Michael Byers teaches at the University of British Columbia. His book International Law and the Arctic won the 2014 Donner Prize.
On the north shore of Burrard Inlet, at the Vancouver shipyards, the mighty CCGS Imnaryuaq is finally taking shape. On Oct. 14, a “keel laying” ceremony was held as the first module of the 158-metre-long polar icebreaker was set in place. Over the next few years, the rest of the ship will be assembled around that section.
Defence Minister David McGuinty marked the milestone by asserting that “Canada’s Arctic sovereignty depends on our ability to be present, to operate, and to respond.”
Most people – and Mr. McGuinty might be among them – think that the greatest threats to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty come from Russia and China. That’s not actually the case. The greatest threat has always been the United States, and while we could never match the world’s most powerful military, we can, by demonstrating our will to secure the Canadian Arctic against all threats, deny them any excuse to deploy there.