• Canada takes the lead on Arctic issues
• Canada and the UK team up on Arctic Research
• Canadian forces complete High Arctic operation
• Also in Focus on the Arctic
Canada takes the lead
on Arctic issues
Melting polar ice and growing demand for energy and other natural resources, have put the Arctic firmly on the international agenda.
With over 40 percent of its landmass in the Arctic, Canada is taking the lead on issues that are bringing profound changes to the region’s inhabitants and its environment.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Cannon, says, “The Arctic is an emerging region on the cusp of major change. Northerners were the first to notice the effects of climate change on their environment and on their lives.” And he adds, “There is growing international interest in the Arctic, even from such far off countries as Italy, Japan, China and India.”
It’s a view shared by Dr Peter Harrison, of the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University in Ontario and an expert in Arctic issues. He told a conference on Canada’s Northern Strategy that was held at the Canadian High Commission in London, that “Interest in the Arctic is heating up as the world gets warmer.” And he added, “You have to remember that the Arctic is not an empty land. The Inuit have lived here for thousands of years but they are facing new challenges – climate change, geo politics and issues of sovereignty.”
The Arctic is home to more than 100,000 Canadians and is an essential part of the nation’s identity. The Government of Canada is working to ensure that the international spotlight stays focused on the challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic. These include the dangers posed by climate change; the need for sustainable economic and social development; and the importance of sharing experiences and knowledge with its circumpolar neighbours and the rest of the world.
Canada has been a major player in developing international agreements on issues such as pollution in the Arctic and is working to ensure that economic development is sustainable and benefits Northeners, particularly indigenous peoples. It is also improving and devolving governance so that Arctic communities are involved in decision making processes.
At a recent Arctic Council meeting held in Tromsø, Norway, Minister Cannon said, “the Government of Canada is committed and serious about taking a leadership role on Arctic issues. Through our robust Arctic foreign policy we are affirming our leadership, stewardship and ownership in the region.”
At the meeting the Minister announced the launch of a Canadian International Centre for the Arctic Region which will be based in Oslo in Norway. The Centre which will open in the autumn, will act as a hub for international Arctic research and will allow Canada to maintain close contact with the Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø in northern Norway.
Canada and the UK team up
on Arctic research
Scientists from Canada and the UK are to work more closely together to further our understanding of the rapidly changing polar regions.
The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February which will increase scientific collaboration on issues such as climate change and will include the sharing of polar bases, aircraft and ships.
Canada’s Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Chuck Strahl, says, “This strengthens our commitment to collaborate and cooperate with the international community to better understand the issues facing the earth’s polar regions. We look forward to working with the UK in an exchange of scientific information and resources that will be of real benefit to all Canadians.”
Under the agreement Canada and the UK will share the British Antarctic Survey’s five aeroplanes and two ships and the Canadian high Arctic research station at Resolute in Nunavut.
Dr Steven Wilson, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) which will help to coordinate joint research programmes, says, “We’re excited to be sharing access to facilities to push forward the frontiers of polar research.”
Canadian forces complete
High Arctic operation
The Canadian Forces, as part of their mandate, recently completed a series of missions in the High Arctic.
Operation Nunalivut – which means “land that is ours” in Inuktitut, involved patrols of Canadian Rangers travelling to the furthest reaches of Alexandra Fiord on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island and circumnavigating Axel Heiberg Island along the western coast.
“The Canadian Rangers and search and rescue technicians who patrolled the ice, rock and snow and the Air Force personnel who supported them with supply flights, airlift and surveillance all demonstrate the dedication, determination and skill that is essential to operate in this environment,” says Vice Admiral Dean McFadden, Commander of Canada Command.
The operation also involved an exchange visit with the Commander of Greenland Command, Danish rear-Admiral Henrik Kudsk, which may lead to future collaboration on Arctic exercises.
