As you may know, almost everyone is back to school. The first couple of assignments in school are always easy. One of the the things we are studying is Canadian Sovereignty. Sovereignty means other countries recognizing that you are sovereign. Sovereign means to be independant.

Right now, there is an issue in the Canadian Arctic. Canada has claim to the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage is a passage by sea between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in the North part of North America. The United States has challenged Canada's claim. The United States argues that it has the right to send ships through there. Russia has secretly sent nuclear powered submarines into Canada's Arctic waters. Oil tankers and nuclear submarines pose a threat to the Arctic waters. If oil were ever to be spilled in those waters, it would damage a lot of aquatic life. It would also affect the Inuit.

The Inuit are the people that live in the Canadian Arctic. They rely on fish from those waters to survive. Without these fish, the Inuit will have to find a new source of food. If Canada continues to not defend those waters, the Northwest Passage would be considered a world waterway.

You may ask, "What is so significant about the Northwest Passage?" The Northwest Passage is the fastest way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The other alternative is the Panama Canal. Canada has taken steps to try to prevent the United States from putting ships and submarines through the Arctic. They have made a group called the Canadian Rangers. The Rangers were first established during the Second World War. They were named the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers back then. In 1947, their name was changed to Canadian Rangers. The Canadian Rangers main job is to patrol the isolated Canadian North. Their role will become more important as a lot of the ice in the North is melting and making an easier pasage.

Canada needs to continue to send up people to patrol the Canadian Arctic or Canada will lose the Northwest Passage.

This is Zimmer12, signing off

Author's Note: Source: http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-rangers.htm