Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/111458
A Arctic Photo: DND handling sealift logistics in the North that do not match Ottawa or Halifax standards, but that still work quite well. The project design was reined in and the project budget (at least for now) was recovered. However, when news broke that the project concept was being revised, reaction in the press was scathing. The National Post wrote: "Obviously, this will save the government money. That's good, on the face of it. But there's a problem here. When a facility is built to be used on an as-needed basis, the government clearly believes it won't be needed very much. The original plan for the base would have given Canada a real foothold in Arctic waters, and would have forced the government into using the facility lest it be accused of waste ... Rather than being a game-changer, this will make what we already do moderately easier. Canada is either going to be an Arctic power or it isn't. If the government can't even commit the $100-million bucks it originally wanted to spend on developing a proper naval base in the Arctic region, the answer to that question is clear." The newspaper, unfortunately, missed the point. If the project can meet its original function of providing a refueling base for government shipping in the Arctic and keep within its budget constraints, isn't that what's required? We don't need another palatial government facility built in the North. The project must also cross departmental borders. Nanisivik is a DND-managed project, but other departments should benefit as well. The site is currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for training. It is expected that the coast guard will have access to the new naval depot and will continue to stage cargo operations from this location. However, it is unclear how much the two departments have worked together on project definition or on operations planning needed to maximize those benefits. A will and a way So what lessons can be taken from the Nanisivik project to date? For the public and the press, don't confuse a lack of progress on any one northern strategy project with a lack of commitment on behalf of the government. The strategy still stands and I am 38 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 www.vanguardcanada.com "If we do strategic investments that enable full participation of our people, be part of the decision-making processes and decide our own future, Canada would be so much richer for it. The knowledge is within us and we can be the deciders of our own destiny. We can make those policies and laws to exercise and defend our rights." — Nancy Karetak-Lindell convinced the will is there; the way forward, however, is difficult. For proponents of the project, recognize that government has more than a duty to consult with the Aboriginal land owners on whose jurisdiction the project will be developed – it has an obligation to partner. Northern residents share the same desire for sovereignty as we in the South, but they see it from a very different perspective. Projects must contribute in a lasting and meaningful way to the sovereignty, security and well being of our northern communities, not just to our notions of what sovereignty means from Ottawa. We must also acknowledge and seek out cost-effective solutions to building these projects in the North. More often than not, the answers already reside with our Northern partners. Finally, northern strategy projects span multiple departmental jurisdictions and responsibilities, and therefore require concerted and determined leadership to keep them moving forward and to overcome departmental and jurisdictional stovepipes and process inertia. In the Prime Minister, we have a champion for the strategy's objectives. But do we have the all important northern strategy program manager?