Territorial premiers, PM discuss Arctic security, infrastructure
Concerns of Russian aggression in Arctic prompt meeting with federal leaders
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met virtually Monday with the northern premiers, including Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, to discuss concerns about Arctic security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (File photos by Mélanie Ritchot)
Northerners need to play a “crucial role in the decision-making process” when it comes to Arctic security, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok says.
“We have to be able to share what we’re seeing in northern communities. There’s a huge infrastructure gap that we see right across the North, right across the Arctic,” he said during an interview on CBC Radio’s The Current on Tuesday.
His comments follow a meeting he and other territorial premiers had Monday night with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Arctic security in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth week.
In early March, Akeeagok, N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane and Yukon Premier Sandy Silver signed a letter requesting a discussion with the federal government on security in the Arctic.
One of the premiers’ concerns outlined in the letter is Russia’s growing economic and military presence in its northern regions.
On CBC, Akeeagok stressed the importance of building healthy communities and strong infrastructure to assert sovereignty in the North.
Trudeau thanked the territorial premiers in a statement Tuesday for their governments’ solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion.
He said the federal government “remains deeply committed to supporting the health, security, and prosperity of the Arctic while defending Canadian sovereignty and upholding regional security.”
I see PJ’s “Arctic security” concerns are really just a way to coax the government into handing over more cash for development.
Now, there is nothing wrong with going after more infrastructure funding or housing money or whatever, but to act like this will somehow deter a hostile foreign power from invading (or, whatever we are pretending the Russians might do) is not a serious position to take.
It’s hard not to despise such obvious opportunism when it makes so little effort to dress itself up in its phony garb.
heyyyyy
I Shure Have Major Concern Russian’s Could Come Here and Take Away My Fish and Maqtaq Too, Whou Know’s ? They Could Dissrup and Destroy Such Vital and Startegic Infrastructure’s Such as Our Beloved Beer Store Man or Worse Our Marihuana Dispencery Holly Molly That Would Be a Terrible Catastrophy, Would it ? You Bet
As the great historian Christopher Lasch once observed “Propaganda seeks to create in the public a chronic sense of crisis.”
Vaguely plausible political fictions like the impending invasion of the North (in our case, implicit though still cryptically expressed) are useful in that the stir an energy for action. The sense of ‘unease’ or anxiety over the ‘possible’ is channeled to create imperatives; in this case, more infrastructure, healthier communities.. only these will ensure our sovereignty.
Oh yes, of course they will!
This kind of non-sense floats freely through our discourse, unchallenged and with little friction the casual observer might even accept these imaginary links and this contrived causal chain.
Opportunity knocks indeed! Some say to never let a good crisis go to waste.
Admittedly I feel some sympathy for PJ here, like any leader in Nunavut he has an impossible task in trying to ‘modernize’ our infrastructure and economy in the shortest period of time he can. The sooner that happens the better of Nunavut will be.
At the same time the reliance on exaggeration and fiction is a common tool. This is the game they play, and we play along with them. Democratic politics rewards spectacle. So, enjoy the spectacle everyone.
Not every country respects the validity of Canada’s arctic borders, which were drawn up in 1925. Fundamental to Canada’s sovereignty claim to our arctic borders is the continuing existence of permanent communities of Canadian citizens in the north. Growing, viable communities in our arctic speaks to the reality of Canadian arctic sovereignty much louder than lines drawn on a map. Canada must simultaneously improve our arctic defence posture and strengthen the key infrastructure and facilities of our arctic communities, and Premier Akeeagok is quite right in making this point.
Can you name one of these countries? I assume we’re talking about sovereignty over Arctic Lands, not the status of the NW Passage?
Well, it seems our MP and her revered NP party are not in sync with our Premier.
Today she voted against any increase in defense and sovereignty funding for the Arctic.
Not only does protection of the north not matter but she voted against how many jobs and economic benefits to Nunavut/NWT and Yukon?
What is it with the Ottawa air? Three losers in a row to bring absolutely nothing to Nunavut.
Remember this when the next election comes around.
Fortunately saner heads prevailed and the motion passed.
Not one of the territorial leaders would have any knowledge about what is needed to secure the northern borders. That type of information could only come from military experts. Who have studied for years the possible incursion by a enemy of Canada.
The North already has some of the most sophisticated radars and listening equipment that has ever been invented. Hall beach is one the most secure military facilities in North America. Rankin is set up to be forward base for fighter jets and Iqaluit is staging base for heavy lift air craft. Things you don’t see, are nuclear subs that patrol 24/7/365 beneath the ice cap. Long Range patrol air craft, they aren’t just up here to monitor ice conditions.
The territorial leaders are true to heritage they never miss any opportunity to use what ever they can to ask for more money. Security.
It is certainly worth taking a moment to consider what is being said here.
“Northerners need to play a “crucial role in the decision-making process” when it comes to Arctic security.”
What does this mean?
I suggest we are hearing a song, sung to tribal sentiment that pretends to offer a sophisticated, progressive map into the future of the Canadian strategic affairs, if not the future of nation-state. This is imperative on the fact that Canada is a multi-national state; that is, it contains a more than one ‘nation’ (Inuit, French, English) and to ensure unity we must feign a sort of Aurthurian round table where each party is treated equally based ‘prima facia’ on identity alone. Expertise is universal and relative from this perspective, and so expertise plays a subordinate role to a spectacle that exploits emotion, and purports to collective esteem building and sub-state nationalism.
How many Northerners are seriously educated in foreign policy? In national defense? In strategic affairs? Not many (any?), yet we are asked to pretend that there is an indispensable magic in the collective mind of the “north” that will (somehow) give us an edge, saving us all from the machinations of outsiders and their threats.
It is worth taking a moment to consider what is being said here.
“Northerners need to play a “crucial role in the decision-making process” when it comes to Arctic security.”
What does this mean?
I suggest we are hearing a song, sung to tribal sentiment that pretends to offer a sophisticated, progressive map into the future of the Canadian strategic affairs, if not the future of nation-state.
This is imperative on the fact that Canada is a multi-national state; that is, it contains a more than one ‘nation’ (Inuit, French, English, among other groups). To ensure national unity, or the ensure less powerful members acquiesce to the larger, civic nation (meta-nationalism, ‘Canadian’ identity) we create the fiction of an Aurthurian round table where each party is treated equally based ‘prima facia’ on their identity. Expertise is universal and relative from this perspective, and so true expertise plays a subordinate role, giving way to a spectacle that exploits emotion, and purports to collective esteem building and sub-state nationalism.
How many Northerners are seriously educated in foreign policy? In national defense? In strategic affairs? Not many (any?), yet we are asked to pretend that there is an indispensable magic in the collective mind of the “north” that will (somehow) give us an edge, saving us all from the machinations of outsiders and their threats.
We pretend this is our strength, but let’s consider whether it might in fact be our weakness.
A final thought; this fictional reading of our universe is meant to serve domestic politics, national unity, ‘reconciliation’. We play these games because we do not seriously apprehend outside threats, they are an abstraction to us, we do not see them as the serious policy challenge they are.
This is exactly what our strategic adversaries want.
All the statements you have made are either false or are half-truths.
I seriously doubt that the radar installations are even close to being as sophisticated and up-to date as you suggest. Iqaluit as a “base for heavy-lift aircraft” was not developed by the Canadian government, it was built by the US military and may now, incidentally rather than purposely, start to serve to support the military if defense of the north becomes a priority. Canada has no nuclear submarines. In fact, last I heard, our subs are not even safe to actually go underwater, let alone under the polar ice. Canada has for years relied on satellites for arctic surveillance, which is cheap, but not as effective as airborne patrols, which were abandoned decades ago.
*First off, I humbly apologize to everyone for that last mangled and poorly edited submission. It’s early and my mind slips, though that is no excuse for sloppiness. Please disregard and consider this the proper comment:
It is worth taking a moment to consider what is being said here.
“Northerners need to play a “crucial role in the decision-making process” when it comes to Arctic security.”
What does this mean?
I suggest we are hearing a song, sung to tribal sentiment that pretends to offer a sophisticated, progressive map into the future of Canadian strategic affairs, if not the future of our nation-state.
This is imperative on the fact that Canada is a multi-national state; that is, it contains more than one ‘nation’ (Inuit, French, English, among other groups). To ensure national unity, or the ensure less powerful members acquiesce and “buy in” to the larger, civic nation (meta-nationalism, ‘Canadian’ identity) we create the fiction of an Aurthurian round table where each party is treated equally based ‘prima facia’ on their identity. Expertise is universal and relative from this perspective, and so true expertise plays a subordinate role, giving way to a spectacle that exploits emotion, and purports to collective esteem building and sub-state nationalism.
How many Northerners are seriously educated in foreign policy? In national defense? In strategic affairs? Not many (any?), yet we are asked to pretend that there is an indispensable magic in the collective mind of the “north” that will (somehow) give us an edge, saving ‘Canada’ from the machinations of outsiders and their threats.
We pretend this is our strength, but let’s consider whether it might be our weakness.
A final thought; this fictional reading of our universe is meant to serve domestic politics, national unity, ‘reconciliation’. We play these games because we believe we can afford to, this is possible because we do not seriously apprehend outside threats, they are an abstraction to us, we do not see them as the serious policy challenge they are, and this is exactly what our strategic adversaries want.
Your accusations about lies and half- truths only expose your ignorance. You are correct we don’t have nuclear subs. The real defenders of the North American Continent is the United States. Canadian Borders are some the most watched and defended real estate in the world. Do you really thing that the Northern Rangers play any part in our security or that the Canadian military act on there own.
Open your mind we are just a small piece in Geopolitical war. That is being fought daily. On battle fields and computer screen world wide.
I can only imagine what military capabilities the U.S. has and how quickly it would be deployed. Any were in North America including the Arctic. If any real or suggested threat against Canada’s security.
No matter how many arguments and opinions are put forward. Canada is defended by the U.S. .
Who are you talking too, delbert?
Jimmy is who I was responding to.