Canadian Forces in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada. © MCpl Kevin Paul, Canadian Forces Combat Camera
Erin Anderssen of the Globe and Mail has a strong piece on the future of the Canadian military in today’s online edition. Soldiers donning the Maple Leaf on their uniform now have a much more visible role in the world today, whether combating piracy off the coast of Somalia or fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Yet the transition hasn’t come easy, as Anderssen illustrates. A country once dedicated to peacekeeping now sees itself at a turning point, on the brink of creating a more robust, and possibly offensive, military force. The article mentions the Arctic at one point, saying,
Canadians largely support a military presence in Canada’s north, but that’s a matter of “standing on guard” for sovereignty, not advancing into war. As Dr. Stein says, “Nobody is going to die in combat in the Arctic.”
