The so-called Northern Watch project grew out of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s 2005 election pledge to create a “national sensor system” in the Arctic to monitor Canadian waters for submarines and other marine vessels. The Barrow Strait, on the south shore of Devon Island, is an Arctic “chokepoint,” meaning that marine traffic cannot easily avoid passing through. ( Janice Lang )The need for Arctic surveillance was increasingly in evidence over the project’s lifespan. “It’s something very different from the normal populated parts of the world.” The political rhetoric around the Northern Watch project was a success. You’re kind of lucky if you can pull off what you originally planned.”The Northern Watch camp at Gascoyne Inlet, Devon Island.

Source: thestar January 29, 2017 11:02 UTC