Yellowknife (June 23/03) - Canada may turn to satellite surveillance to protect its claims to sovereignty in the North.

The eyes-in-the-sky option was a hot topic at a recent meeting of the Arctic Security Interdepartmental Working Group in Yellowknife.

Staff from two Department of National Defence directorates of space development came from Ottawa to outline the $40-million satellite-based project called Polar Epsilon.

"The vastness of the arctic demands that we use something other than human eyeballs to tell us what's going on," said Col. Norris Pettis Commander of Canadian Forces Northern Area.

The Polar Epsilon project is designed to use existing satellite systems and data for wide area surveillance needed in the north.

While the Arctic Security Working Group does not have a mandate to set any policies, information discussed during this meeting is shared with policy makers.

If the Polar Epsilon project is approved, it would not be ready for use until at least 2008.

Col. Pettis said although there is no immediate threat to Canadian sovereignty, "the North is a vast and open area and we always have to be conscious of the fact that it is possible to exploit that openness."

Pettis recalled an incident occurring in 1998 when a Chinese research vessel tested the sovereignty of Canada by attempting to sail in northern waters.

"Several key lessons were learned in that incident," he said.

The Arctic Security Interdepartmental Working group was formed.

It meets twice a year and brings together key government agencies to discuss security issues in the North.