19 August 2009
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited with Canadian Forces personnel participating in the military component of Operation NANOOK 09, a major whole-of-government exercise designed to build Canada’s capability to assert Canadian sovereignty and respond to emergencies throughout the Arctic.
“Operation NANOOK is a valuable training opportunity for Canadian Forces personnel,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was joined by Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay and Chief of the Defence Staff General Walt Natynczyk in observing the NANOOK 09 military exercise. “Operation NANOOK shows that Canada has both the operational capacity and the resolve necessary to assert our Arctic sovereignty over land, sea and air.”
Operation NANOOK 09 is taking place from August 6 to 28, 2009. Throughout this period the Canadian Forces will demonstrate a visible presence with land, sea and air forces operating in the Baffin Island region. The operation includes sovereignty patrols, a military exercise, and a whole-of-government exercise designed to demonstrate Canada’s ability to operate in the North.
This year’s operation will include an anti-submarine warfare exercise with Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Toronto and Glace Bay, and HMCS Cornerbrook, one of Canada’s four Victoria-class submarines. Land forces, comprised of Canadian Rangers and the Arctic Reserve Company Group from Ontario, will also deploy forward with the Navy and in Canadian Coast Guard Ship Pierre Radisson. The Air Force will be flying the CP-140 Aurora, CH-124 Sea King, CC-138 Twin Otter, CF-18 Hornet and CC-130 Hercules aircraft, while Transport Canada will be flying the Dash-7 throughout the exercise. Following the military exercise, government agencies will turn their attention to supporting Nunavut’s Emergency Management Organization in their own exercise to test emergency preparedness in response to a critical infrastructure failure.
“I am always impressed by the professionalism and resourcefulness of the men and women of the Canadian Forces,” said the Prime Minister. “Canadians can be proud of all that they do to protect our borders, respond to emergencies, and keep Canadians safe.”
