Artic sovereignty!

peapod

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Jun 26, 2004
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pumpkin pie bungalow
I realize there are alot of things going on in the world, lots much worse than this. But I am getting upset by the fact that nobody seems to really care about what going on with the artic. This is part of our country, yet most people cannot tell you anything about the artic or the people that live there. They truly are an amazing group of people, my god! they have inuit rangers! that come and save the day, it does not get much better than that.

Seriously...I am worried, I am concerned about what is going to happen up there! Something has to be done, or we are going to be very sorry. This is part of our country, we better start finding out what is going on. I read the nunavat websites and their newspapers on line...what better place to learn about the north and find out what is really going on. Here is something I just read at their site.


September 3, 2004
A better way
Using foot soldiers, aircraft and a couple of ships, the Canadian armed forces suffered only slight embarrassment last week during their military exercise near Panniqtuuq.

Given the large scale of the operation, the Department of National Defence is justified in deeming it a success. Two people got lost in the fog one night, mainly because no one bothered to have them accompanied — and protected — by Inuit Rangers. But in the end they suffered no harm that couldn’t be undone by a warm blanket and a hot breakfast. The forces had problems with their Griffon helicopters, but until those notoriously worn-out machines are replaced, that is to be expected.

It certainly wasn’t as much of an embarrassment as last spring’s much-hyped snowmobile marathon from Resolute Bay through Eureka to Alert, when two members of the armed forces were medevaced out after suffering serious injuries before reaching their destination. One of those two men had to abandon his special role — the collection of Peary caribou droppings — but national security was not threatened.

And to make that trip, the armed forces had to a fight a real war first, with Parks Canada bureaucrats. And they lost.

As the Canadian Press revealed last week, parks officials didn’t want Rangers driving snowmobiles through Quttinirpaaq National Park, claiming possible damage to the delicate ecology of Ellesmere Island. The military first wanted the Rangers to take between 20 and 50 snowmobiles, but Parks Canada forced them to settle for seven, and only five of them made it.

So what’s all this fuss about Arctic sovereignty? It seems the federal bureaucracy’s control of the Arctic is so complete, even the armed forces can’t get in.

All joking aside, it’s the maintenance of Canadian sovereignty — especially in the Northwest Territories — that provides the official political justification for these exercises.

But to what end? The harsh reality is that in international law, Canada’s claim to the Northwest Passage is weak. We all know that the United States considers it to be an international waterway. What is not so well-known is that most of the European Union’s member nations also do not recognize Canadian sovereignty in the Northwest Passage, along with most other nations with an interest in the issue. If the Northwest Passage were ever opened at both ends to commercial vessels, it’s likely that the international court would rule against Canada’s claim.

Similarly, Canada’s claim to that over-publicized rock between Ellesmere and Greenland, Hans Island, is even weaker. There, its continuous use by Greenlandic Inuit would seem to give Denmark a stronger claim — as if it really mattered.

All the same, Canada’s armed forces have a legitimate and crucial role to play in search-and-rescue operations, protection against environmental threats, and however unlikely this may be in the Arctic, guarding against terrorist and other criminal infiltrations.

Sovereignty over the Northwest Passage? Legally, that’s already a lost cause, but the so-called “threats” to sovereignty are probably overstated. Climate change experts tell us that shipping conditions in the Northwest Passage will likely remain dangerous even after global warming.

There’s a better way for Canada to exercise its claim over the Arctic — and that is to work with the people of the Arctic to make our home a better place to live.

Prime Minister Paul Martin suggested as much last month during his visit to Iqaluit. He said sovereignty is “manifested in a multitude of ways,” including the quality of life enjoyed by people who live in the Arctic, environmental protection, and economic development.

Martin was speaking off the cuff. There’s no sign yet that his personal vision has made its way into federal government policy, or ever will.

But it’s a fruitful path for the federal government to follow, should the will be there. Canada badly needs a coherent unified policy vision setting out what it wants to do with its Arctic regions, a vision that must include the economic, human development, political development, environmental protection, and circumpolar affairs. JB


For anyone interested in learning something about this part of your country and the people that live there, check out this site. I love the "Ranger" stories...These are the toughest of canadians, and deserve our attention. History will not be kind to us, if we do nothing.

http://www.nunatsiaq.com/
 

Andem

dev
Mar 24, 2002
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Larnaka
You are very correct, peapod.


Canada's sovereignty in the northern regions of our country is increasingly at stake in the growing territorial demands on not only the United States, but also certain members of the European Union.

Canada's claim to the Northern passage has always been weak, especially when we can't even maintain a military up there. The latest exercises by our military was an embarassment. I'm VERY sure that the United States, especially with a man like Bush in power, would take the chance at a landgrab in our great white north. They won't recognise that it's ours.

Just like Reverend Blair mentioned in the last Iraq/Iran/Bush thread, the world is going to be thrown into a resource war. Canada may well become a victim of corporate greed for resources and hense become a victim to the American military who would, as I said, take every chance for a landgrab... even if it's from it's "best" neighbour/friend.

While Canada does not require the largest and most expensive army in the world (see: USA;), we need to provide them with equipment suitable for our own territory! This means: Adequite clothing, durable vehicles, aircraft suitable for our great white north.

I would personally support a tax increase if it secured our natural resources in the north. This shouldn't be optional, it should be manditory.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
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We need to define natural resources though. If we're just going to strip-mine the north, I'd prefer that it be turned into a world heritage site that nobody can touch.

If we are to develop its resources carefully, with strict rules protecting the environment and the people, then we will not only be enforcing our sovereignty, but will gain allies in our cause.
 

T. Rex

Nominee Member
Its our territory.

Its our land.

Its our people.

Other countries can say whatever the heck they want about that land, we have first claim on it. Canada needs to get our military servicemen intact and finally make some financial contribution to our men in uniform who risk their lives to protect us. We have to send them on more missions and we also have to give them better heliocopters, airplanes, tanks, armoured vehicles and the like.

The liberals will continue to kill our military until there is nothing left. If they are so against Americans taking over our country and accusing the conservatives of selling us out to the Americans why are they killing our only defenses???????????

Forget about these pakistanis and giving them welfare, give some food to our military.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
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It doesn't have to be though, Vista. We still yield a lot of soft power, more than we deserve given our actions since 1982 or so, and can use that to rebuild our sovereignty.

T Rex: I'm pretty sure that others here are as offended by your racist comments as I am.
 

peapod

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2004
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I am glad you said that reverend, unfortuneately lots of people think like T-rex....you are intitled to your opinion Trex, even if it is wrong. Listen I saw something once that made me realize if enough people get upset about something....things can change.

When the discovery channel and those other channels first came on the box, shaw cable just put it on people's cable, did not ask and informed subscribers that it would only be a few pennies more a month. Well the outrage could be heard up and down the island!!! people cancelled their cable, I mean lots of people! people rose up, made a stand! We are not going to take this! It worked! Now I can see if enough people are upset and voice it, things can change...phone your mla, write a letter! whats 5 minutes out of your day..you could make a difference. Apathy..spiritual sickness
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
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Soyons un peut mature!

Et alors. Personne vie la quand meme! Mais je suppose que ca fait partie de la tradition de 'l'homme blanc' d'avoir besoin de 'posseder le sol' sur lequel il marche (erreure des autochtones d'avoir partage leur terre avec les europeens). Pourquoi ne pourrions nous pas partager notre terre avec l'humanite? Le Canada est deja le deuxieme plus grand pays au monde, et parmis les plus riches. Et nous n'avons presque pas de population (et en plus, 90% des Canadiens vivent a l'interrieure de 100km de la frontiere americaine). Qu'on commence a penser comme des adultes mature au lieux de ce battre pour le controle d'un passage qui pourrait etre utile pour plusieurs.

Un autre point: Je suis patriote. Je suis ne au Canada et je l'aime beaucoup. Et je parle les deux langues officiels du Canada comme langues de naissance egalement. Par contre, je ne confond pas le patriotisme ni avec le nationalisme, ni avec le 'controle' d'un morceaux de terre ou, dans ce cas ci, meme pas, mais de l'eau plus tot! Meme les animaux ont de meilleures raisons a se battre que pour du terrain (c-a-d., ils se battent pour des besoins plus immediat, tel que la nourriture).
 

Andem

dev
Mar 24, 2002
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Larnaka
Je peut voir votre point d'ici, mais les personnes le peut pas de là. En Nord Amerique, c'est tout pour la puissance. Le futur voit moins de resources et plus saisissant de ressources naturelle par les grand nations de la monde (les états-unis pour un).

Il ne sera jamais assez. C'est la point.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
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Winnipeg
The report says that the thaw will have some positive side-effects. Oil and gas deposits will be easier to reach, more farming may be possible and short-cut trans-Arctic shipping lanes may open.

The ice cap is melting because we burn too much oil and gas and these fools see the bright side as us being able to get at more oil and gas? As a species we are about as bright as a black hole.

As part of Kyoto and our commitment to addressing global warming, we should severely limit sales of fossil fuels to any country that has not signed the Kyoto Protocol. That'd bring Georgie and science-denying freaks back to the table in a hurry. 8)
 

Diamond Sun

Council Member
Jun 11, 2004
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Within arms reach of the new baby..
Re: RE: Artic sovereignty!

Reverend Blair said:
T Rex: I'm pretty sure that others here are as offended by your racist comments as I am.

Most definitely, but I've also come to the conclusion that people who resort to racist comments have very little to offer in the way of intelligent points. T Rex has proven that point time and again.