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The great northern dilemma: The disconnection between Canada's security policies and Canada's North

Posted on:2009-03-20Degree:M.AType:Thesis
University:Royal Military College of Canada (Canada)Candidate:Sneyd, Elizabeth AnneFull Text:PDF
GTID:2446390002496577Subject:Public administration
Abstract/Summary:
The Canadian government's approach to security in Canada's North is traditionally focused strictly on matters of sovereignty and defence, despite the expression of wider concerns, namely, societal and environmental issues, by the Territorial governments and by the aboriginal peoples of the regions. Through policy analysis, through study of the implications of past security-related events, and through examination of key players inside and outside of the region, this thesis presents a comprehensive look at the broader security situation in Canada's North today. This thesis argues that the federal "security" policy approach in this region reflects, firstly, the imposition of Canadian national security objectives on Canada's North rather than the integration of Northern security needs into the broader Canadian security policy. The federal approach also reflects the lack of a coherent, "whole of government approach" in federal policies concerning Canada's North. This disconnection between security policy and the region it purports to serve has become increasingly obvious as Canada's North has once again become an area of international interest. This paper concludes that the federal government needs to work directly with the inhabitants of Canada's North to create a long-term strategy that encompasses a much wider range of security issues, and thus ensure that Canada's North is kept secure for all Canadians, in particular those who live there.;Keywords: Canada's North, security policy, human security, environmental security.
Keywords/Search Tags:Security, Canada, Approach
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