A prominent Inuvialuit leader said Canada must build up a more consistent presence in the Arctic if the country is going to protect its sovereignty in the region.
Duane Smith, chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation — which represents the interests of Inuit in the western Arctic — said the region is the “backdoor into Canada” and his community has been on the “front lines” of Canadian sovereignty.
In an interview with CBC’s The House that aired Saturday, Smith said he had told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that communities in his region were seeing increased presence of research vessels from other countries. He
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