Harper sends troops to the Arctic to assert sovereignty

The following is the conclusion of a speech given today by Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

************************ Only a handful of countries remain outside the treaty today.

I have been very clear in asserting that Canada intends to enforce its rights under the Law of the Sea.

And today I am calling on all countries to sign the treaty and join Canada and the rest of the world in respecting the rule of the Law of the Sea.

Ladies and Gentlement, for far too long, Canadian Governments have failed in their duty to rigorously enforce our sovereignty in the Arctic.

They have failed to provide enough resources to comprehensively monitor, patrol and protect our northern waters.

As a result, foreign ships may have routinely sailed through our territory without permission.

Any such voyage represents a potential threat to Canadians’ safety and security.

We always need to know who is in our waters and why they’re there.

We must be certain that everyone who enters our waters respects our laws and regulations, particularly those that protect the fragile Arctic environment.

Our new Government will not settle for anything less.

And that’s why we have already begun to take action.

This month, for the first time ever, our government began conducting pollution-detection surveillance flights over our Arctic waters.

The military exercise we are launching today will take the Canadian Navy farther North than it has been for many decades.

Meanwhile we are actively exploring options for the establishment of a deep water port in the Arctic that will extend the Navy’s reach even further.

We are determined to expand the Army's presence in the North by establishing a new Arctic training centre and revitalizing the Canadian Rangers.

New long-range unmanned aerial surveillance drones will provide continuous air patrols throughout the Arctic.

And finally we’re looking at technologies to give Canada undersea surveillance capacity – acoustic or movement sensors to detect subs and ships in our Arctic waters.

Some in the opposition dismiss our focus on northern sovereignty as expensive and unnecessary.

Some have actually come to the North and suggested our plans here are a waste of money.

To that I say, government's first obligation is to defend the territorial integrity of its borders.

And this will become more important in the decades to come - because northern oil and gas, minerals and other resources of the northern frontier will become ever more valuable.

The technologies used in Arctic resource extraction and transport are increasingly sophisticated and affordable.

And the Northwest Passage is becoming more accessible every year: Some scientists even predict it will be open to year-round shipping within a decade.

In short, the economics and the strategic value of northern resource development are growing ever more attractive and critical to our nation.

And trust me, it is not only Canadians who are noticing.

It is no exaggeration to say that the need to assert our sovereignty and take action to protect our territorial integrity in the Arctic has never been more urgent.

The North is poised to take a much bigger role in Canada’s economic and social development.

It is attracting international attention, investment capital, people, and commercial and industrial development.

Therefore the Government of Canada has an enormous responsibility to ensure that development occurs on our terms.

In particular, we must ensure the unique ecosystem of the North, and the unique cultural traditions of the First Peoples of the North, are respected and protected.

That’s what we said we would do, and that’s what we’re going to do.

We want the world to know about the amazing opportunities that lie ahead for northern Canada; but let there be no misunderstanding:

This is Nunavut – "Our Land" – just as Yukon and the Northwest Territories and the entire Arctic Archipelago are “Our Land.”

And, on this you have my word, we will back our sovereignty over “Our Land” with all the tools at our disposal, including the men and women of our Armed Forces who are launching Operation Lancaster from Iqaluit today.

Thank you, merci, Nakuqmiit.

God Bless the True North, Strong and Free!

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