Official interest in the Canadian Arctic has increased substantially since the Joint Arctic Weather Stations were established in 1947. Since that time, the display of interest, the expenditure of money and the exploitation of manpower in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago has been at least as great by the United States as by Canada, and in some respects greater. New defence projects may increase US activity; a list of such projects which have come to the attention of the Department of External Affairs is attached. It is not certain that requests will be made for all these activities, but they may be considered an indication of a progressive increase in defence activity in the Arctic. In the circumstances, it seems desirable to examine the extent of Canadian and US activity in the Arctic, with particular relationship to the maintenance of Canadian sovereignty, and to consider whether, and in what fields, further Canadian activity is justified to serve Canadian interests of a political, administrative, scientific or military nature. Since Arctic plans take long to execute, the consideration of future policy should be pursued aggressively. I suggest at the outset that to preserve the Canadian position the first approach is to consider means, not to restrict US activities, but to develop our own.

The main continuing activity in the Arctic Archipelago is centred at the five Joint Arctic Weather Stations where half the meteorological staff is Canadian. There are small Canadian weather stations at Arctic Bay and at Pond Inlet. At Resolute Bay, near the Joint Weather Station, there is an RCAF station. There is an Arctic Survival School open in the winter months at Cambridge Bay in the Southern Archipelago. These are the only exclusively Canadian installations and the total number of Canadian officials in the entire Archipelago is less than fifty. This figure is now matched by the United States which, in addition to supplying half the meterological staff, operates an exclusively US weather station at Padloping and mans a floating ice island within the Canadian sector. Transient US Officials, whether civil or military, outnumber Canadian transients in the summer months. Present indications point towards an increase of US activity.

If Canadian claims to territory in the Archipelago rest on discovery and continuous occupation, Canadian rights to some relatively unexplored areas may in the future be questioned. For the present, however, the problem is not formal claims to territory since the US Administration has been entirely reasonable and co-operative in Arctic matters. Of more concern is the de facto exercise of US sovereignty, examples of which were numerous during the last war in other parts of Canada. Misunderstandings and petty incidents in recent years have not been lacking, but fortunately few of these have come to public notice. An increasing proportion of US activity in the Arctic would, however, present greater risks of misunderstandings, incidents and infringements of Canadian sovereignty.

Many solutions may be applied to the political and administrative problems which already exist in the Arctic and which may arise in future. Some of the solutions would involve the expenditure of money to enable Canada to undertake developments, particularly in airfield construction and electronic facilities, which both countries consider necessary. Other solutions may be possible without the expenditure of significant amounts of money. In this category may be included such measures as the conclusion of diplomatic agreements with the United States covering US rights and responsibilities in the Canadian Arctic and the organization through committees or departments of machinery to keep under review some of the civil and military problems which are likely to arise.

The Advisory Committee on Northern Development, which has not met recently, is charged with responsibility "to advise the government on questions of policy relating to civilian and military undertakings in Northern Canada and to provide for the effective coordination of all government activities in that area". I recommend that the Advisory Committee on Northern Development should be instructed to consider all phases of development of the Canadian Arctic and to report to Cabinet on the present situation and on the means which may be employed to preserve or develop the political, administrative, scientific and defence interests of Canada in the area.

[PIÈCE JOINTE I/ENCLOSURE 1]

Note

Memorandum

[Ottawa, n.d.]

LIST OF POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARCTIC FOR THE COMING YEAR,
MAINLY AS A RESULT OF US REQUESTS

(This is substantially the same as the list given in the Memorandum of December 29).²⁴

[APPENDICE/APPENDIX]

Nouveau projects d'aménagements dans l'Arctique

Prospective New Developments in the Arctic

SECRET

1. Distant Early Warning Radar Chain (Project Lincoln)

The US Government has allocated $20,000,000 for the establishment of three or four experimental early warning radar stations in the Arctic with a view to the ultimate development of a complete radar chain of possibly 40 stations extending across the Canadian Arctic archipelago. The United States will probably wish to set up the experimental stations in the general area of the Mackenzie River delta. Some or all of the experimental stations may well be located in the adjacent area of Alaska but this remains to be settled.

2. Development of Arctic Air Strips

The USAF has indicated that it proposes to approach Canada for permission to develop the air strips at the two Northern most joint Arctic weather stations on Ellesmere Island, i.e. Alert and Eureka. In addition, the USAF would like to construct an air strip at River Clyde on Baffin Island. The USAF proposes that these air strips be developed in order that they would be suitable for emergency landing for the heaviest freighter aircraft and for jet fighters. The USAF feels that these developments are required to meet the need for emergency alternatives for aircraft based at Thule and for Artic resupply missions.

3. Loran Station on Baffin Island

The United States wishes to establish a Loran station on the east coast of Baffin Island to assist ships and aircraft en route to Thule and other Arctic destinations. it should be noted that it was only in 1952 that the Canadian Government decided to take over the last three Loran stations under US control on the Atlantic coast and the transfer does not take place until July 1953.

4. Radar Stations in the Northeastern Arctic

Over a year ago the United States was given permission to make surveys as a preliminary to the establishment of radar stations on Ellesmere and Coburg Islands for the protection of Thule. During the Spring air lift in 1952, the USAF investigated the possibility of putting these radar stations in the vicinity of the joint Arctic weather stations at Alert, Eureka and, or Resolute. Resolute with about 35 Canadians has the largest Canadian community in the Arctic archipelago. Alert and Eureka have 7 Canadians between them. Each US radar station would probably be manned by about 200 US service men.

5. Commercial Air Routes Across the Arctic

The Canadian Government has received a request for consideration of the possibility of opening up a commercial air route from Edmonton across the Canadian Arctic to Thule and thence to Europe. If or when this route is approved a variety of airways facilities will be required.

[PIÈCE JOINTE 2/ENCLOSURE 2]

Note du sous-secrétaire d'État adjoint aux Affaires extérieures
pour le sous-secrétaire d'État aux Affaires extérieures

Memorandum from Assistant Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs
to Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs

[Ottawa, n.d.]

Mr. Wilgress

You will recall that we sent up a memo a short time ago suggesting a meeting of General Young's²⁵ committee on the Arctic. The Minister approved.

We now discover parallel action was being taken in the Privy Council. Phillips prepared a memo for Mr. Pickersgill which was shown to the PM and quite informally to Mr. Pearson when, I think, he was in Pickersgill's office. The PM was somewhat concerned over Arctic policies, as was Mr. Pearson who mentioned he had already approved the calling of a meeting.

I understand Mr. Pickersgill is prepared to ask General Young to call his committee together. I think we might let him go ahead, since it is really an interdepartmental matter, and drop our letter to General Young.

R.A. M[ACKAY]