Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Russia's Arctic Claim To North Pole To Put Political Heat On Canada, Expert

The Canadian Press, 04 Aug, 2015 01:19 PM
    OTTAWA — A defence expert says Russia's new bid for a vast swath of Arctic territory, including the North Pole, backs Canada into an uncomfortable corner in future negotiations over the frozen region.
     
    Moscow's revised international submission was revealed today in a statement by the country's foreign ministry and claims 1.2 million square kilometres of the Arctic shelf.
     
    Russia, the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Norway are working with the UN to define jurisdictional boundaries in the Arctic, which is thought to hold as much as a quarter of the planet's undiscovered oil and gas.
     
    In late 2013, the Harper government ordered officials to rewrite Canada’s Arctic claim to include the North Pole and more survey work is taking place this summer before Ottawa submits the document.
     
    Rob Huebert of the University of Calgary says Prime Minister Stephen Harper should make clear whether Canada is eventually willing to negotiate with Russia where claims intersect.
     
    He says the government has taken a tough line on Russia's annexation of Crimea and the questions that need to be asked are when does Canada re-engage diplomatically and whether that would signal de facto acceptance of the situation in Ukraine.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    'Confusion' And 'Miscommunication' Slowed Vancouver Fuel Spill Response: Report

    'Confusion' And 'Miscommunication' Slowed Vancouver Fuel Spill Response: Report
    The review released Friday also found that Canadian Coast Guard staff were unsure of their roles and a faulty provincial alert system meant the city was not notified until 12 hours later.

    'Confusion' And 'Miscommunication' Slowed Vancouver Fuel Spill Response: Report

    Northern B.C. Man Accused Of Second Degree Murder, Held In Custody

    Northern B.C. Man Accused Of Second Degree Murder, Held In Custody
    FORT NELSON, B.C. — A 22-year-old man from northeastern British Columbia has been charged with second-degree murder.

    Northern B.C. Man Accused Of Second Degree Murder, Held In Custody

    Drought Forces Fishing Ban And Water Restrictions On Several B.C. Rivers

    Drought Forces Fishing Ban And Water Restrictions On Several B.C. Rivers
    VICTORIA — Drought conditions are forcing the provincial government to ban fishing and impose water restrictions for farms in parts of southern British Columbia in a bid to help fish stocks through a hot, dry summer.

    Drought Forces Fishing Ban And Water Restrictions On Several B.C. Rivers

    Province Approves New Gold And Silver Mine In Northwestern B.C.

    Province Approves New Gold And Silver Mine In Northwestern B.C.
    VANCOUVER — Construction will begin soon on a new gold and silver mine in northwestern British Columbia.

    Province Approves New Gold And Silver Mine In Northwestern B.C.

    As Many As 60 Hurt, One Seriously In Bus, Car Collision On Highway 1 In B.C.

    As Many As 60 Hurt, One Seriously In Bus, Car Collision On Highway 1 In B.C.
    The accident between the bus and a car happened about 4 p.m. Friday, at the start of a holiday long-weekend.

    As Many As 60 Hurt, One Seriously In Bus, Car Collision On Highway 1 In B.C.

    City Of Abbotsford Used Pepper Spray And Manure Tactics To Evict Homeless: Lawyer

    City Of Abbotsford Used Pepper Spray And Manure Tactics To Evict Homeless: Lawyer
    Pivot Legal Society lawyer David Wotherspoon told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that the homeless have been pepper sprayed by police and had chicken manure dumped on their campsite

    City Of Abbotsford Used Pepper Spray And Manure Tactics To Evict Homeless: Lawyer