Investing in the Canadian Arctic: A Policy Proposal to Protect Canada’s de facto Sovereignty in the North

Abstract

This paper seeks to determine to what extent, if at all, Canada’s sovereignty is threatened in the changing Arctic. Its goal is to define the scope and severity of the threat, and to determine if current policy responses and plans by the federal government are fit to adequately address that threat. As commercial opportunities proliferate and foreign actors express interest, can Canada truly claim to be sovereign in the Arctic? If so, is that sovereignty tenable? This paper will conclude that there does exist a threat to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty: Canada risks abdicating its de facto sovereignty in the Arctic through its persistent inability to develop and govern its portion of the region. As commercial endeavors proliferate, governments will need to provide the infrastructure and governance necessary to support business. If Canada does not lead this effort, other actors will. This paper will also conclude that the government’s policy responses to date do not appropriately address the real threats that Canada faces. We will therefore suggest new policy initiatives which we recommend the government implement.