The Canadian Coast Guard is increasing its focus on the Arctic.
Northern Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc is announcing that the coast guard is creating a new branch devoted solely to looking after Canada’s northern waters.
The new coast guard zone will be accompanied by an extensive set of talks across the North to discuss what the coast guard’s future role in those rapidly changing seas should be.
Climate change is opening Arctic seas across the world to tourism, shipping and resource development.
At the same time, it’s creating new problems such as the pile-up of old ice that blocked some northern communities from their annual supply shipment this year.
LeBlanc’s announcement comes days after the government said it was buying three used icebreakers.
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The Canadian Press
