Northern Exposure

The Northwest Passage belongs to Canada. Just look at the map. But yes, I`d like to see the Canadian military built up to a force that is capable of defending our sovereignty.

---
Dave Ruston

"The Northwest Passage belongs to Canada."<br />
<br />
Um, no. <br />
<br />
From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Passage">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Passage</a><br />
<br />
In 1985 the U.S. icebreaker Polar Sea was sent through. The U.S. Government made a point of not asking permission from the Canadians for the passage. <br />
<br />
They claimed that it was simply a cost effective way to get the ship from Greenland to Alaska and that there was no reason for them to be asking permission to travel through international waters. <br />
<br />
The Canadian government maintained that the waters were internal to Canada, and issued a declaration in 1986 reaffirming Canadian rights to the waters. <br />
<br />
However, the USA, European Union, and Japan, among other countries, refused to recognize the Canadian claim.

There are real issues with other countries that do not agree that the passage falls under canadian control.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1429085&C=america">http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1429085&C=america</a><br />
<br />
“There are new and disturbing reports of American nuclear submarines passing though Canadian waters without obtaining the permission of — or even notifying — the Canadian government.”<br />
<br />
Canada is at odds over parts of the Arctic region with the United States, Russia, Denmark and Norway.<br />
<br />
Ottawa and Washington disagree over control of the famed Northwest Passage and the resource-rich Beaufort Sea, which touches both Alaska and Canada’s northern territories.<br />
<br />
The dispute has grown in importance as scientists believe that global warming could open up the Northwest Passage to year-round cargo shipping by 2050, and could also open up for exploitation of resources like oil and natural gas in the Beaufort Sea.<br />
<br />
A Northwest Passage open year-round would reduce the sea trip from London to Tokyo to 16,000 kilometers (9,950 miles), as opposed to 21,000 kilometers (13,000 miles) via the Suez Canal or 23,000 kilometers (14,300 miles) via the Panama Canal.<br />
<br />
Because the maritime and continental plateau frontier between the United States and Canada has never been formally agreed to, the United States disputes Canada’s claims that the route and the Beaufort Sea are its territory.

They can go to hell. Everywhere knows might makes right when it comes to claims to water. If Canada can defend it, it becomes ours if it wasn't already..

doesn't "belong" to canada. that hasn't been decided yet and it's very much up for grabs.

your far left narcissistic society can barely control it's disdane for the current "reactionary" canadian military establishment, so good luck trying to enlarge and modernize it. it appears their strategy is to go to the un and nag people enough so they'll just cave in and give it to them lol!

So, you somehow believe canada is suddenly going to be able to take on the combined might of the USA, European Union, and Japan?

This from a country that can't figure out what to do about quebec?

Well sure, the EU, US and Japan want a shipping shortcut across the top of the world. And the US especially want Canadian Arctic resources. But look at a map, all those islands up there, coloured the same colour as mainland Canada! The Northwest Passage is Canada`s, and you don`t see Canada claiming that the water gaps between the Aleutian Islands or the water gaps between the islands of the Phillipine archipelago are international waters. Nor do I see Canada disrespecting the jurisdiction of other countries in this same way! But yeah, Canadians I talk to say we should beef up the military in our Arctic, and turn back any invaders who are just too rude and disrespectful, because, most people were taught, that you don`t tread on someone else`s property without permission! So the US, EU, and Japan can go piss up a rope!

---
Dave Ruston

> So the US, EU, and Japan can go piss up a rope!

While the mental image is fascinating, Dave, in this case particularly, I don't think what canada wants matters very much to the rest of the world.

Soft power, and all that, eh?

I guess they want to put up a tool booth for our submarines???

Completely wrong. <br />
<br />
The NW Passage does NOT belong to canada, any more than the Malacca Strait belongs to Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia. Look at a map. International waters mean exactly that.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.saag.org/papers11/paper1033.html">http://www.saag.org/papers11/paper1033.html</a><br />
<br />

All that really says is Malaysia and Indonesia insist the waters lay within their respective territories and they are anti-American because of this.

You know this stance is completely wrong because a think-tank says it is. Other than that, they really don't provide any referrence materials (such as some sort of treaty) to describe why. Genuinely, that is what I'd really like to know.

Part of Canada's shaky claim to sovereignty over the passage stems from the fact that the water is covered with ice topmost of the year. That claim is obviously becoming weaker.

To other countries, though-and the powerful United States is the most strident of these, but Europe is also unrelenting-the Northwest Passage is an international strait that ought to be governed by the world's shipping community, not by Canada alone.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search
Northwest Passage may refer to:

..the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic archipelago of Canada
..the 1937 novel by Kenneth Roberts titled Northwest Passage.
..the 1940 movie Northwest Passage
..the song "Northwest Passage" on the album of the same name by Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers
..the song "A Northwest Passage" on the New Morning, Changing Weather album by Swedish punk band The (International) Noise Conspiracy
From Wikipedia

In the court of international law, Prof. Huebert said, the position of the United States and most other countries, would probably win the day. Control of the passage may well be wrested away from Canada.

"We know darn well the internal-water argument doesn't hold," he said, sitting in his office surrounded by models and posters of the world's famous naval ships.

It is already an international issue, although politely dormant right now. Over the past 31 years, the United States has twice-spectacularly-tested Canada's control. In 1969, it sent the oil tanker Manhattan through the Northwest Passage in defiance of Canada's claim that it has exclusive rights over-those waters.

**********************************************************

Alanna Mitchell is a member of The Globe and Mail's Alberta bureau.

In 1985 the U.S. icebreaker Polar Sea was sent through. The U.S. Government made a point of not asking permission from the Canadians for the passage. They claimed that it was simply a cost effective way to get the ship from Greenland to Alaska and that there was no reason for them to be asking permission to travel through international waters. The Canadian government maintained that the waters were internal to Canada, and issued a declaration in 1986 reaffirming Canadian rights to the waters. However, the USA, European Union, and Japan, among other countries, refused to recognize the Canadian claim.

In the summer of 2000, several ships took advantage of thinning summer ice cover on the Arctic Ocean to make the crossing. It is thought that global warming is likely to open the passage for increasing periods of time, making it attractive as a major shipping route. Routes from Europe to the Far East save 4000 km through the passage, as compared to the current routes through the Panama Canal.

In late 2005, it was revealed that U.S. nuclear submarines had been traveling the passage without Canadian approval, sparking Canadian outrage

>>>In late 2005, it was revealed that U.S. nuclear submarines had been traveling the passage without Canadian approval, sparking Canadian outrage<<<<

US Subs have been doing it on a regular basis since 1958.

I'm comfortable putting our case to the UN. After all, that is who decides our foreign policy, according to the Liberals. As so eloquently detailed by our former Lib PM. And we don't want to be seen as isolationist or worse imperialists that flaunt international laws.

Besides, once those Kyoto credits start rolling to the 3rd world I'm sure "man-made" global warming will gradually be reversed and north of 60 will nicely freeze solid again - just like in the good old days of recent geo-climatic history.