Harper Government Protecting the North

By John Pidkowich

From Government Press Release and the BBC’s Lee Carter – On his second consecutive summer tour of the Canadian North, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the expansion of the boundaries of the Nahanni National Park Reserve on August 8, in Fort Simpson, NWT. The announcement reflects the Government’s commitment to preserving the North’s ecological treasures. Harper noted that environmental protection is one of four main priorities in the Government’s Northern Agenda. Canada’s New Government has developed a four-point Arctic agenda to protect our sovereignty over the North:

• Economic development – unleashing the resource-based potential of the North;

• National sovereignty – protecting our land, airspace and territorial waters;

• Northern input and control – ending paternalistic federal policies of past governments; and

• Environmental protection – protecting the unique Northern environment.

Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada was designated as UNESCO’s first World Heritage List in 1978 and the section of the South Nahanni River within the Reserve that includes the renowned Virginia Falls was designated a Canadian Heritage River by the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board in 1987.

Planned months in advance, the tour gained new significance in light of events at the beginning of August when a Russian expedition planted a Russian Federation Flag on the ocean  floor below the Arctic North Pole in pretense to claim sovereignty over the Arctic Shelf and the territory’s natural resources for itself.

Mr. Harper’s visit to the North took on a double-edged meaning, for environmental protection, as well as, for Arctic sovereignty. Harper also announced that a winter military base will be built in the Arctic and Canadian military personnel have already started training exercises near the North Pole.

Canada has been disturbed by claims for the rich mineral deposits in the Arctic Shelf maid by countries such as Norway and the Russian Federation. International law experts state that neighbouring countries have full rights to make claims to territory which are extensions of their continental shelf. According to the UN convention of maritime law, the ocean floor bed beyond 200 nautical miles from the land territory of sub-arctic states falls within an international zone, until a substantiated claim is put forward by one of the countries.  

 “Today’s announcement will ensure that more of this precious land, and its countless ecological wonders, will be protected for future generations,” said the Prime Minister.