Arctic Security ‘More Important Than Ever,’ Says PCO Note, Citing Geopolitical Threats

A Canadian military Griffon helicopter flies along the shoreline of Baffin Island as it moves personnel between Operation Nanook and Iqaluit, on Aug. 26, 2014. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

A Privy Council Office (PCO) briefing note on Arctic security suggests that this issue is “more important than ever.” The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) maintains a year-round presence in the Arctic and currently has some 300 full-time personnel assigned to the vast northern region, says the note dated April 23.

“Geopolitical competition, rapid technological changes, and the changing Arctic landscape make defending this strategically important region, its people, and our interests there more important than ever,” the note stated, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.