Prime Minister Harper launches Operation LANCASTER to assert Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today launched Operation LANCASTER, a 12-day military exercise in the eastern Arctic designed to assert Canada’s sovereignty in the North.

Speaking to a combined audience of Canadian Forces soldiers and Nunavummiut, Prime Minister Harper said the mission demonstrates his government’s commitment to defending Canada’s territorial integrity.

“It takes a Canadian presence on the ground, in the air and on the sea and a government that is internationally recognized for delivering on its commitments.”

Noting that Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic is recognized by 150 countries that have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Prime Minister Harper said the federal government is undertaking numerous measures to enforce Canada’s control over the Arctic.

“The North is poised to take a much bigger role in Canada’s economic and social development,” the Prime Minister said.  “We must ensure the unique ecosystem of the North, and the unique cultural traditions of the First Peoples of the North, are respected and protected.”