Latest news with #Arctic
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former PM Harper says military spending can address Arctic infrastructure gap
OTTAWA — Former prime minister Stephen Harper said Friday the best way to build much-needed infrastructure in the Arctic is through military spending. Speaking in Iqaluit during his first visit to the North since leaving office, Harper said leveraging military spending can build roads and runways to create supply chains and lower the cost of living. "We need to have the full range of transportation and communications infrastructure ... quite frankly, the easiest way to develop those logistics is through military development," Harper said during a fireside chat at the Nunavut Arctic Sovereignty and Security Summit. He said military spending has long been a catalyst for building roads and airports in the North. Iqaluit is built around an 8,000-foot airport runway constructed by the U.S. military during the Second World War. "This is the biggest and most effective way to create the most basic, wide ranging infrastructure," Harper said. "And if we can do that and then build on that, that makes it then so much easier to bring in materials for construction, or economic development, or fly in food. Get things at a critical mass where prices can come down. Build housing more effectively." Canada recently committed to NATO's new military spending target of five per cent of GDP. Federal officials have spoken in recent years about linking northern infrastructure to defence spending Canada's defence strategy committed to building Northern Operational Support Hubs, which would involve upgrades to power and telecommunication infrastructure. Iqaluit was announced as one of the hub locations in March. Udlariak Hanson, a longtime Nunavut executive and vice-president of the mining company Baffinland, moderated the conversation with Harper. She said the terms "security" and "sovereignty" mean different things in the North than in southern Canada. "You're absolutely right," Harper said. "For people here, when you talk about security, they're talking about food security, about housing security, about energy security. I don't think southern Canadians generally understand that. "Quite frankly, when you talk about security in the north, what southern Canadians are going to hear is obviously Donald Trump talking about annexing Canada, and probably even more relevant to here is Donald Trump talking about annexing Greenland." Harper said the key is to "marry" the two definitions of sovereignty and security to build infrastructure that satisfies the social security needs of the North and broader national security concerns. Throughout the 45-minute chat, Harper avoided commenting on current government policy and reflected on how he approached the region while in office. "I think the most important thing we did here was the fact that I actually came here ... in one marquee tour that I took every year to the North, which really was I think effective longer-term in drawing sustained national attention to this part of the country," he said. "I think that is the most important thing for future prime ministers to continue to do, to come here and make sure Canadians understand that we have not done what is necessary to develop this part of the country. And when we talk about it as the great future hope of Canada, there is a lot more to be done to make that realized." He didn't comment on the recently-passed Bill C-5, which could lead to one or more of Nunavut's proposals for "projects of national interest" being fast-tracked. He did offer some advice for the Liberal government when prompted. "Try and take a broader long-term view," he said, recalling how eyes would roll in Ottawa when his government proposed building a port in Iqaluit, or the Canadian High-Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay, Nvt., or the highway to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. "And I always used to say, these are the things, the nation-building things are the things that people will remember," he said. "They're the things that will define your time in government. "Don't get hung up on the dollars today, or kind of the immediate needs. Think about what you're doing in terms of the bigger picture." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Science
- Japan Today
In Norway's Arctic, meteorologists have a first-row seat to climate change
To reach the remote Bjornoya (Bear Island), meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter for their six-month stay By Olivier Morin and Johanna Wastfelt In the cold of the Norwegian Arctic, meteorologist Trond Robertsen manually recorded precipitation levels for over two decades, witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change. At 66, Robertsen retired after enduring spartan conditions during missions that totaled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjornoya (Bear Island) and Hogen. To reach the remote Bjornoya, where the only humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, the meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter as they are rotated on a six-month basis. "The idea is to not stay too long, because it's a different rhythm, and you are isolated," Robertsen told AFP. It is demanding work. "It's a 24/7 occupation," he said. "We are doing it all day, all night." The team worked shifts to cover all hours of the day, he explained. Weather observation starts in the early morning at 6:00 am. "It's manually done, then you have to go outside and check the bucket that is collecting precipitation," said Robertsen. "During wintertime you have to melt the snow and ice into water" to determine how much has fallen. The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromso and Oslo. "This tiny little observation is actually quite crucial for the weather forecasting systems up north, because observations are so sparse from that area." Bjornoya sits in the middle of fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by the fishing boats in the area. Since his first missions to the Arctic in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the changing climate. "When I started going up north, there was a lot of ice. In the later years, it's less ice and fewer polar bears. You can see the climate change," he said. Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, with the loss of Arctic sea ice the most pressing threat against the species. However, their precise numbers, are almost impossible to assess. In winter, employees of station always venture out in pairs and have to be armed due to the presence of polar bears, but according to Robertsen it's rarer to encounter them today. In April, during his last mission to the island, Robertsen had an accident while doing carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting one finger clean off and half of another. Due to tough weather conditions, he had to wait some 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to a hospital. "It was a heavy snowstorm coming in, only the day after the helicopter came," he recounted. Looking back, Robertsen does not regret the years spent under the austere living conditions. "The Arctic has given me so many experiences and memories so it is a small fee to pay back with my left little finger and part of my ring finger," he said. © 2025 AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Danish General Says He Is Not Losing Sleep over US Plans for Greenland
The head of Denmark's Arctic command said the prospect of a US takeover of Greenland was not keeping him up at night after talks with a senior US general last week but that more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the Arctic island. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested the United States might acquire Greenland, a vast semi-autonomous Danish territory on the shortest route between North America and Europe vital for the US ballistic missile warning system. Trump has not ruled out taking the territory by force and, at a congressional hearing this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not deny that such contingency plans exist. Such a scenario "is absolutely not on my mind," Soren Andersen, head of Denmark's Joint Arctic Command, told Reuters in an interview, days after what he said was his first meeting with the general overseeing US defense of the area. "I sleep perfectly well at night," Anderson said. "Militarily, we work together, as we always have." US General Gregory Guillot visited the US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on June 19-20 for the first time since the US moved Greenland oversight to the Northern command from its European command, the Northern Command said on Tuesday. Andersen's interview with Reuters on Wednesday were his first detailed comments to media since his talks with Guillot, which coincided with Danish military exercises on Greenland involving one of its largest military presences since the Cold War. Russian and Chinese state vessels have appeared unexpectedly around Greenland in the past and the Trump administration has accused Denmark of failing to keep it safe from potential incursions. Both countries have denied any such plans. Andersen said the threat level to Greenland had not increased this year. "We don't see Russian or Chinese state ships up here," he said. DOG SLED PATROLS Denmark's permanent presence consists of four ageing inspection vessels, a small surveillance plane, and dog sled patrols tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France. Previously focused on demonstrating its presence and civilian tasks like search and rescue, and fishing inspection, the Joint Arctic Command is now shifting more towards territorial defense, Andersen said. "In reality, Greenland is not that difficult to defend," he said. "Relatively few points need defending, and of course, we have a plan for that. NATO has a plan for that." As part of the military exercises this month, Denmark has deployed a frigate, F-16s, special forces and extra troops, and increased surveillance around critical infrastructure. They would leave next week when the exercises end, Andersen said, adding that he would like to repeat them in the coming months. "To keep this area conflict-free, we have to do more, we need to have a credible deterrent," he said. "If Russia starts to change its behavior around Greenland, I have to be able to act on it." In January, Denmark pledged over $2 billion to strengthen its Arctic defense, including new Arctic navy vessels, long-range drones, and satellite coverage. France offered to deploy troops to Greenland and EU's top military official said it made sense to station troops from EU countries there. Around 20,000 people live in the capital Nuuk, with the rest of Greenland's 57,000 population spread across 71 towns, mostly on the west coast. The lack of infrastructure elsewhere is a deterrent in itself, Andersen said. "If, for example, there were to be a Russian naval landing on the east coast, I think it wouldn't be long before such a military operation would turn into a rescue mission," he said.
NDTV
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Danish General Says He Is Not Losing Sleep Over US Plans For Greenland
Copenhagen: The head of Denmark's Arctic command said the prospect of a US takeover of Greenland was not keeping him up at night after talks with a senior US general last week but that more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the Arctic island. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested the United States might acquire Greenland, a vast semi-autonomous Danish territory on the shortest route between North America and Europe vital for the US ballistic missile warning system. Trump has not ruled out taking the territory by force and, at a congressional hearing this month, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not deny that such contingency plans exist. Such a scenario "is absolutely not on my mind," Soren Andersen, head of Denmark's Joint Arctic Command, told Reuters in an interview, days after what he said was his first meeting with the general overseeing US defence of the area. "I sleep perfectly well at night," Anderson said. "Militarily, we work together, as we always have." U.S. General Gregory Guillot visited the US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on June 19-20 for the first time since the US moved Greenland oversight to the Northern command from its European command, the Northern Command said on Tuesday. Andersen's interview with Reuters on Wednesday were his first detailed comments to media since his talks with Guillot, which coincided with Danish military exercises on Greenland involving one of its largest military presences since the Cold War. Russian and Chinese state vessels have appeared unexpectedly around Greenland in the past and the Trump administration has accused Denmark of failing to keep it safe from potential incursions. Both countries have denied any such plans. Andersen said the threat level to Greenland had not increased this year. "We don't see Russian or Chinese state ships up here," he said. DOG SLED PATROLS Denmark's permanent presence consists of four ageing inspection vessels, a small surveillance plane, and dog sled patrols tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France. Previously focused on demonstrating its presence and civilian tasks like search and rescue, and fishing inspection, the Joint Arctic Command is now shifting more towards territorial defence, Andersen said. "In reality, Greenland is not that difficult to defend," he said. "Relatively few points need defending, and of course, we have a plan for that. NATO has a plan for that." As part of the military exercises this month, Denmark has deployed a frigate, F-16s, special forces and extra troops, and increased surveillance around critical infrastructure. They would leave next week when the exercises end, Andersen said, adding that he would like to repeat them in the coming months. "To keep this area conflict-free, we have to do more, we need to have a credible deterrent," he said. "If Russia starts to change its behaviour around Greenland, I have to be able to act on it." In January, Denmark pledged over $2 billion to strengthen its Arctic defence, including new Arctic navy vessels, long-range drones, and satellite coverage. France offered to deploy troops to Greenland and EU's top military official said it made sense to station troops from EU countries there. Around 20,000 people live in the capital Nuuk, with the rest of Greenland's 57,000 population spread across 71 towns, mostly on the west coast. The lack of infrastructure elsewhere is a deterrent in itself, Andersen said. "If, for example, there were to be a Russian naval landing on the east coast, I think it wouldn't be long before such a military operation would turn into a rescue mission," he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former PM Harper says military spending can address Arctic infrastructure gap
OTTAWA – Former prime minister Stephen Harper says the best way to build much-needed infrastructure in the Arctic is through military spending. Speaking at an Arctic security conference in Iqaluit on Friday, Harper said leveraging military spending can build roads and runways to create supply chains and lower the cost of living. Canada has committed to NATO's new military spending target of five per cent of GDP and federal officials have spoken in recent years about linking northern infrastructure to defence spending. Harper said the threats Canada faces offer an opportunity to develop the region, much as the Second World War and the Cold War led to rapid development of northern infrastructure. Harper said this visit to Iqaluit is his first since leaving office. Harper prioritized northern development as prime minister and made annual trips to the region. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
