OTTAWA — The Canadian military began a 10-day "sovereignty operation" in the Arctic on Tuesday, just days after the government dismissed a Russian expedition to the region as "no threat to Canadian sovereignty."
The military operation, dubbed "Operation NANOOK 07," is a joint exercise involving 600 personnel from the navy, army and air force, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Coast Guard.
From August 7 to 17, the troops and personnel will practise responding to two scenarios in and around Iqaluit, the Baffin Island coast, and the Hudson Strait. The first involves the Canadian Forces answering a call from the RCMP for assistance with a drug bust and the second will have the military helping the Coast Guard with an environmental protection event.
While the exercises are focused on those specific tasks, their very presence in the North will serve the greater purpose of protecting Canada's territory, the military said in a news release.
"Canadian Forces operations in Canada's North are an important dimension toward ensuring the protection of Canadian sovereignty," Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais said. "Quite simply, these exercises allow us to turn our knowledge and skills into valuable experience."
The operation comes as Prime Minister Stephen Harper sets out on a three-day visit to the North that ends in Iqaluit on Friday. It also follows the uproar last week when Russia planted its flag on the North Pole seabed.
Russia's dive below the Arctic waters is widely seen by observers as a symbol of its determination to claim a large chunk of the Arctic Ocean floor.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay described Russia's bold move as "just a show" of Russian bravado and "no threat to Canadian sovereignty." But as MacKay downplayed the Russian expedition, Harper said it was another indication of the growing importance of the Arctic region and of Canada's need to assert its sovereignty over it.
In recent months, the Canadian government has been stepping up its focus on the Arctic. Harper recently announced a plan to spend $7 billion on the construction, retrofitting and maintenance of up to eight reinforced Arctic patrol vessels.
"Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic," Harper said last month. "We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake, this government intends to use it."
The military operation, dubbed "Operation NANOOK 07," is a joint exercise involving 600 personnel from the navy, army and air force, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Coast Guard.
From August 7 to 17, the troops and personnel will practise responding to two scenarios in and around Iqaluit, the Baffin Island coast, and the Hudson Strait. The first involves the Canadian Forces answering a call from the RCMP for assistance with a drug bust and the second will have the military helping the Coast Guard with an environmental protection event.
While the exercises are focused on those specific tasks, their very presence in the North will serve the greater purpose of protecting Canada's territory, the military said in a news release.
"Canadian Forces operations in Canada's North are an important dimension toward ensuring the protection of Canadian sovereignty," Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais said. "Quite simply, these exercises allow us to turn our knowledge and skills into valuable experience."
The operation comes as Prime Minister Stephen Harper sets out on a three-day visit to the North that ends in Iqaluit on Friday. It also follows the uproar last week when Russia planted its flag on the North Pole seabed.
Russia's dive below the Arctic waters is widely seen by observers as a symbol of its determination to claim a large chunk of the Arctic Ocean floor.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay described Russia's bold move as "just a show" of Russian bravado and "no threat to Canadian sovereignty." But as MacKay downplayed the Russian expedition, Harper said it was another indication of the growing importance of the Arctic region and of Canada's need to assert its sovereignty over it.
In recent months, the Canadian government has been stepping up its focus on the Arctic. Harper recently announced a plan to spend $7 billion on the construction, retrofitting and maintenance of up to eight reinforced Arctic patrol vessels.
"Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic," Harper said last month. "We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake, this government intends to use it."
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