Vanguard Magazine

interView www.vanguardcanada.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 11 whole-of-government model. This is one of the reasons why we conduct interagency operations and activities such as hosting the Arctic Security Working Group. Also, JTFN facilitates the deployment of CAF assets and personnel to Canada's North as it is a key component of northern defence. Through these deployments during Operation NA- NOOK, the CAF can enhance its employ- ment ability, as well as its presence in the Arctic region. Q What keeps you awake at night? Other than 20 hours of beautiful summer daylight in Yellowknife, I sleep well know- ing that the 1800 Rangers of the 1st Ca- nadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG), my staff and I are ready and can access the resources required through the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) to deal with any eventuality. We are here in the North to do our job: protecting Ca- nadians. We constantly review our proce- dures to plan, coordinate, and conduct operations. We operate in the Arctic and preparedness is essential. The staff at Joint Task Force (North) are dedicated to their mission, and I am extremely grateful for their hard work and to be part of such a devoted team of professionals. Q What role does Canada's new defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, play in your mission for the Canadian Arctic or would play in the near future? The Canadian military has operated in the North since the days of the Klondike Gold Rush during the late 19th century and the Canadian Arctic has always demanded our resiliency to make us strong at home. Learning from our past experience, the CAF became one of the major partners in the Arctic and a key capability build- ing asset within the federal family through enhanced presence, interoperability and readiness. JTFN facilitates, supports and coordinates many northern activities with other organizations to ensure that Canada is protected and Canadians are safe. Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged,(SSE) has many goals laid out for the Arctic. One key point that JTFN focuses on is maintaining a good relation- ship with our northern partners. Sharing knowledge across areas of expertise has al- lowed us to effectively support Arctic pro- grams, monitor our internal waterways, and conduct northern operations. Indige- nous communities are at the heart of Can- ada's North. As such, we work to deepen our extensive relationships with these communities, engaging local populations as part of routine operations and exercises. Additionally, Canada's contributions to enhancing regional Arctic security form a core tenant of the Canada-United States defence relationship. While operating in Canada's North, we often work in close partnership with other federal, territorial, and local governments and departments. As such, we leverage our capabilities to support whole-of-government initiatives, helping them deliver their mandates, in turn supporting Government of Canada priorities in the Arctic region. The North has little infrastructure and is a unique, vast, harsh, sparsely populated, and expensive place to operate. When we deploy, we coordinate with partners to maximize the effectiveness and impact of our operations in order to ensure the defence, security and safety of Canadians in support of the Canadian Government. For example, Operation NEVUS is a year- ly operation to maintain and upgrade the High Arctic Data Communication System (HADCS). The system provides commu- nications between Ottawa and the most northerly inhabited place in the world, Canadian Forces Station Alert. Recently, capitalizing on the presence of our per- sonnel and assets, we conducted environ- mental reconnaissance on known legacy fuel cache sites on Ellesmere Island, al- lowing us to dispose of some 2,000 empty fuel barrels. During this operation, we ef- fectively combined maintenance of a com- munication system while contributing to environmental stewardship. JTFN facilitates the development of mobility equipment for CAF members deployed in the Arctic whenever possible. Joint Task Force (North) recognizes that climate change, combined with advances in technology, is leading to an increasingly accessible Arctic. It is therefore of ut- most importance to modernize our Arctic equipment such as our all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and medium over-snow ve- hicles. Development or procurement of Arctic equipment does not directly fall under JTFN, but we can facilitate it. For example, Defense Research and Develop- ment Canada (DRDC) technicians, re- searchers, and scientists often deploy with CAF members to some of the most aus- tere locations in the world to test out new operational concepts and equipment.

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