Rather than lay claim to the North Pole, the federal government should tap gas in our Arctic islands – by Michael H. Bell (National Post – January 30, 2014)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Michael H. Bell, now retired, was Senior Vice President of Fednav Ltd, and the President of Melville Shipping Ltd, a partner in the Arctic Pilot Project.

In a recent New York Times article entitled “Rushing for the Arctic’s Riches,” Professor Michael Klare of Hampshire College used 1,076 words, only one of which was “Canada,” within a list of nations that have an Arctic coastline. It is no surprise Canada was deprived of any recognition of its desire and ability to develop its “Arctic Riches,” let alone “rush” to them. The lack of any development activity within our High Arctic is the current Canadian position.

This was not so a few decades ago when Canada boasted the most northerly mines in the world: Polaris on Little Cornwallis Island and Nanisivik in Admiralty Inlet, Baffin Island. Both are now closed.

In 1978 Fednav of Montreal, in collaboration with the Canadian government, designed, built and operated the M/V “Arctic,” the world’s first ice-breaking bulk carrier. Between 1977 and 1983, Canada, through PetroCanada, pioneered an Arctic Pilot Project (APP) designed to liquefy gas on Melville Island for delivery to Quebec. The APP was at the regulatory stage when, in the 1980’s, the energy market collapsed and it became clear that it could not proceed. In 2006, PetroCanada revived an enlarged version of the APP, the Arctic Island Gas Project (AIGP), with Europe as a prime market. The AIGP was terminated at the sale of PetroCanada to Suncor in 2008.

The fact that these projects were terminated should not be taken as a sign of failure. Canadians have to recognise that environmentally safe development of the High Arctic calls for a shipping capability to operate there on an all-year-round basis. Summer seasonal operations for resource development just won’t stack up.

The High Arctic is not like Hudson Bay or the St Lawrence or the Baltic, areas that experience “first-year” saltwater ice that melts each summer. In the High Arctic, there is still plenty of “multi-year” ice in all seasons. This is ice, as the name implies, that has survived the summer melting. The salt from such ice has migrated out; you can drink the water from multi-year ice.

Multi-year ice sheets and pieces filter through the Elizabeth Islands into Parry Channel, the traditional Northwest Passage, and thence into Baffin Bay. Fresh water ice has twice the strength of saltwater ice; it is pervasive and hidden among the first-year ice. Ship contact with a relatively small piece, even at a moderate speed, can be calamitous (and has so been) for ships that are not built to withstand the impact.

For the rest of this article, click here: http://opinion.financialpost.com/2014/01/29/rather-than-lay-claim-to-the-north-pole-the-federal-government-should-tap-gas-in-our-arctic-islands/