Liberal leader Stephane Dion vowed to protect Arctic culture and sovereignty during a Sunday campaign stop in Nunavut, where his party is in a tight race with the Conservatives.
Dion said a Liberal government would protect aboriginal languages, establish a crime-prevention strategy and increase tax breaks for Canadians who reside in the northern region.
He also promised to strengthen Canada's northern borders and pledged that mapping the Arctic seabed would be completed by a Liberal government by 2013.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper visited the Arctic in August and announced a project to map the region's geological resources, and he travelled to Nunavut just two weeks ago.
Harper has said Canada must take a "use it or lose it" approach to Arctic sovereignty -- a comment Dion on Sunday called "an insult."
During his campaign stop in Iqaluit, Dion pledged a number of other initiatives, such as increased funding for small-craft harbours and replacing aging search-and-rescue aircraft.
He criticized both the Conservatives and the NDP for having economic policies that he said would be detrimental to northern residents.
Dion accused the NDP of having "a plan to increase the burden of the business community in Canada by $50 billion, the last thing the stock market wants to hear about at a time of difficulty."
"We will not be in a position to help the North if we are killing jobs and if we have a weakened economy," he said.
Two weeks ago, Harper visited Iqaluit and pledged to protect the Far North by increasing Canada's military presence in the region. He also promised to create a new regional development agency to strengthen the northern economy over the long term.
With a report from CTV's Roger Smith in Iqaluit and files from The Canadian Press
