Harper begins fifth summer tour of Canada's North
By Mark Kennedy
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CHURCHILL, Man. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper launched his week-long trip to Canada's North Monday pledging to stand by the region's isolated residents and boasting that he has done more for the area than any other government over the past half-century.
At the same time, in the wake of his repeated assertions that Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic is "non-negotiable", Harper brushed aside the significance of a recent visit by Danish cruise ship tourists to Hans Island, the Arctic island which both Canada and Demark claim as their own.
Harper began his fifth summer visit to the Arctic by announcing a $13.4-million investment to upgrade this city's airport on the shore of Hudson's Bay.
He said regional and remote airports play a vital role in bringing Canadians together and linking communities to other parts of the world.
The Churchill airport, located about 1,000 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, operates year round and is considered an important hub for the North, including a gateway for tourism.
Harper said the investment shows the federal government is committed to ensuring northerners have access to the "goods, services and opportunities they need" so that they are not left behind.
"This has to be a long-term project. This is a sparsely populated, underdeveloped region of the country. And it will require sustained investments and attention to take advantage of the opportunities that await it."
Harper came to power promising to make Arctic sovereignty a priority and he has made a string of announcements in recent years to bolster that emphasis.
He has promised a new icebreaker and deep-sea naval port, an Arctic training facility for the military, an expanded national park, new international regulations on Arctic shipping, and a new northern development agency to give people here more power over their future.
In the throne speech earlier this year, he promised a High Arctic Research Station — a pledge expected to be fulfilled soon.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Harper cited his record as proof of how serious he is on the Arctic.
"A lot is happening. I think anybody who has lived in this part of the country will know more has happened in the last five years in this part of the country under this government than has happened in the previous 50."
The prime minister said the Canadian Arctic is a vital part of this country's national identify, sovereignty and economic security.
He said his government's priority is to help northern communities become more "self-sufficient, healthy and safe."
"It is crucial that we continue to unlock the enormous resource potential of the North, while protecting our northern environmental heritage to preserve its rich natural beauty and ecological integrity for future generations."
The prime minister said the government will continue to devote funds to Arctic research and infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, Harper appeared unperturbed by the incident on Hans Island. The dispute with the Danes over the ownership of Hans Island, which lies between Ellesmere Island and Greenland, is one of two international ongoing disputes. Both countries claim ownership to the tiny island, just as Canada and the U.S. have different claims over a section of the Beaufort Sea.
Earlier this month, 64 Danish passengers on the Ocean Nova cruise liner reportedly went ashore on Hans Island and erected a cairn with Greenland and Danish flags on top.
Last week, Harper stressed that the protection of Canadian sovereignty in the North is a "non-negotiable priority."
However, on Monday he shied away from expressing concern about the incursion on Hans Island, saying his government is committed to resolving the dispute with Denmark and the island is so small it wouldn't have made for "much of a tour."
"It is progressing well," he said of the dispute with Denmark. "Obviously we have bigger fish to fry in terms of the long-term economic development of the North."
Also this week, Harper will visit Cambridge Bay, Resolute Bay, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Whitehorse.
