Canada would need Russia’s help in conducting a response effort if a major “search and rescue” incident were to occur at the North Pole, says the assistant commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic region headquarters, Neil O'Rourke.
Speaking to the House of Commons national defence committee on Nov. 22, O'Rourke said that with the increased number of commercial cruise ships travelling in the Arctic comes an increased risk of a major rescue incident occurring, which he said the Coast Guard would be incapable of handling alone.
