How valuable is the Arctic to Canada?

80watts

Well-known member
May 20, 2004
3,379
1,276
113
Victoria
The land of the Midnight sun.

I know diamonds have been found down north (rivers flow northwards in northern Canada). Alaska has oil, so does the Queen Charlottes, and off the coast of Nfld. So what lies under all that permafrost that is now melting and changing the landscape of the north.

Northwestern Ontario is a treasure trove of mineral, but hard to access them.
 

Finewine60

Active member
Jan 20, 2019
321
66
28
It’s not so much what worth in terms of commodores, but a northwest passage would be shorter than the Panama Canal
At Joe Clarke said while in parliament Canada must maintain its arctic claim or loose it
The north will be the new battle ground fo control and right now we are politically weak with offending other countries
Beware China
 

islander1-1

Well-known member
Oct 9, 2015
1,067
488
83
Southern Vancouver Island
Pierre Trudeau was a big fan of the Arctic. I remember the famous shot of him in a canoe, wearing his Dene jacket. The North is a source of many natural resources. First it was the fur trade, then and now.... gold, and diamonds (Yellowknife) Gold, (Yukon), Oil, (Norman Wells and the Beaufort Sea), Arctic Char, (Beaufort and Hudson Bay) lumber (Yukon), Northern Meats like cariboo and musk ox. The North coast has for a long time been also the DEW line. A joint US - CDN defense measure. (Now mostly defunct, I think). It is a vast open sky country, rich in Native traditional culture and very different than the rest this continent. It is actually 1/3 of the land mass of the country, but with a total population of 121,000 (Yukon, NWT and Nunavut)
 

licks2nite

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2006
1,244
260
83
Canada has valid 200 mile off shore sovereignty as does every coastal nation. What is at risk here is the sea floor beyond 200 miles. While the water above remains international, the resources on and below the floor of the Arctic Ocean are being contested by all nations bordering the Arctic Ocean, all the way over the North Pole and up to Canada's 200 mile territorial limit.
 

sybian

Well-known member
Dec 23, 2014
3,637
982
113
Kamloops B.C.
The Canadian Rangers have patrolled that region for almost a century...we have citizens there that receive northern benefits, pay taxes, and receive funding through various programs.The resources and infrastructure have been developed and managed by the Canadian Government.
Anyone claiming it for their country, other than Canadian should be viewed as a foreign hostile invasion.....try that shit with Alaska and see WTF happens.
They should be told...in no uncertain terms...to fuck right off, and it should be backed with our military to the hilt.
It is ours by history and birth right , ....and will remain as such.
 
Last edited:

MissingOne

Don't just do something, sit there.
Jan 2, 2006
2,230
441
83
... It is ours by history and birth right , ....and will remain as such.
Only if we're prepared to give our military the resources they would need to defend it. You know more about the capability of the Canadian Military than I do, but my impression is that we really need a greater military presence in the Arctic to back up our claim. That would include more icebreakers, a small fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, and some substantial permanent bases. I'd be more than happy to see some of my tax money go towards those things, but on that score I may be in the minority.
 

sybian

Well-known member
Dec 23, 2014
3,637
982
113
Kamloops B.C.
Only if we're prepared to give our military the resources they would need to defend it. You know more about the capability of the Canadian Military than I do, but my impression is that we really need a greater military presence in the Arctic to back up our claim. That would include more icebreakers, a small fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, and some substantial permanent bases. I'd be more than happy to see some of my tax money go towards those things, but on that score I may be in the minority.
Yeah you can't show up in a fleet of canoes, and throw sharp sticks at people.
The Rangers do an awesome job, but are under funded, and slim in ranks.
The patrol is once a year I believe...a permanent presence is required.
 

Lo-ki

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2011
4,022
2,654
113
Check your closet..:)
The patrol is once a year I believe...a permanent presence is required.
If Trudeau is voted in..... the North and the rest of Canada is gone....
 
Ashley Madison
Vancouver Escorts