Who owns the

Arctic?
By: Michael
Byers
Reviewed by Jeff Spring

In recent years, we have been inundated with discussion

about climate change, global warming, and its related
issues. The specific implications for Canada are numerous
– and they demand attention.
The nature of ‘global warming’ is still debatable – as it is
now roundly understood that there are many areas of the
world that are undergoing a ‘cooling’ phenomenon.
Indeed, the more all-inclusive moniker of ‘climate change’
has now been embraced by the more reputable elements
of our scientific community. Nevertheless, Canada has a
real stake in these discussions – as our sovereignty in
Northern Canada has been under attack. As the Northwest
Passage begins to open up, and the sea ice retreats for
longer stretches of the year, control of shipping lanes as
well as mineral deposits can no longer be put on the back
burner.
In Who Owns the Arctic? Michael Byers offers an
intelligent, succinct appraisal of these emerging issues. In
the past year, Canadians have been warned repeatedly of
Russian aircraft making unwarranted incursions to our
Arctic airspace – as Byers points out, this is a somewhat
hyperbolized situation, as the Russian bombers never
conclusively entered Canadian airspace. Byers is clear to
point out that our sovereignty must, indeed, be protected
in the Arctic, but that it is not Russian bombers that we
must worry about. The increased presence of Russian
aircraft, however, does indicate a greater interest in this
region – and that should be our focus.
Byers makes it clear that, despite the rhetoric embraced
by some politicians, militaristic concerns are not well
founded. Securing shipping lanes and formalizing
Canada’s claims to Arctic land and sea-based minerals are
much higher priorities. Byers tends towards environmental
polemics from time to time in this book – musing that a
responsible government could ensure that oil and natural
gas deposits were not exploited, once ownership of said
resources is affirmed. This comment is somewhat off the
mark, and based in environmental idealism – as
responsible resource development would bring numerous
opportunities to Canada’s North.
As mentioned, shipping concerns are a central focus of
this book, and Byers argues that Canadian policy should
also reflect this. The Northwest Passage offers a route
from the Atlantic to the Pacific that is 7,000 km shorter
than relying on the Panama Canal. It is not a question of
whether cargo ships and tankers will explore this shorter,
cheaper route – they will. In the major ship-building
centres of the world a new class of ocean-liner is already
being built that would have the capability of chopping
through ice on its way through the Arctic. It is time for
Canada to pursue a clear policy in the Arctic – either
pressing our claim over these waters, or leaving the door
open for international stewardship.
Seabed resources are of course a big part of this
discussion, as these resources provide the momentum and
impetus for addressing Arctic issues quickly. The
staggering resource wealth of the Arctic region has been
estimated in the trillions of dollars, yet complete
exploration has not been feasible. However, any possible
policy framework for resource development must also take
the Inuit into account. All of these emerging Arctic issues,
in fact, provide the distinct possibility to build some
meaningful connections between the various Inuit
communities and the Canadian public at large.
Whether you agree with Byers’ environmental
assessments or not, Who Owns the Arctic provides a clear
appraisal of the real priorities in the Arctic. Though
straying away from objectivity in some instances, Byers
has provided a clear blueprint for Canada can follow in the
Arctic.