Canada must be vigilant about the Arctic, says report

In a report released on Thursday, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development makes a series of recommendations that support nation-building in the North and advocate for border vigilance.

"Many of the recommendations in this report are intended to ensure that the government is able to affirm, now and in the decades to come, its exclusive and effective control over the waters and territory of Canada's Arctic." can we read in the summary of the document.

Canada's challenges in the Arctic are not limited to security and defense, the report says. We must also ensure that Inuit are able to play a leadership role alongside the federal government.

Their expertise can and must be used, both in the management of Canada's Arctic waters and in finding local solutions to clean energy issues, for example.

Obviously, the report focuses on the Russian threat. "New-generation missiles now allow Russian aircraft and submarines to hit very distant targets," they say. It is therefore necessary to adopt a deterrent posture, with the will of all members of NATO, and to regenerate the aging components of continental defense. "

Act now

Because it is extremely expensive to build and settle in the far north, the committee is calling on Ottawa to take action now, not so much because the situation is urgent, but rather in anticipation of future strategic challenges.

"The decision to invest resources in defense capabilities and infrastructure projects in the North – resources that are not unlimited – is not just for meeting current needs; it also allows us to prepare for scenarios that could very well be realized one day, "reads the report signed by Liberal MP Michael Levitt, who chairs the committee.

About half of the Arctic territory already belongs to Russia, it is specified. "The Government of Canada should work with its partners in the North Atlantic Council to better understand Russia's military intentions with regard to the Arctic and to consider the most appropriate and measured response possible. Recommends the committee.

China is also mentioned, as the Chinese government has started talking about a "Polar Silk Road". "The Government of Canada should engage with the Government of China to understand its growing interest in the Arctic," it said.

To conduct its study on Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic, the committee collected the evidence and received briefs from departmental officials, Aboriginal leaders, and academics. Representatives also traveled to four communities in the Canadian Arctic: Iqaluit and Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and Inuvik and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.