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Governor General to take Nunavut posse on circumpolar tour

Ottawa to promote modern image of the Canadian North

CHARLOTTE PETRIE

Several delegates from Iqaluit will accompany Adrienne Clarkson, Canada's Governor General, on her first circumpolar state visits this fall.

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Adrienne Clarkson, the Governor General of Canada, has long had a fascination with the North. She has travelled to Nunavik several times and last visited Iqaluit in October. (FILE PHOTO)

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Her Excellence and delegates from across Nunavut will travel to Russia, Finland and Iceland from Sept. 23 to Oct. 15.

The names of the delegates and their itinerary won't be released until late summer.

The theme for the visits is The Modern North, focusing on working in the northern environment, living in the circumpolar world, and the North's modern, creative cultures. Each visit will begin in the state capital but extend into more remote northern regions.

"What we want to do during these visits is to talk with other members of this unique circumpolar community about living in the modern North, about life in all its aspects for those who make the North their home," Clarkson said in a July 3 release.

"We want to show each other what the North is today - its nature, its people and culture, its economics and ecology - and what it can become. For circumpolar countries - for us in Canada - the North is real and very much alive," Clarkson added.

Besides sharing knowledge and practices with other northern countries, the visits will also serve to project a modern image of the Canadian North on the international scene, and strengthen the Northern Dimension of Canada's Foreign Policy (NDFP).

NDFP promotes Canadian interests, values and common issues with other northern regions. The federal government have committed $2 million a year for the implementation of the NDFP since its inception in 2000 until 2004-05.

The NDFP's five priorities are to strengthen the Arctic Council, establish a University of the Arctic along with a Canadian and circumpolar policy research network, work with Russia in addressing its northern challenges, promote sustainable economic opportunities and trade in the North, and increase northern co-operation with the European Union and circumpolar countries.

The federal government works in partnership with provincial, territorial and international governments and northern stakeholders to advance these priorities.

In particular, the NDFP has been important in developing Canadian-Russian relationships the feds hope will lead to the creation of a Virtual Circumpolar Chamber of Commerce and collaborative technological research in energy, transportation, telecommunications and societal observations.

Before the establishment of the NDFP was the creation of the Arctic Council, established in 1996 as a vehicle for Arctic countries around the world to address common concerns and challenges.

The council exists to protect the Arctic environment and promote the economic, social and cultural well-being of northern residents. It consists of Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (Alaska).

Canada currently provides funding to four Arctic Council initiatives. Persistent Toxic Substances, Food Security and Indigenous Peoples of Arctic Russia assesses the impact of pollution on the health of indigenous residents of the Russian Arctic, and determines contamination levels in country food.

Ecosystem Approach to Conserve Biodiversity and Minimize Habitat Fragmentation in the Russian Arctic safeguards large tracts of the natural landscape and is working toward implementing management strategies to protect Arctic flora and fauna.

Canada also helps fund Capacity Building in the Arctic and The Future of Children and Youth of the Arctic, which focuses mainly on the health, awareness and networking issues concerning Arctic youth.

While traditional activities such as hunting and fishing and the production of arts and crafts remain the staple of many isolated communities in northern Canada, the federal government believes it is essential that new activities are developed to ensure an economic future.

Ecological and cultural tourism is one example the federal government says has a circumpolar or international element, while recognizing the North's fragile environment or social fabric.

Clarkson will be returning to the North in 2004 on a second circumpolar visit which will take her to Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

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