18 JUNE/JULY 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com
A RCT I C M A R I T
T I M E T O I N C R E A S E
F
or too long, the Canadian Arc-
tic has not been benefitting
from the attention it deserves.
Yet recent events and long-term
trends call for an increased se-
curity focus to the region. The geopoliti-
cal shift caused by the invasion of Ukraine
by Russia and the realisation that China,
which calls itself a near-arctic nation, has
ambitious aspirations in the Arctic and has
been conducting illegal activities in Canada
for decades, call for action.
18 JUNE/JULY 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com
B Y P I E R R E L E B LA N C
When I commanded Canadian Forces
Northern Area in the late 1990s, I was
appalled to learn that ships entering our
internal waters were not required to re-
port their presence to the Canadian Coast
Guard (CCG). In July 2010, following
years of lobbying, the Canadian Govern-
ment made it compulsory for vessels of
300 tons and above entering Canadian wa-
ters to report to the Northern Canada Ves-
sel Traffic Services Zone Regulations, bet-
ter known as NORDREG. This measure
significantly improved Canada's awareness
of who and what was entering our Arctic.
Unfortunately, Report Number 6 of the
Auditor General of Canada (AGC) on the
surveillance of Canadian Arctic Waters,
published in November 2022, states that
"Overall, the federal government has not
taken the required action to address long-
standing gaps affecting its surveillance of
Canada's Arctic waters". Of specific con-
cern, it also states at paragraph 6.23 that:
"The inability to reliably track, monitor,
Domain Awareness
A R C T I C
