Polar Aggregate

Franklyn Griffiths on Canadian Arctic Strategy

from the Globe and Mail, July 1, 2009

We Canadians need a complete overhaul in the way we think about, and act in, the Arctic as a region. No longer can we afford to view this part of the world primarily through the optic of concern for sovereignty and assured possession of what's ours. Instead, we must move forward into the polar Mediterranean that is opening up before our very eyes.Read more

2030 North Conference VideoStreams

API was at the 2030 North conference in Ottawa, Canada from June 1st, 2009 to June 3rd, 2009. Below are the live streams courtesy of cpac.ca.

If you have trouble viewing these streams in your browser, see the direct links at the end of this post. (link)

Shelia Watt-Cloutier LaFontaine-Baldwin lecture transcript

IQALUIT — From Saturday's Globe and Mail, Friday, May. 29, 2009 05:53PM EDT

I believe that Canada's responses to the many pressing concerns now facing the Arctic will be telling of the sort of democracy we will become in this still-new millennium. Canada is an Arctic nation, and the region serves as nexus to the rest of the world.Read more

Canada pushes past North Pole in Arctic survey

Ottawa — From Monday's Globe and Mail, Monday, May. 25, 2009 09:04AM EDT

Stphen Chase

Canada's mapping of the Arctic is pushing into territory claimed by Russia in the high-stakes drive by countries to establish clear title to the polar region and its seabed riches.

Survey flights Ottawa conducted in late winter and early spring went beyond the North Pole and into an area where Russia has staked claims, a Department of Natural Resources official said Sunday.

25 Big Ideas

25 big ideas that could change the North. Brainstorming with David Suzuki, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Ione Christensen, Ken Coates, Zen Coates, Zebedee Nungak and more...

Full article here.

From UpHere.ca

Lo-tech Navigation on Caitlin Polar Expedition

The Catlin Arctic Survey are trekking 700 miles to the North Pole to measure the thickness of the shrinking Arctic icecap.

However due to the proximity to magnetic north the compasses are "going haywire". The freezing conditions also mean the latest global positioning satellite or GPS equipment will not work.Therefore the team have to rely on navigating using the position of the sun. When it is cloudy they rely on following the direction of the wind helpfully indicated by a pair of lacy knickers shredded and stuck to the end of a ski pole.Read more