Exercising Our Arctic Sovereignty

Canada’s Arctic includes a vast marine region with shared borders with other countries. International interest in the Arctic region is growing, in part, as a result of possibilities for resource development and new or longer access to transportation routes resulting from climate change.

Canada has long been working with its international Arctic neighbours in areas such as search and rescue, icebreaker operations, fish and wildlife conservation, transportation, research, energy and environment. The Government will continue to strengthen this cooperation and engage other countries that are showing more and more interest in the Far North’s potential.

At the same time, the Government is firmly exercising sovereignty over Canada’s Arctic lands and waters – sovereignty longstanding, well-established, and based on historic title, international law and the occupation of the region by Inuit and other Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years.