18.08.2009
The Canadian military is this week conducting several operations in the Arctic is a bid to show the country's increasing presence and strength in region.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to join in some of the exercises later in the week. Asserting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic has been a priority for Mr Harper's conservative government, BBC News reports.
The Canadian training comes as both Norway and Denmark are investing more in Arctic military. As BarentsObserver has reported, also Russia is signaling a far higher military focus on the region.
Mr. Harper and his government have invested heavily in the region since it came to power in 2006. The Canadian Arctic still remains in dire need of development.
"Since coming to power in 2006, Mr. Harper's government has pledged billions of dollars for Arctic development - money that has gone toward everything from military bases to houses to seabed mapping. But many of the territory's most basic infrastructural needs remain unaddressed", newspaper The Globe and Mail writes in a story about the region.
Source:
