BOESSENKOOL: What is Carney’s Arctic Economic and Security Corridor?

The government has a geopolitical vision for the Arctic that goes beyond questions around economic development. Expect the Arctic to get more focus than ever before.

Key Points: 

• The inclusion Arctic Economic and Security Corridor as a future major project under consideration is less about domestic or economic considerations, and much more about geopolitics. 
• As Russia and China assert themselves in the Arctic the choice has been made clearer to Canada and other nations: if we don’t assert Arctic sovereignty, the Americans will do it for us. 
• There's a growing consensus across the political spectrum, including the previous government, the current Prime Minister, and the Conservative Party, on the need for a stronger military presence and strategic development in the Arctic.

When the Prime Minister announced the first five projects being referred to the Major Projects Office, he also outlined “several strategies for projects that could be truly transformative for this country which are at an earlier stage and require further development.” Among the list of six strategies was an Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, which was defined as: 

An all-weather, dual-use, land and port-to-port-to-port infrastructure project that will contribute to Canada’s defence and northern development. The project will support Northern critical mineral projects, create new opportunities for sustainable development, and connect communities to the rest of Canada, while increasing capability for the Canadian Armed Forces in the North.