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Canadians to work with British sailors in icy northern waters

New agreement announced
The Canadian Press
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In this July 2017 photo, the midnight sun shines across sea ice along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Biden administration is stepping up its work to figure about what to do about the thawing Arctic, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. The White House said Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, that it is reactivating the Arctic Executive Steering Committee, which coordinates domestic regulations and works with other Arctic nations. It also is adding six new members to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, including two indigenous Alaskans. (AP Photo / David Goldman)

OTTAWA — The Canadian Coast Guard has inked a deal with Britain’s Royal Navy to train its sailors on Arctic icebreakers in Canada’s Far North.

The memorandum of understanding follows a 2020 agreement between the two NATO countries that saw officers from Britain’s H-M-S Protector train aboard a coast guard vessel.

The Canadians will work with British sailors in icy northern waters to break up ice sheets while exchanging information from their Royal Navy counterparts.

The British High Commission in Ottawa announced the new agreement on behalf of the Royal Navy and the coast guard.

The statement noted that Canada operates a fleet of about 20 icebreaking vessels that helps smash ice, keep frozen sea lanes open and assist other ships through unfavourable waters.

Britain has a renewed interest in the Arctic region and has trained annually with Norway’s navy.<

The Canadian Press