OTTAWA  (May 13, 2011)  –  “I  was glad to see the commitment our Conservative Government made to defend Canadian sovereignty in the North further reinforced yesterday,” stated Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright. Benoit was commenting on the announcement that a multilateral search and rescue agreement was signed by the Minister of Health and other Arctic Council nations representatives. The signing of the agreement took place in Nuuk, Greenland, making it the seventh successful Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting.
The Council is a consensus-based, high-level intergovernmental forum that promotes environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic region.
The unique structure of the Council brings both the eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States) and the six Arctic Indigenous Peoples Permanent Participant organizations together around a common agenda.
Canada was the first chair of the Arctic Council (1996-1998) and will be chairing the Council again in 2013.
Since 2006, Canada has made many improvements in protecting and advancing our North:
•    Announced new commitments that allow Canada to improve protection, monitoring and patrolling in our Arctic land
•    Revealed plans to launch a new polar ice breaker by 2017
•    Invested in new patrol ships
•    Committed to expanding the size and capabilities of the Canadian Rangers
•    Partnered with the United States to better monitor and control of Northern airspace through Canada’s cooperation in NORAD
•    Dedicated to continuing the Canadian Armed Forces Operation Nanook, and annual sovereignty operation that is held in Canada’s Arctic
•    Invested in mapping the energy and mineral potential of the North
•    Was the first country to pass legislation to protect our Arctic Waters
•    Finalized and enforced new regulations requiring vessels to report when they enter and operate within Canadian Arctic waters
•    Committed to Arctic science

“Clearly Thursday’s meeting represents yet another important step for northerners in Canada and across Arctic nations, and an example of our robust Northern strategy,” explained Benoit. “The search and rescue agreement is an illustration of the essential steps that must be taken for all involved.”
“Canada is a proud member of an Arctic Council that is proven capable of embarking upon rising Arctic issues,” concluded Benoit. “Our Government is clearly committed to delivering tools to protect Northerners and promote Canada’s ongoing interests in the North.