Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 27/05) - The Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters has a new chief of staff.

"I think it's a golden opportunity, actually. I'm really looking forward to it," Lt. Col. Andrew Artus said Friday after assuming command.

"I want to sit down with the staff and listen to them and hear what some of their concerns are," Artus said.

He also mentioned plans to renovate the headquarters so it can house more people.

"We need to get things set up and ready to be able to insure that Canada's sovereignty is maintained in the North," Artus said.

This means, he said, getting to work on "systems issues" that make communication with other commands in the South difficult.

Artus also spoke about his responsibilities in a post-Sept. 11 world.

"I think that terrorism can happen anywhere and I think thatOs something that we should be concerned about. IOm not saying there are direct threats," Artus said, "I'm thinking could it happen, and if it did, what would we do?" he said.

Artus has been with the Canadian Forces since 1981 and has held posts all over North America, including the chief of tactical operations of the Ballistic Missile Warning Site at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska in 1989.

He spent the last three years as unit detachment commander and DND Liaison officer with the Canadian Space Agency.

Artus is replacing Lt.-Col. Scott Archer who is moving to Florida where he will be director of combat planning at Tyndall Air Force Base.

"The biggest things that I would like (to have finished) is increase our capability in the very high arctic in the deep of winter," Archer said.