'It opens doors and creates opportunities.'

The Arctic got big play in the throne speech offered by the Conservative government Tuesday evening, with much of what will affect ordinary people wrapped in the promise of a forthcoming "integrated northern strategy."

The northern strategy is supposed to help strengthen Canada's claim to the Arctic, protect the environment, build the northern economy and push forward stalled devolution agreements with the territories, "so that northerners have greater control over their destinies."

It all sounds good, says Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapariit Kanatami, provided that the Tories deliver.

And there's no guarantee the Harper government will, since it must first survive a number of votes in the House of Commons over the next two weeks, although pundits are now distancing themselves from predictions of a winter election.

Simon welcomed the housing announcement, but pointed out it's not clear whether it refers to new or already-announced money. The federal government promised to spend $200 million, which is enough to build 750 homes in Nunavut, in the spring of 2006.

But that's only enough to keep pace with the territory's booming population. Another 2,500 homes are believed to be needed to fix the housing crisis.

Simon added the housing shortage is just one of several big social problems that Inuit face.

Simon also said the government must overhaul how it implements lands claims agreements, as Canada's auditor general has recommended, and she said she was disappointed this got no mention in the throne speech.

Implementation of Nunavut's land claim agreement is stuck in the mud, primarily because nobody agrees on which level of government should pay to train Inuit for Nunavut government jobs.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is suing the federal government over the implementation of the Nunavut agreement, alleging that Ottawa is failing to pay for Inuit training.

Simon also questioned whether the government is doing enough to reduce fossil-fuel emissions, or to prepare Inuit to adapt for a warmer future.

But at least the throne speech mentioned the Arctic, and the people who live in it. It's rare to hear either subject in a throne speech. For this, Simon praised the government.

"It opens doors and creates opportunities. That is welcome," she said in a press release.

On the science front, the Tories promise to build a world-class Arctic research station and finish mapping Canada's Arctic seabed. Canada has until May 2009 to stake a claim to the oil-rich region, and is competing against four other countries who also want a piece: Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark.

It is this race to map the seabed, rather than the publicity stunt performed by Russia when they used a submarine last August to plant a flag under the North Pole, that will settle, under international law, which countries own which parts of the oil-rich polar seabed. The area is believed to hold as much as one-quarter of the world's oil and gas reserves.

Canada's military presence will expand in the Arctic, the throne speech promises. This will be accomplished with new Arctic patrol ships, which critics call "slushbreakers" because they are only capable of breaking through light sea ice, more Arctic surveillance flights, and an increase in "the size and capabilities" of the Canadian Rangers.

This builds on earlier announcements, made this summer, that the government will build an Arctic military training base in Resolute Bay, and refurbish the now-defunct port at the abandoned Nanasivik mine for military use.

A "northern strategy" was first announced by Paul Martin in 2004, when he was the Liberal prime minister. The Tories' revival of the plan shows they haven't let all plans made by the former government die.

The Harper government faced loud criticism for abandoning the Liberal's Kelowna deal, which was meant to improve the lives of Canadian aboriginal people – although the government did honour plans to build more housing in the North.

Duane Smith, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council of Canada, said he was also happy to see references in the throne speech to the Arctic and Inuit, but he won't pass judgment until he sees the promises delivered.

He also said he hopes the promised Arctic research station will be used to help northern residents adapt to climate change. And while Smith said he has no problem with government's focus on Arctic sovereignty, he reminded the Conservatives that "sovereignty cannot be divorced from battling climate change in the Arctic."