Vanguard Magazine

Increasing the capacity of resolute Bay would convey the message that by transiting the Northwest Passage one will invariably have to sail in front of this federal government facility. 28 JUNE/JULY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com a arctIc tion to NORAD operations by providing additional coverage north of the North Warning System, which is currently estab- lished along Canada's Arctic continental coastline, leaving the Arctic Archipelago with limited or no coverage. Natural Resources Canada already uses Resolute Bay to provide weather servic- es and to support research in the Arctic through its Polar Continental Shelf Pro- gram. It is recognized that we lack a solid understanding of global warming as it af- fects the Arctic. To the extent increased re- search is merited in the Arctic, it would be well supported from an enhanced facility. The establishment of a multi-purpose fa- cility in Resolute Bay would improve the delivery of services of other government departments such as: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, whose members could be deployed to deal with security issues in support of other departments or deploy- ment of their Immediate Reaction Teams as required; The Border Services of Canada (BSC) and Immigration Canada, to facili- tate the clearing of people who use Reso- lute Bay as a first point of entry into or exit out of Canada (the cruise ship industry has been using Resolute Bay for that purpose for a number of years); Canadian Security Intelligence Services, to gain a better un- derstanding of the Arctic environment; Fisheries and Oceans, for their fisheries pa- trols; and Environment Canada, for their ice patrols. It would provide a command and control centre for regional military and civilian disaster-response operations. The facility would be used on a seasonal basis. During the active shipping season, the facility would see a peak in operations. Some personnel would be permanently sta- tioned in Resolute Bay while others could be added to deal with increased activity. Increasing the capacity of Resolute Bay would convey the message that by tran- siting the Northwest Passage one will in- variably have to sail in front of this federal government facility. My concern is not with responsible shipping companies that consider the Northwest Passage an eco- nomically viable route; such firms will have purpose-reinforced hull vessels, qualified pilots, suitable equipment, appropriate maps, insurance and so on. My concern is with the fly-by-night, uninsured or un- scrupulous operators who may have little regard for the environment, criminal ele- ments, or the activities of rogue nations that may attempt to move illicit goods or weapons through this area in the hope of being undetected. An approach drawing upon the full range of federal and territorial resources will increase opportunities for gainful employment for the people of the Arctic. Many of the operational and support po- sitions could be filled by the residents of Resolute Bay and the adjacent Nunavut communities. Such employment would be challenging, rewarding and contribute to improving the capacity of northern resi- dents. Developing Resolute Bay further may bring fringe benefits, such as increased eco-tourism, and commercial opportuni- ties, such as cold weather testing of air- craft, vehicles and equipment, and an alter- native runway for polar flights, providing fuel savings for airlines. As such, the de- velopment could be done through a PPP (public-private partnership) program. The cost of the installation could count toward our commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence. More importantly, developing Resolute Bay as an arctic secu- rity hub will support the surveillance and enforcement of Canadian law over the in- ternal waters of the Arctic Archipelago. colonel (retired) Pierre Leblanc is a former Commander of the Canadian Forces in the Arctic. Photo: DND

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