Canadian Arctic Sovereignty

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Arctic region in Canada and its sovereignty. It describes the many lucrative and economically viable opportunities that exist there. The paper then looks at the problem that exists in that the Arctic area is so vast and so fragile that not many expansions can take place without causing damage to the environment. The paper also discusses demographic problems in the area, but focuses on Canada's sovereignty issues there. In addition, the paper argues that Canada must assert a presence in the Arctic region to prevent damage to a very sensitive and valuable ecosystem. The paper concludes that the possible ramifications for Canada not asserting this presence could lead to poor sustainable development and possible disputes between circumpolar nations in the future.

From the Paper:

"Military presence in the Arctic region is nothing unfamiliar, past and present. Events such as World War Two led to the construction of designated military bases, which brought about infrastructure to the Arctic region. An example of this infrastructure that was constructed in the Arctic is the Alaska Highway. This highway was completed in October of 1942 and stretches for two thousand four hundred and fifty kilometres (Grant, 1988). This huge undertaking was done mostly by the American government in secrecy. This was because Alaska was apart of the Northwest Staging Route that had aircraft travelling from the United States to the Soviet Union. It was seen as a "jumping off point" to aid the Allied troops in Europe. Many bridges needed to be built along the way and because it was war time there was a lack of man power as well as resources. So as a result, many bridges were disassembled in the southern parts of the United States and reassembled where they were needed along the Alaskan Highway route (Duerden, 2005). At this point in time, Canada would provide "right of ways", and waive import duties and taxes and allow the use of timber and gravel along the route. Canada would attain control of the highway in the Yukon, Alberta and British Columbia portions, six months after the war ended and it would become "an integral part of the Canadian highway system." (Grant, 1988) The negative impacts that the construction of these various airfields and roadways had on the ecosystems of the Arctic region was measurable. The ground that they were built on was permafrost, which is difficult to build on due to the heaving and uplifting that takes place when it freezes then thaws."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bone, Robert M. The Geography of the Canadian North. New York. Oxford Press, 2003
• Charon, Andrea. The Northwest Passage Shipping Channel: Is Canada's Sovereignty Really Floating Away?. Royal Military College of Canada, Retrieved October 7th, From http://www.cdfai.org/PDF/Charron,%20Andrea-Paper.pdf
• Grant, Shelagh D. Sovereignty or Security? Government Policy in the Canadian North 1936-1950. Canada: The University of British Columbia Press, 1988
• Parker, John H. Arctic Power: The Path to Responsible Government in Canada's North. Canada. The Cider Press, 1996
• Pollon, Christopher. (2005, November 25) Canada and the impacts of climate change. The Globe and Mail, E2

More papers on Canadian Arctic Sovereignty:

• Analytical Essay # 132493 : "Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Strategic Issues"
• Term Paper # 102635 : "The Canadian Arctic"
• Persuasive Essay # 104647 : "The Canadian Arctic Region"

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