Canadian Cabinet Ministers have released Canada's strategy to exercise the country's sovereignty over the Canadian Arctic as well as promote economic development of energy and minerals in the far North.
Canada's Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Chuck Strahl and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon Sunday released Canada's Northern Strategy, a document and website outlining the Canadian Government's ongoing work and future plans for Canada's North. They were joined by Minister of State for Science Gary Goodyear for the policy announcement.
"We have a clear vision for the North as a healthy, prosperous region within a strong and sovereign Canada and we are acting to ensure this vision is realized," Strahl said at a news conference in Gatineau, Quebec.
"In addition to advancing our Northern interests at home, our Government's Northern Strategy builds on our international partnerships," Cannon said." Through our robust Arctic foreign policy, we are delivering on the international dimension of the Northern Strategy, affirming our leadership as an Arctic power and our stewardship and ownership in the region."
Canada, Russia, Denmark, Norway and the United States are all competing for their share of oil and gas and mineral reserves. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 30% of the world's undiscovered gas and 13% of the world's undiscovered oil reserves may be found in an area north of the Arctic Circle.
In the Canadian Northern Strategy, Canadian officials note, "Mining activities and major projects ...are the cornerstones of sustained economic activity in the North and the key to building prosperous Aboriginal and Northern Communities."
"Diamond mining in the North is now a [Cdn] $2 billion per year industry, which is about half of the economy of the Northwest Territories."
"The large-scale projects already underway barely scratch the surface of the North's immense store of mineral, petroleum, hydro and ocean resources," the document said. "However, the full extent of the natural resources potential in the Arctic is still unknown."
"The Government of Canada announced a significant new geo-mapping effort-Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals-that will combine the latest technology and geoscientific analysis methods to build our understanding of the geology of Canada's North, including in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago," the strategy stated. "The results of this work will highlight areas of mineral and petroleum potential, lead to more effective private sector exploration investment and create employment opportunities in the North."
The Cdn$100 million geo-mapping project in the North is aimed at informing and guiding the private sector in its mineral and petroleum exploration.
Strahl also advised the government would improve regulatory processes across the North and help "build investor confidence in the North and increase economic opportunities for northerners and all Canadians."
The strategy also calls for establishing conservation areas and national parks in the North, and allocates $15 million over three years to create and expand protected areas in the Northwest Territories.
The document also identifies mine properties and deposits in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which include copper, silver, gold, diamond, rare earths and uranium properties.
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