getting on the right track sea ice, Inuit trails and importance of Arctic sovereignty
OTTAWA—The political and economic significance of the Arctic is rapidly increasing with potential implications for Canadian sovereignty. The potential opening of the Canadian Archipelago and the Northwest Passage for regular shipping has prompted interest from external actors regarding energy, mining and shipping. While most international leaders prefer to approach Arctic issues from the standpoint of […]
Time to create cyber cooperation in Canadian Arctic
Whilst the Arctic is a key policy priority for Canada, the tendency for government and media to focus on competition between Arctic nations for sovereign control of the region obscures a critical need. Although the government has begun developing infrastructure such as deep water ports and physical facilities as part of its strategy for the […]
Mining no longer a bad word in Canada’s North
As a new Member of the Senate for Nunavut, Canada’s largest region and largest coast, I asked myself what themes I should pursue in representing this vast region with its small population, still suffering from high unemployment and leading negative health and social indicators. I especially considered the alarmingly high numbers of our population, young […]
