Pushing Arctic sovereignty NWT premier urges Canadian government to be more vocal about northern claims; Coast Guard icebreaker sets out on 4-month mission Gary Park For Petroleum News
The Canadian government needs to be more assertive in advancing its Arctic sovereignty claims, using the Mackenzie Gas Project as a key element of that strategy, Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland told a conference of government leaders from the United States and Canadian northwest.
As foreign governments and industries increasingly turn their attention to Arctic natural resources, Ottawa should “step up and show some sovereignty” by funding projects such as air patrols, road construction and the MGP, he told the Pacific Northwest Economic Region conference in Calgary in July.
Roland said the major projects are beyond the financial capacity of the NWT government, leaving the Canadian government to make them happen.
He listed the MGP as the best hope on the horizon to stimulate economic development and said he expects the National Energy Board will deliver a positive verdict this fall when it releases the final regulatory recommendations.
But Roland conceded NWT business leaders are concerned that a competing project from Alaska to the Lower 48 could overtake the MGP.
“The fear that comes up at times is that the American government is very positive in talking about (the Alaska) pipeline and about incentives, while our Canadian government is much more reserved and hasn’t been as vocal in that area,” he said.
Alberta’s Sustainable Resource Minister Mel Knight said his government supports both the Alaska and Mackenzie projects because of the opportunity they create for Alberta to serve as a collection, processing, storage and distribution center for gas deliveries throughout North America.
Four-month mission The Canadian government’s commitment to promote Arctic sovereignty took another step forward July 19 when the Canadian Coast Guard’s flagship Louis S. St-Laurent left Newfoundland for a four-month scientific mission by a team of scientists, including biologists, oceanographers and hydrographers.
The mission will test ice, water and plankton by surveying the ocean bottom and submitting its data to the World Court as part of the long-term international effort to resolve Arctic boundaries.
Marc Rothwell, captain of the icebreaker, said the battle for jurisdiction will be won through a peaceful process and be based on scientific evidence.
Separately, Natural Resources Canada has been accused of breaking its promise to the Inuit to revise plans for seismic testing in Lancaster Sound, which lies between Devon Island and Baffin Island.
Okalik Eegeesuiak, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, said NRC should now expect another outcry from Arctic community associations, which are troubled by the possible impact on marine wildlife if ever oil and natural gas exploration and development were approved.
Ron Elliott, the Arctic member of the Nunavut legislature, said there is no point to consultations if community concerns are ignored.
Donald James, chief geologist with the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in June that the original plans to gather seismic data in Lancaster Sound had been scaled back by “making some significant modifications” to the survey.
Researchers have said any seismic data could support efforts to have Lancaster Sound designated as a marine conservation area.
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