But Canada is still assisting the Americans in developing the very technology that could enable them to one day seize control of all or part of Canada's Arctic archipelago. In that year the U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Sea sailed from Greenland to the Chukchi Sea through the Northwest Passage. (The distance between Arctic islands often exceeds the standard 12 nautical miles considered to be a nation's territorial waters. The first deliveries of mid-sized Arctic Security Cutters are not expected until 2028-29, when the mandate of the current president is supposed to end. Huebert sees the threat as more present in Canada's Arctic islands than the passage.

Source: CBC News January 27, 2026 13:32 UTC