Election trumps Arctic trip

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has scrubbed what has become his almost-sacred annual pilgrimage to the Arctic since he was elected in 2006.

Trailing in the polls only three months away from a national election on Oct. 19, he has apparently decided there are other more pressing priorities.

Harper has used his northern expeditions, including to the High Arctic, as a chance to style himself as a defender of Canadian sovereignty in the face of challenges from Russia, Denmark and even the United States.

They have also been a chance for him to allocate cash for projects such as a road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories, conclude long negotiations to transfer control over resources to the NWT, promise an Arctic port in Nunavut and promote the deployment of Arctic Rangers (drawn from aboriginal populations) to reinforce Canada’s territorial claims.

Regardless of when an official election campaign is launched, aides in Harper’s office said the prospect of a party leaders debate in August would clash with the usual date for the Arctic trip.

They also noted that the campaign is certain to see Harper spend time in the North.

- GARY PARK