Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 31/05) - While residents of four Kivalliq hamlets enjoyed the visit of two Kingston class naval vessels this past week, two other military vessels were headed towards a small Arctic island in the middle of an international dispute.

Hans Island is a tiny speck of land, three-kilometres long and one-kilometre wide, sitting in the middle of Kennedy Channel in the Nares Strait.

The strait separates Ellesmere Island from Northern Greenland, and connects Baffin Bay with the Lincoln Sea.

Claimed by both Canada and Denmark, the island is viewed as a test case of sovereignty issues in the Canadian Arctic.

During the past two decades, each country has seen its flag on the island destroyed by weather and replaced by the flag of the other nation.

This past month, Canadian Forces personnel constructed an Inukshuk and replanted the Canadian flag on the island.

Canadian Defence Minister Bill Graham also set foot on Hans as a symbolic gesture of national sovereignty.

The gesture enraged Denmark, which sent cutter HDMS Tulugaq on a patrol to assert Danish sovereignty.

The Tulugaq set sail for the Kennedy Channel on Aug. 4.

On Aug. 18, the Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton set out on a "fisheries patrol" which will also take it to the Nares Strait.

The Chief of Staff for the Canadian Forces Northern Area, Lt.-Col. Andrew Artus, was in Rankin Inlet this past week to commemorate the visit of the HMCS Glace Bay and Shawinigan to the Kivalliq.

Artus said he's excited about Graham's announcement that Canada is going to step up its military presence in the Arctic.

He said many years of talk about the Arctic's importance and the need to concentrate more on the area is being replaced by action.

"We need to protect its sovereignty and increase our military presence.

"We're encouraged by the message we're hearing and excited to be coming back to many of these communities on a yearly basis."

Lost sovereignty

Former Northern commander Pierre Leblanc has stated Canada may have already lost its claim to Arctic waters due to its inability to track down and identify submarines which have been sighted in the area for the past 30 years by credible sources.

Artus said the former commander is within his rights to make whatever comment he likes, but he views things in a different light.

"I'm encouraged by what I've seen in the Defence policies on the importance of our North.

"And, I'm looking forward to the challenge of putting those policies together so we can ensure our freedom and sovereignty in the North."

When asked directly about the Fredericton's mission towards Hans Island, Artus said he doesn't have enough information on the operation to comment.

He did say, however, every piece of land or waters Canada declares as its own deserves due diligence with respect to security and sovereignty.

Willing and capable

"Should the Canadian government say this is our area and you will patrol it, then we're willing and capable of doing that.

"When you talk about Canada and its sovereignty, that becomes very important to everybody in Canada regardless of whether they live in the North or South.

"We are prepared to act on behalf of the government should it want us to do something to protect that sovereignty.

"The main thrust of this military is to protect the desires and wishes of the people and the Government of Canada."

Artus said if the Canadian military were to find itself in the situation where push comes to shove, it's in position to defend national sovereignty in the North.

He said Canadian Forces personnel are among the best trained in the world and are ready to make things happen if called upon.

"If we had everything we wanted, we wouldn't have requirements and we do.

"But, does that mean we're not ready if we're called into action? No!

"Should push ever come to shove in Arctic waters, we would be capable of enforcing and carrying out the mandate of the Canadian government.

"Make no mistake about it."