Breaking the Ice

This past week we spoke with Mead Treadwell, former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska and former chairman of the US Arctic Research Commission from 2001 to 2006, and Jackie Dawson, Canada’s Research Chair in Environmental Change and Arctic Shipping at the University of Ottawa.

Both are prominent figures in Arctic research and policy. Despite their different backgrounds, Treadwell and Dawson share a common passion: advocating for an Arctic strategy that truly taps into the immense opportunities this region offers for Canada. With their extensive expertise and unique perspectives, they stand out as leading voices in the crucial conversations surrounding Arctic maritime defense and security.

This week for our first episode of this summer’s ‘Breaking the Ice’ Podcast Series, we were joined by Erin O’Toole and Sean Boyd to have a conversation on North American Arctic infrastructure and defence.

We looked at Canada’s need to develop an effective Arctic strategy, the increased need to focus on Canadian Arctic security and sovereignty, and the role of infrastructure, education, and innovation to address Canada’s Arctic needs and unlock its potential.

Sean and Erin both come to this discussion through long-term careers focused on Canada’s North. Erin O’Toole’s early military service first turned his attention to Canada’s North which later influenced his strong advocacy for Arctic infrastructure, investment, partnerships, and policies during his time as a Canadian political MP.

Through his tenure (including as former CEO) at Agnico, Sean Boyd spent ample time in the North and developed strong partnerships with Inuit communities and leaders through Agnico’s mining projects in the region. His experiences eventually fuelled his national advocacy on the need for a Canadian Arctic strategy to build multi-purpose and multi-sector social, economic, and defence infrastructure that includes enabling private-public partnerships.

Arctic360 is proud to announce the return our summer podcast series Breaking the Ice. Each week, we will speak with international and local experts to understand the issues facing the North American arctic.

Listen to this episode for more information about what to expect this summer.

In this first episode of ESG in the Arctic, we will explore Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Corporate Shipping Pledge. With the Arctic warming three times faster than the rest of the world, the melting ice opens up new pathways for trans-shipment routes. According to Ocean Conservancy, increased shipping traffic poses threats to marine ecosystems. In response, the pledge asks corporations to avoid Arctic Trans-Shipment routes and promote precautionary Arctic shipping practices.

Today we’re pleased to welcome Whit Sheard to Breaking the Ice. Whit is the Senior Director of Shipping Emissions at Ocean Conservancy and the lead for Ocean Conservancy’s International Arctic Program. Together, we discuss the origins and aims of the pledge, Ocean Conservancy’s collaboration with Nike, and the possible implications of the pledge.

We're back with a new fall series on ESG investing! Stay tuned for new episodes over the next few months.

As interest in northern shipping routes continues to grow, Canada may need a well-developed port system to manage this increased traffic.

But is it possible to build a SMART port in the Arctic? SMART ports use innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence, automation, blockchain, and more, to help in the docking of ships, unloading of goods, and other key port functions.

Today on Breaking the Ice, we’re speaking to Dr. Natalie Gupta on this important subject. Natalie has worked independently through her own consultancy firm Port Processes Ltd., advising ports around the world.

Nunavut is the only jurisdiction in Canada where residents do not have access to internet speeds over 25 megabits per second. Instead, Nunavut must rely on satellite internet, which is slow and expensive.

This has made life even more difficult for northern residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many have struggled to access online healthcare, schooling, and other services.

Today on Breaking the Ice, we’re talking to Madeleine Redfern from CanArctic Inuit Networks about their plan to build a fibre-optic SMART cable to Nunavut. This would finally bring internet speeds comparable to what is available in southern Canada north.

In addition to her position as COO at CanArctic Inuit Networks, Madeleine is also the former mayor of Iqaluit and the Executive Director of Arctic360’s Northern Branch, among many other roles.

Last year, former federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains announced a new initiative for Canada called “mines to mobility.” This would see Canada leading the world in autonomous and electric vehicle technology at every stage of the value chain, from the minerals in the ground, to technology development, to final assembly.

But where is the north’s place in this plan?

To answer that question, we were pleased to welcome Andrew Ghattas to Breaking the Ice. Andrew is the director of the Critical Minerals Task Force at Natural Resources Canada.

Accompanying the surge in political and diplomatic interest in the Arctic has been an increase in the amount of people who see the region as an exciting place to do business. Chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and big businesses are all starting to recognize the untapped commercial potential of the Arctic.

What does this mean for Canadian firms looking to trade more with their Arctic neighbours, and for Greenlandic ones looking abroad? And what are the implications for Indigenous-owned businesses?

Today on Breaking the Ice, our co-hosts sit down with four individuals at the heart of these questions: Christian Keldsen, Managing Director of the Greenland Business Association; Louise Lynge Berthelsen, a clothing design entrepreneur; Madeleine Redfern, co-founder of the Inuit Business Council; and Helene Scherling Olsen, a Senior Trade Advisor with the Danish Trade Council in Toronto.

Many satellites rotate in a polar orbit, where the spacecraft will pass over or near the Earth’s poles, including the Arctic north pole. Scientists use these satellites to observe and collect data on the Earth. And somehow, that data needs to be transferred back down to the ground.

Today on Breaking the Ice, we’re speaking to a representative of the government-owned Swedish Space Corporation, or SSC, which facilitates this process in the Arctic. In 2010, the SSC established a Satellite Station Facility in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, as part of their “Kinuvik” concept. This is a partnership between Kiruna, Sweden, and Inuvik Canada, to establish a wide-ranging zone of satellite connectivity coverage across the Arctic region.

We’re pleased to welcome Dan White to our show today. Dan is an engineer who now runs the Americas business unit at the Swedish Space Corporation.