Nowrth section

Arctic sovereignty

Maritime claims, the law of the sea, surveillance capability and the record of Canadian presence above 60.

Canadian waters: The Northwest Passage and the work of holding it

Canada's position on the Northwest Passage has been settled for four decades. The waters of the Arctic Archipelago are internal waters, held through historic title and the 1986 straight baselines. The longer task is keeping a working presence in them, and the Arctic sets its own pace for that work.

By Nowrth Staff·August 28, 2026·6 min read

Daily briefing

The Northern playbook

Five developments worth your attention.

Law of the seaCanadian waters: The Northwest Passage and the work of holding it
Canada holds the waters of the Arctic Archipelago as internal waters, and keeps that position intact through the 1988 Arctic Cooperation Agreement while the United States and the EU see the passage differently.
Continental defenceBuilding presence: Canada's Arctic defence investments and the infrastructure gap
NORAD modernization is a 20-year, $38.6-billion program announced in 2022, with its main surveillance capabilities scheduled well into the 2030s.
ImplementationTwo Paths to Self-Determination: Public Government and Indigenous Self-Government in the North
A new ten-year Implementation Contract under the Nunavut Agreement was signed in March 2025, thirty-two years after the original land claim.
Food systemsThe cost of distance: Food security policy in Canada's North
Recent survey data put food insecurity at roughly 76 per cent in Nunavut, against sustained growth in Nutrition North subsidy spending since 2011.
To 2030A framework without a deadline: Assessing Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework
The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework reports through an annual Leadership Committee, without a legislated compliance mechanism for its 2030 goals.