Yellowknife (Sep 11/06) - During the prime minister's recent whistle-stop tour of North, Stephen Harper reiterated his promise to ensure Canada's jurisdiction over the Arctic islands, waterways and resources.

In a speech given in Iqaluit, Harper said any government's first obligation was to defend the territorial integrity of its borders.

Coast Guard or Canadian Navy? Regardless of the ship hull's colour, experts agree that a constant naval presence on our northern coastal waters is a key ingredient to asserting Canada's Arctic sovereignty. - Bruce Valpy/NNSL photo

"This will become more important in the decades to come, because of Northern oil and gas, minerals and other resources of the Northern frontier that will become ever more valuable," he said.

While talk of permanently stationing armed icebreakers in Northern waters has been just that, Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor pledged during his July visit to Yellowknife that Canada's military capabilities would be expanded and, "Able to touch every piece of land and water that is in the domain of Canada."

Defending Canada's Arctic sovereignty in the conservative government's $17 billion military agenda includes enhancing the Canadian Rangers, establishing a deepwater port and military training centre in the Arctic and beginning aerial and undersea surveillance.

Carleton University political science professor Elinor Sloan - a former analyst with the Department of National Defence - said one major key to asserting sovereignty is the ability to move forces, when necessary, to the appropriate locations.

"In my view, of course in an ideal world, you would have military resources to surround the continent," she said, adding there is a requirement to police the Northwest Passage as the U.S. disputes whether it is truly Canada's to claim.

"But with our resources, the best option is to build a deepwater port, and add new Canadian Coast Guard vessels that have the ability to transfer (military) forces if necessary."

According to Sloan, Canada is currently the only Arctic nation without a deepwater port in the North. She went on to say asserting sovereignty has more to do with shipping regulations than security.

"It's about 30 per cent threat, 70 per cent regulation," she said. "It's not like there are hostile countries up there."

In 1982 Canada along with 149 nations ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Rob Huebert, University of Calgary professor and expert on the treaty, said the Law of the Sea - a convention the U.S. has never ratified - calls an international straight a body of water that joins two international bodies of water.

Huebert explained the dispute between Canada and the States over the Passage is all in the interpretation.

"(Canada) has challenged the American view that the straight is used for international navigation," said Huebert. "We say that it is internal waters."

Huebert noted U.S. reasons for disputing Canada's jurisdiction have less to do with our country than the precedent such a move could set globally.

"And what it could mean for other international straits," he said. "Countries such as Indonesia or the Philippines could then seek greater control over their waters."

Either way, Huebert said Northerners will probably continue to hear about this debate for sometime yet.

"We have a bad habit of getting hot and bothered on the sovereignty issue and then forgetting," said Huebert.

"But with climate change and rising fuel prices people are going to be looking seriously at the Arctic and the importance of defending it."