The federal government has brought out a new report and website covering its plans to boost Northern development, as the sabre-rattling over Arctic sovereignty heats up between Canada and other nations seeking to lay claim to the region.
In a political show of force, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Science and Technology Minister Gary Goodyear all spoke at a press conference to outline the report, entitled "Canada's Northern Strategy: Our North, Our Heritage, Our Future."
"This document further articulates our vision for the North and highlights the extensive and growing progress to date, including major investments under Canada's Economic Action Plan," Strahl told reporters at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que.
The report outlines four pillars of the government's Northern strategy: Arctic sovereignty, promoting social and economic development, protecting the North's environmental heritage and improving Northern governance.
Strahl and the other ministers also unveiled an official website (northernstrategy.gc.ca) that will contain up-to-date information on Arctic policy.
Some elements of the plan were announced last summer during several high-profile trips to the region by senior government officials, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
New government plans included an economic development agency and improved regulatory processes, to boost investor confidence in the North.
Plans for a new state-of-the-art icebreaker, to be named for former prime minister John Diefenbaker, were also outlined.
The announcement comes as five countries continue to haggle over who has control of the Arctic basin.
Canada, the U.S., Denmark, Norway and Russia are all surveying the region ahead of a 2013 deadline to make a formal claim to the area.
During last summer's Arctic visits, the federal government announced plans to ratchet up military operations in the North, by promising new northern warships and a dedicated Arctic unit.
Earlier this month, the Canadian Coast Guard's largest icebreaker, the Louis St. Laurent, began travelling to the Arctic to help with Canada's survey of the ocean floor.
However, a program that would have seen the navy acquire six to eight new vessels that would maintain a year-round presence in the Arctic has been delayed due to mounting costs.
Last week, Denmark released a military strategy dedicated to strengthening its capabilities in the North.
The report called for a dedicated Arctic military contingent, upgraded surveillance systems and new sea-faring vessels.
Russia also recently announced plans for a dedicated Arctic special forces unit, in addition to expanding its icebreaker program and modernizing its northern fleet.
Russia has also flown long-range bombers to airspace boundaries of a number of Arctic countries, including Canada.
And Norway's purchase of 48 new fighter jets last year was attributed in part to the fact they can be used for Arctic patrols.
Speaking after Strahl, Cannon said he has met with his counterparts on the Arctic Council, which includes Denmark, Norway and Russia, to stress "the importance of the North for Canadians."
Calling the North, "an integral part of our national identity," Cannon said heightened military operations will allow Canada to protect the area, respond quickly to emergencies and "reinforce our presence in the region."
"We are working with our Arctic neighbours -- the U.S, Denmark, Russia -- to ensure international recognition for the maximum extent of Canada's continental shelf in accordance to the United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea."
With files from The Canadian Press
