Canada still preparing Arctic claim
'We basically ran out of time' – Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 16, 2013
NUNAVUT
After a decade and nearly $200 million worth of work, Canada still has more to do before officially submitting a claim for seabed rights in the Arctic.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the country had 10 years to determine the limits of its continental shelf past 370 nautical kilometres.
The deadline for submissions was Dec. 6. To satisfy the time frame, the country filed a preliminary submission.
It also entered a completed claim for the Atlantic Ocean.
"The Arctic is a very challenging place, the conditions, the weather. We basically ran out of time. So we are buying the time with a preliminary submission," said Leona Aglukkaq, MP for Nunavut and the chairperson of the Arctic Council.
"We were able to move forward in the Atlantic region quicker as seasons are longer."
Yet, according to the Globe and Mail, the submission for the Arctic was delayed because Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a last minute request for bureaucrats to draft a more expansive claim that includes the North Pole.
Robert Huebert, associate director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, said Canada should have been looking at the North Pole and beyond from the start.
"It's about ensuring we have the maximum submission when going into negotiations that are mandated by the convention," he said.
Russia and Denmark also lay claim to the North Pole.
Canada is looking to prove the Lomonsov Ridge, which runs across the North Pole from near Ellesmere Island to the Siberian region of Russia, is connected to its continental shelf.
If the ridge falls off, or if there are any breaks, the claim ends at that point.
"We believe the science will show the North Pole is part of Canada," said Aglukkaq.
"But we need to acquire the data to conclusively prove this ... We can't just go out and say it's part of Canada."
One day after Canada announced plans to claim the North Pole, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly advised Russia's military to increase its presence in the Arctic.
Aglukkaq declined to comment directly on Putin's actions.
"There is a process that has been outlined by the UN, and all the countries that are doing this work fall under the same rules," she added.
"This is about writing Canada's history and getting the best possible outcome for Canadians. This is our last chance."
The Arctic Ocean appeal has the potential to result in undiscovered resources.
For years, Huebert has asserted that Canada should be doing more to protect its Arctic sovereignty.
He believes the government has a good plan, but needs to start carrying it out.
"If we actually start doing what we say we're going to do - build the Arctic offshore patrol vessel, finish off the work at Nanisivik, finish off the rebuilding of the North warning system - in other words all the stuff we have identified as necessary ... yes, it will be enough," said Huebert.
"The problem that we are facing is for a whole host of political reasons, economic reasons and all the rest. We've been slowing down on the deliverables, and that leaves me uneasy."
