Hon. Peter MacKay Minister of National Defence - Keynote address to: The Arctic Council: its place in the future of Arctic Governance January 17, 2012

Hon. Peter MacKay
  Minister of National Defence

       Keynote address to:

The Arctic Council: its place in the
   future of Arctic Governance

        January 17, 2012

Thank you, Tom for that kind introduction and thank you to the Munk School
for giving me the opportunity to appear before this prestigious audience.

I relish the opportunity to talk about the important supporting role that the
Canadian Forces play in the North.

As an institution, I believe the Canadian Forces have a long and proud history
of supporting government activities in the North.

However, as you know, my colleagues: the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are the
Government leads for our Northern Strategy and for the Arctic Council,
respectively.

However, practically speaking, no department can deliver more immediate
impact and face the enormous challenges as directly as the Canadian Forces.

Therefore, I am very pleased to be here with you this evening and discuss
military matters and the North.

There are a myriad of issues that I could discuss with you this evening, and
no doubt there are some issues that you would like to discuss with me so let
me say from the outset that I intend to focus my limited time with you on the
broad topics of the importance of the North, Arctic activities and exercises,
and international cooperation.

And it’s from this perspective that I want to talk to you this evening about
where we are in the North, where we are going, and where we want to be.

This is a rather ambitious set of topics for me to tackle so I will do my best to
cover these issues with some depth and precision in the time allotted to me.

As you can probably imagine, with over 40% percent of Canada’s landmass,
the North makes up a major part of my portfolio. Canada has the longest
coastline on the planet some 200,000 kilometres much of it at this time of year
lined with ice and frigid waters.

Pour ma part, en tant que ministre de la Défense nationale, je suis
responsable de la défense du Canada (Now, as Minister of National Defence,
I am responsible for the defence of Canada) et comme vous pouvez
probablement l’imaginer le Nord, qui représente plus de 40 pour cent de notre
masse terrestre, constitue certainement une grande partie de mon mandat.
(and as you can probably imagine, with over 40% percent of our landmass,
the North certainly makes up a major part of my mandate)

And I have been privileged to come to know the people, communities and
land of the Canadian North quite well. That’s something politicians often say,
but I’m proud to say it’s true!

As a student, I travelled to the North for two summers while working on cargo

ships that supplied coastal communities along the Baffin Coast and High
Arctic with the food and equipment needed during colder months.

From June to late August I lived on sea-going vessels as a stevedore and a
heavy equipment operator one of the best jobs I ever had.

One pay-cheque on return. I did the responsible thing as any eighteen-year
old would do- I bought a sports car.

I will always remember the impression that the landscape, the people wildlife
and the vastness of the terrain made on me.

As Minister of National Defence, I have travelled to the North at every
opportunity. And, I have been fortunate to reconnect in some manner with the
land and the people though usually with a few Canadian Rangers or Canadian
Forces nearby.

At the outset, I’d like to express my thanks to the Canada Centre for Global
Security Studies, the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation and the University
of Lapland for joining forces to organize this conference.

Let me also say thank you to all of the key thinkers, opinion-shapers, and
decision makers on Northern issues both from Canada and those who have
travelled from abroad who have come together to make this such a successful
and fruitful event.

As the Arctic environment continues to change at a rapid rate, your
discussions today and those you will have going forward are helping to frame
our understanding of the impact of these changes.

Quand je réfléchis au rôle du Nord du Canada, je pense évidemment à
l’influence qu’il a eu sur les plans historique et symbolique dans le bagage
culturel de notre pays.

 Now, when I reflect on the importance of the North to Canada, of course I
cannot help but think of its historical and symbolic significance to the cultural
make-up of our country.

Toutefois, ce soir, je souhaite mettre l’accent sur la signification plus concrète
de l’Arctique pour le Canada, et sur son importance grandissante pour notre
pays.

But this evening, what I want to focus on this evening is the more concrete
significance of the Arctic to Canada, and its growing importance to our nation.

As you know, with each passing year, Northern Canadians are affected more
and more one way or another by their changing environment. For me and for
Canadians, the historical and symbolic significance of the North is a part of
the cultural make-up of our country.

As new Northern waterways open up, traffic into and through their region is
increasing.

New transportation and trade routes are opening up and the desire from both
inside and outside of Canada to access the vast resources underground and
under ice is increasing.

This is a time of tremendous opportunity, but also of significant challenges
Canada takes its responsibility for the North seriously, with all that means for
the sovereignty, security, well-being and sustainability of Northern
communities and their land.

For that reason, the goal of our government is not just to assist in the
management of this change but to work with Northern Canadians, and
through their provincial, territorial and local governance structures, so that
they can achieve long-term, sustainable improvements to their economic,
environmental and social well-being and so that they can exercise the same
kind of control over their own future as Canadians in any other part of this
country.

That is why, in 2009, the Government released its Northern Strategy on behalf
of all Canadians from the North and the South to ensure that together, we
could, on a priority basis:

      Carefully monitor and protect our Arctic environment;
      Promote and support both economic and social development in the
       North;
      Improve and devolve governance so that more decision-making is in
       the hands of Northerners; and,
      Continue exercising Canada’s sovereignty in the North so that we can
       deliver on these goals.

Of course, Canada is not the only Arctic nation to have released a strategy for
the North in recent years.

Many of you know that this past November, Norway released a White Paper
on the High North, building on its previous strategies to provide a
comprehensive framework for Norwegian activity in the region.

Denmark also published its strategy for the Arctic in August, which discusses
all dimensions of government policy.

But what strikes me most are not the differences between these three
strategies, but the similarities. As a family of Arctic nations, we all share the
same goals and aspirations for the care of the North and its people and we all
recognize the valuable role–albeit a supporting role–that our militaries must
play in achieving them.

For my part as Minster of National Defence I am incredibly proud of the role

the Canadian Forces play in this effort of how they collaborate seamlessly
with Northern communities and of how they have learned and applied the
lessons of history.

From 1949 to 1952, the Canadian Army - through A Troop Royal Canadian
Signals Corp - hand-picked 25 men and sent them into the high Arctic to test
equipment and to learn to live and operate in the North.

The unit was commanded by Major Frank Riddle and his second-in-command
was a young Lieutenant Keith Alcorn, who lives in Round Hill, Nova Scotia.

Today, the men and women of our Canadian Forces know that to survive and
operate effectively in the harsh Arctic climate, they must rely on and learn
from the experience and knowledge of Northern Canadians.

And this spirit of partnership and collaboration permeates everything the
Canadian Forces do in the North.

The Canadian Rangers programme is a perfect example of this.

In essence, the Canadian Rangers are the eyes and ears of our military in the
North.

Through the Canadian Rangers, which are made up of over four thousand
Canadians of mostly Inuit, First Nations and Métis descent the Canadian
Forces don’t just gain an important presence in monitoring and patrolling the
North.

They also gain a valuable source of mentorship and education about how to
manage, respect, and ultimately care for the North.

This is why we are committed to further grow the Canadian Ranger
programme to over five thousand members and also why we support the
preservation and teaching of traditional knowledge and skill sets in Northern
communities through the Junior Canadian Ranger and Cadet programmes
which often serve as the only youth programmes in remote communities and
provides an important conduit for the passage of information between
generations.

Through these types of initiatives, the Canadian Forces combine
traditional indigenous knowledge and know-how on the ground with more
modern capabilities like aerial patrols conducted through NORAD maritime
patrols in partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard and even space-based
satellite systems to provide detailed surveillance and monitoring of the North
on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Of course, this is vitally important to the maintenance and exercise
of Canada’ s Arctic sovereignty, but when used in cooperation with our other
Government partners, National Defence can also play an important role in
helping develop Arctic infrastructure and protecting the Northern environment.

Many of you here this evening particularly those representing Canadian
industry will already know what a challenge it is to build and maintain
infrastructure in Northern environments.

What I knew working as a teenager working in the north was: The sheer
distances, logistical challenges, and of course the unique weather all have
serious implications in terms of both timelines and costs associated with
Northern installations and infrastructure.

As National Defence develops and refurbishes much of our Northern
infrastructure as part of an overall modernization of the Canadian Forces, we
are committed to making our defence installations accessible and usable by
other government departments.

Perhaps the most visible single initiative of this kind is the Arctic Training
Centre that we are building in partnership with Natural Resources Canada
near Resolute Bay in Nunavut.

In addition to serving as a military training facility this centre will also be used
to conduct important scientific research.

This government is also establishing or has established a Naval deep water
refueling facility in Nanisivik, new Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships, an Army
Reserve Unit in Yellowknife and new Coast Guard vessels.

In moving forward, we will seek to build on this example, so that we can assist
those Government initiatives that support environmental monitoring and assist
in regulatory enforcement.

One thing is clear: This government is serious about working with Northern
people to protect and promote the area.

We have learned many lessons from our ambitious Defence agenda in the
North and my Department is prepared to share our experiences and solutions
with others so as to benefit Northern communities, research and our
understanding of Northern issues.

Working in unison and respecting this unique and pristine environment are
important hallmarks of everything we do.

Now, naturally collaboration among and between different Stakeholders
whether between Government departments or between the Government and
Northern communities needs to be practiced and tested regularly in order to
remain effective.

That’s why each summer, just as many Canadians are taking to the beach in
the South reaches of this nation, the Arctic takes over Canadian headlines as
the Government conducts a series of Northern exercises, of which Operation
NANOOK is the centerpiece.

These exercises allow the Canadian Forces to partner with other
Government departments and agencies to conduct various Arctic
sovereignty patrols rehearse different emergency scenarios and generally
practice working together in ways that are necessary to properly serve our
Northern population and protect and promote Canadian sovereignty.

Op Nanook 2011 saw over 1100 Canadian Forces personnel partake in this
exercise, and included the use of UAVs for the first time.

Sadly, this past summer the emergency portion of our exercise was overtaken
by a very real event the crash of First Air flight 6560 near Resolute Bay.

Tragically, 12 people lost their lives in that crash, but the situation could have
been far worse.

We were very fortunate that Canadian Forces personnel were already in the
area, and that they were able to quickly have helicopters and other assets on
the scene to help rescue the three survivors, and evacuate them to Iqaluit for
emergency medical care.

While it’s true that fate played an important role in the speed of our response,
I still believe that the level of emergency capabilities displayed by the
Canadian Forces and their degree of responsiveness to the First Air crash
showed just how committed they are to looking after Northern Canadians and
any other visitors who might need their help.

In 2010, one such visitor was Tom Smitheringale - an Australian adventurer
and ex-forces member who fell through a crack in the ice during a solo trek to
the North Pole.

It took Search & Rescue technicians from Newfoundland and Labrador six
hours to reach Tom, who had made it 320 kilometers miles short of his
objective, the North Pole. He managed to pull himself from the water, pitch a
tent, crawl inside and, to quote him, "prepare to die."

When they reached him, Tom's first words were "I have no money. I have no
insurance."

Imagine his surprise and elation when the SAR Tech answered him with
"That's alright, bye. You're in Canada. She's all free.” I think it's safe to say
that Tom probably developed a new appreciation of Canadians on that day!

These types of Search and Rescue operations, as well as our exercises, are
creating a knowledge base from which we can draw to better serve our North
and our neighbours.

They give new meaning to universal health care what with an Aussie rescued
in the high North.

As advanced as Canada's Northern capabilities may be, the sheer size of the

Arctic and the rapidly increasing number of people and economic activity in
the region means that we need to share our knowledge with others and learn
from their experiences too.

This is why, in recent years, we’ve been expanding elements of our Northern
exercises to include the militaries of partner nations.

In 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Danish Navy took part in the
sovereignty portion of Op NANOOK, and in future years, we hope to build on
this example.

Meanwhile, through NORAD the North American Aerospace Defence initiative
the Canadian Forces have also been building partnerships by monitoring and
patrolling the Arctic skies alongside the U.S. for more than 50 years.

This unique Canada-US bi-national command provides the Government of
Canada the capability to exercise effective surveillance and control over our
airspace as well as work with key international partners to strengthen
communication channels and enhance our collective ability to respond to such
a threat.

But, Ladies and Gentlemen, of all our efforts to strengthen international
cooperation in the Arctic, our activity through the Arctic Council is by far the
most significant.

Prime Minister Harper and Minister Baird have both spoken publicly about
how Canada values its membership on the Council.

Since its establishment in 1996 with the Ottawa Declaration, the Council has
been clear about its purpose and mandate cooperation, coordination and
interaction amongst the Arctic states, with the involvement of the Arctic
indigenous communities and other inhabitants on common Arctic issues.

Nous sommes particulièrement satisfaits d' avoir participé activement aux
négociations de l'accord international sur la recherche et le sauvetage qui a
été conclu en mai dernier sous les auspices du Conseil

 In particular, we were very pleased to have actively helped negotiate the
international Search & Rescue Agreement that was finalized under the
auspices of the Coucil last May

et nous sommes heureux d'appuyer la collaboration et la consultation quand il
s'agit de questions importantes touchant le développement humain et
économique.

and we are happy to support continued collaboration and consultation on
important issues of both human and economic development.

Since its creation, all eight Arctic Council members have had an opportunity to
act as Chair for a two year term.

Next year, Canada will be the first member state to assume the Chairship for
the second time.

I know that we look forward to helping further strengthen the Arctic Council,
and to help it move forward in some key areas.

But even before then, Canada is also looking forward to hosting this year's
International Polar Year conference, "From Knowledge to Action> " in
Montreal from April 22nd to the 27th.

I know that many of you will be there and that the conference will stimulate
further discussion and action on key polar scientific findings.

Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I know that you are all very much looking
forward to enjoying your dinners.

But, before I go, if there’s one thought I want to leave you with it's this:

We must always remember that it’s those who live in the North who know it
intimately who know best how to respect it and care for it they are the Inuit,
Innu and indigenous people who instinctively and intrinsically know how to
keep it healthy in the coming years.

This has been the guiding principle for the Canadian Forces during my time
as Defence Minister, and I hope that it will guide us all as we consider the
difficult policy choices that we will face in the coming years as custodians and
managers of the Arctic.

I hope that you will enjoy the rest of the evening and I trust that tomorrow's
sessions will yield valuable, productive discussions that will help us to work
more closely and effectively together in the coming years.

Once again, let me express my sincere thanks for extending the opportunity to
be with you all this evening.

Je vous remercie sincèrement de m’avoir invité à me joindre à vous ce soir.

Let me express my sincere thanks for extending the opportunity to be
with you all this evening.

I wish you all the best of luck. Good evening.