John Higginbotham, former ADM for several federal departments and CIGI and Carleton fellow, comments on the relevance of Operation Nanook – one of the military’s annual Arctic exercises.
Every year in the summer, hundreds of soldiers descend upon Canada’s northern towns and participate in Operation Nanook. For those unfamiliar with Nanook, it has been happening since 2007 and is one the largest sovereignty operations in Canada’s North.
This year’s operation is happening in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, as well as Haines Junction, Yukon, and Whitehorse, Yukon. It started August 21 and came to a close on September 2, and included three international military observers: France, the United States and the United Kingdom.
According to the Canadian Government, Operation Nanook has several objectives, including “[to] assert Canada’s sovereignty over its northernmost regions” and “to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ ability to operate in Arctic conditions.” This yearly operation is an opportunity to test and train Canada’s military in a northern capacity.