TORONTO — The fundamental welfare of Canada’s northern communities is at risk as the federal government focuses its Arctic strategy on military might and diplomatic discourse, suggests a new report.
The publication, released today by the Conference Board of Canada’s Centre for the North, says any discussion on northern security must be expanded to include the concept of “community security.”
The report, which covers a wide swath of security concerns, says a deeper understanding of local issues is needed before Canada can address the “greatest threats to the security and resilience” of the North.
“One big thing we’re trying to achieve is to change the conversation,” said Gilles Rheaume, vice-president of public policy and the Conference Board executive for the centre.
“Defence and diplomacy is an important part of our Arctic security, but for Canada’s North, it has to become much broader than that.”
The report points out that northerners worry more about protecting basic necessities essential to sustaining their communities than sovereignty debates or international policy issues. Concerns over housing, health services, suicide rates, socio-economic development and public safety were paramount.
The report, titled Security in Canada’s North — Looking Beyond Arctic Sovereignty, developed the concept of community security based on a range of interviews with experts and northern residents.
A year in the making, the report sorts discussion into three key areas — the big-picture Arctic security, the mid-level northern security and the least researched community security — all of which it says must be equally addressed.
The paper explains that those who actually inhabit Canada’s North — as opposed to those who simply debate it — refer to the community, not the individual or nation, as the main focus of living a secure life.
“We need to develop a deeper understanding of what is happening,” said Rheaume.
He added that the centre will work on recommendations on how to improve community security, which includes the development of a set of indicators that can assess the security needs and resilience of a community.
The report pays heed to the wealth of research on the already well-understood concept of Arctic security, which deals with legal, sovereignty and policy challenges facing the North.
Meanwhile, the mid-level concept of northern security — described as “the resilience of people, infrastructure and their protection from the widest range of threats and hazards” — is flagged as an area that requires more development.
But the report points out the ability for northerners to actually feel safe at the most local level remains a challenge.
“Part of Canada’s future will have to be the North because of the opportunities that exist there, which means that greater attention will have to be paid to northerners as well,” said Rheaume.
The report appears to have hit the right notes, says Arctic security expert Andrea Charron, a research fellow at Carleton University’s Centre for Security and Defence Studies.
“This represents a shift in thinking,” said Charron. “We have to start thinking of the Arctic as a part of Canada as opposed to a buffer or a barrier or a boundary.”
Charron points out that the government is often alarmist when it comes to the Great White North, an approach that needs to change.
“You get a lot of political capital by putting your hand on your heart and saying the Great North strong and free,” said Charron. “I still think the government needs to tone down the rhetoric and concentrate on local issues.”
The report notes the diplomatic, economic and geostrategic security challenges facing the North but also says the actual likelihood of armed conflict over Arctic interests is “deemed to be low.”
Charron points out that while the Canadian Forces have always been highly capable and prepared to take on northern threats, they should not be held responsible for the social issues that burden northern communities.
While such a change in perspective will take some time to cement itself into the Canadian consciousness, Charron stresses that the southern-centric focus on sovereignty needs to be broadened.
“Sovereignty is things like decent daycare, jobs,” said Charron. “Let’s get at the issues that are really plaguing the Arctic.”