Denmark's Arctic Assets and Canada's Response – Sovereignty and Strategic Resources of
the High Arctic
Canada's Northwest Passage – A High Arctic Waterway Worth Fighting For
"Westward from the Davis Strait, 'tis there 'twas said to lie,
A Sea Route to the Orient, for which so many died –
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones,
And a long - forgotten, lonely cairn of stones . . . "
This is the melancholy history of the Northwest Passage as sung by the late Stan Rogers, a fiercely patriotic Canadian song-writer. There was no doubt in his mind that the
Northwest Passage belonged to Canada. Unfortunately, many nations now challenge our claim to this channel. Why? Because the Arctic ecosystem is warming up at an alarming rate. Soon the Northwest
Passage will be coveted as the shortest, safest, cheapest route between Shanghai and Rotterdam. There will be growing pressure to 'globalize' our internal waterway.
Canada must take decisive action now in order to build an unassailable claim to the islands and the waterways of the Arctic Archipelago. Many ministries – including the Department
of National Defence – will need to work together to weave an airtight case for Canadian claims to the High Arctic.