Politics

Canadian Arctic: 'Use it or lose it'

by Barry Artiste | August 11, 2007 at 05:50 am

500 views | 20 Recommendations | 3 comments

I am sure the Inuit who have lived in the Arctic since the Ice Age are wondering why the World is focused on Canada and Russia claiming soverignty of their Land? They live, fish, hunt and build their homes there, you would think the world would listen to them when they say it is their land and the media and governments meant to protect the Inuit and other native groups to tell these two countries FIRMLY that it is Inuit land, not theirs and no one elses. But History has shown those who cannot militarily speak on their own, will most likely have other countries claim their land and resources as their own. Sort of like modern day Christopher Columbus' stating to the North American Native that the New World belongs to Spain. I am sure much to the surpise of the natives who did not have a command of Spanish to understand Columbus' words and had lived there for countless millenia before Spain was even a country. For if the North American Natives understood spanish when Columbus made this claim in front of them, I am sure those would be the last words Columbus and his crew would utter.

RESOLUTE BAY, NU. -- Canada will build two new military facilities within contested Arctic waters to bolster its sovereign claim over the fabled Northwest Passage, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced yesterday.

He said the Canadian Forces will install a new army training centre and a deep-water port at distant points of the Arctic archipelago that has been coveted for centuries as a possible trade route to Asia.

"Protecting national sovereignty, the integrity of our borders, is the first and foremost responsibility of a national government, a responsibility which has too often been neglected," Harper said, citing what he called the "first principle of Arctic sovereignty: Use it or lose it."

The prime minister made the announcement barely 600 km from the magnetic North Pole in one of the coldest settlements on Earth.

The frigid hamlet of Resolute Bay will be home to a new army training centre for cold-weather fighting that houses up to 100 military personnel.

DEEPSEA PORT

The prime minister also announced a new deepsea port will be built for navy and civilian purposes on the north end of Baffin Island, in the abandoned old zinc-mining village of Nanisivik.

Harper said both installations will help back up Canada's ownership claim to the waters and natural resources of the Northwest Passage -- a claim disputed by countries including the United States, Japan, and the entire European Union.

Speaking in a storage shed protecting him against howling winds on a barren, rock-strewn highland, Harper said the announcements tell the world Canada has a "real, growing, long-term presence in the Arctic."

The multimillion-dollar announcements stem from Conservative campaign commitments in the last election, and Harper's northern trip had been planned for months.

But they happen to coincide with Russia's dramatic move to place a flag underneath the North Pole while claiming the area's resources as its own.

Harper also announced the 4,100-member Canadian Rangers patrol will be increased by another 900 members.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and a group of Rangers -- the rifle-toting, Inuit volunteer force -- were also on hand for Harper's announcement.

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jordan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:22 on August 11th, 2007

As is usual, the indigenous people are getting ignored whilst the big dogs fight over territory they don't even know how to use.

Barry Artiste

at 08:45 on August 11th, 2007

Thanks Jordan, but I think we all know what these governments intend to use the land for, oil and other resources, while the Inuit basically get it up the ass as per usual. Harsh words, yes, true words, you bet!

ppeggy

at 14:42 on August 11th, 2007

The very act of building facilities and bringing in hundreds of military personnel to the Arctic will cause major damage to a very delicately-balanced environment. Harper says "use it or lose it". I think it's more "use it, abuse it".