The article discusses the declining sovereignty of Canada in the Arctic, highlighting a history of governmental neglect that has left the country vulnerable amid rising great-power tensions. Russia's investment in powerful icebreakers and China's claims to Arctic interests under the guise of a "near Arctic state" are critical factors contributing to this situation. With climate change facilitating new shipping routes, Canada faces significant challenges in maintaining control over the Northwest Passage as global trade dynamics shift northward.
In the past two decades, Russia has shifted from symbolic displays of planting subsea flags at the North Pole (in 2007) to hard-power investments in the construction of polar icebreakers.
With a displacement of 33,327 tonnes and propulsion power of sixty megawatts, these icebreakers are able to go almost anywhere by breaking up ice up to 2.8 metres thick.
China's new Arctic policy declaring itself a 'near Arctic state' shows a serious interest in the region, with significant developments in icebreaking capabilities.
As great-power rivalries intensify, climate change opens new shipping routes, and global trade pivots north, our control over the Northwest Passage is becoming more and more tenuous.
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