The Northwest Passage: Canada versus The United States

1236 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Us canada relations essay

When it comes to issues that are causing tension between Canada and the United Stated, The Northwest Passage is a big one. The issue concerning the passage’s status has receded and arisen in Canadian- United States relations for decades. Global warming in the Arctic has once again caused the passage way to come to the forefront of bilateral relations. Closely linked to U.S. adherence to the doctrine of freedom of the seas, Canadian nationalism, and to politics in both states, the two nations can no longer afford to hold opposing positions. Now is the time for Canada and the United States to move forward, while putting pride and politics aside, and return to the special relationship the two nations have held in the past. Doing this would be the beginning of a relationship where both countries gain meaningful and mutually beneficial continental security.
Canada is geographically the second largest nation in the world. It is surrounded by a different ocean on three sides and has the largest coastline of any nation in the world. It is a country who has international commitments. “These include being a member of the G-8 (Group of 8), a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a partner in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and an active participant in the United Nations,” according to Elizabeth Elliot-Meisel (2009, p.204). And yet, this nation only has a small population in comparison to its continental partner the United States, a nation with nearly ten times as many citizens. The Canadian Federal Government considers the Northwest Passage to be an important one due to the fact that both are Artic nations, maritime powers with blue-water navies, and states committed to maintaining continen...

... middle of paper ...

...s enemy. When it comes to pride and politics, there is a precedent for positive collaboration. For Canada, this means getting the greatest benefit from limited resources. For the United States, this means a return to the special relationship that once existed between the two. This can be done by way of renewed recognition of its continental partner and valued ally.

Works Cited

Briggs, P.J. (1990). The Polar Sea Voyage and the Northwest Passage Dispute. Armed Forces &
Society (0095327X), 16(3), 437-452.
Elliot-Meisel, E. (2009). Politics, Pride, and Precedent: The United States and Canada in the Northwest Passage. Ocean Development & International Law, 40(2), 204-232.
Parkey, J. R. (2012). Assessing Institutional Alternatives for Future Northwest Passage Governance. American Review Of Canadian Studies, 42(2), 171-194.

Show More
Related

  • The Battle of Vimy Ridge: The Birth of The Canadian Nation

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of Canada’s largest military endeavors was the battle of Vimy Ridge during World War One. It was a fierce battle between Germans and Canadians. Canada was trying to take over the German controlled ridge, which ran from northwest to southwest between Lens and Arras, France. Its highest point was 145 feet above sea level, which was exceptionally helpful in battle because of the very flat landscape. Already over 200,000 men had fallen at Vimy, all desperately trying to take or defend this important and strategic ridge. As a result of its success in taking the ridge, Canada gained a lot more than just the strategic point. Canada was united as a nation, and the victory changed the way other counties viewed them. Canadians no longer viewed their soldiers as merely an extension of allied forces; they now viewed their troops as an independent and unified entity.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Vimy Ridge and Its effect on Canada

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Canada’s eligibility to participate on the world stage and its move towards independence was proven after the accomplishments at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Foremost, Canada’s first opportunity to partake on the world stage came soon after the end of World War I, during the Paris Peace Conference. The accomplishments of the Canadian Army in the Battle of Vimy Ridge helped to earn Canada a spot in the Paris Peace Conference, after long arguments made on behalf of Canada by Prime Minister Robert Broden . The Prime Minister argued that Canada’s wartime record had earned Canada a seat separate from Britain. Canada was granted the seat despite the disapproval of the American President, Woodrow Wilson’s as they contributed greatly to the Allied forces especially in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The approval of Canada’s seat is important to both the significance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the eligibility to participate on the world stage because it was one of the first steps Canada took towards its independence from Great Britain. Additionally, Canada became more social with other countries separate from Britain after the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canada involved itself more in trading after the battle and the war, and had a flourishing...

    Read More

  • Canadian Sovereignty over the Northwest Passage

    1943 Words  | 4 Pages

    A complex collection of more than 1800 separate islands forms the Canadian Archipelago and Canada’s Arctic territory. 1 Within recent history the arctic has gained popular attention from governments both domestically and internationally. The rise in global climate temperatures accounts for longer, ice free Arctic summers, higher levels of resource exploration and development, and less challenges to access in the Arctic. Canadian sovereignty over Arctic lands and islands is undisputed with the single exception of Hans Island, a 1.3 square kilometer island claimed by Denmark.2 Currently what is disputed is the Canadian assertion of sovereignty over the Northwest Passage waterway. The passage which would facilitate international shipping through the sovereign Canadian archipelago island system, links the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. Its widest and deepest course would take the Northwest passage from “Lancaster Sound through Barrow Straight into Viscount Melville Sound an onwards through M’Clure Straight and into the Beaufort Sea.”3 Historically Arctic ice made this route impossible to cross, but rising temperatures are changing that. The government of Canada believes that the Northwest Passage is situated within internal Canadian waterers, thereby falling under Canadian sovereign jurisdiction, subject to Canadian domestic laws. With the possibility of the passage becoming a international shipping rout, many countries including the United States do not agree with this claim. They suggest the Northwest passage should be an international straight subject to the International Law and the doctrine of transit passage.4

    Read More

  • Norman Bethune's Influence On Canadian Relations

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s rapidly growing global society, foreign relations with other countries are imperative to a nation’s prosperity and world-wide harmony. Especially with China, the fastest growing country in the world, it is important for Canada to establish relations that can benefit both countries. The foundation of these Sino-Canadian relations was created by Norman Bethune’s involvement in the Second Sino-Japanese War. China was not always such a flourishing and prosperous society. In 1937, during this war, Japan invaded China with imperialist objectives.

    Read More

  • Essay On Trans Canada Highway

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Canada became an emerging country after the Second World War. There was a need for Canada to identify themselves as a distinct nation from Britain and the United States. The Trans Canada Highway became a visible nationalistic figure that set apart Canada from other countries. The Trans Canada Highway was a significant structure built in 1949 through 1961 that emerged as a result of a newfound unity and nationalistic view in Canada. Although there were many different political, personal and economical standpoints on the building of the highway, the finalization of the construction of the highway brought a unique unity that could be appreciated by all Canadians.

    Read More

  • The French And Indian War Sparknotes

    1813 Words  | 4 Pages

    Borneman, Walter. The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.

    Read More

  • Explain How Successful Was Confederation At Unifying Canada

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    To start off, I’ll be writing about the life of people in British North America and its significance towards unifying Canada, as well as background knowledge of conflicts that existed. Life in British North America was changing at an alarming rate. New technology and services were being introduced such as railways and steamships. Industries such as building, producing and farming were being introduced. This was in part due to the many immigrants from Britain and France who’d settled. This was dreadful for the First Nations as their land had been taken away even more so than before. More resources were needed for the growing crowd so trade agreements were made. As more people came, the First Nations were even more distanced from the Europeans. Meanwhile, the French and the British wanted the other’s culture to be erased from the

    Read More

  • Canada During the Post-War Period

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macfarlane, Daniel. "Rapid Changes: Canada and the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project." University of Waterloo. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Geography: Regions of Canada

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chapter 1: Regions of Canada describe regionalism and how it divides countries, specifically Canada, naturally into six regions: British Columbia, Western Canada, Territorial North, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. These regions have been divided in a manner that correlates ‘like spaces’ in regards to human and physical geography (Bone, p.6) along with Canada’s historical development. The second key feature of chapter 1 describes Canada’s faultlines and they’re affects on Canada’s regional divide. There are four faultlines within Canada that reciprocate tensions that are mostly solved by being “soft” through negotiation and discussion (according to John Ralston Saul, Bone, p. 10). Bone places a great focus on these faultlines, which include: centralist/decentralist, Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal, French/English Canadians, and newcomer/old-timer. “Canada’s heterogeneous nature often forms the basis of regional quarrels” (Bone, p. 11) particularly for the centralist/decentralist faultline. English/French speaking Canadians focus on Quebec and sovereignty, while the Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal faultline deals with land claims, settlement and colonized peoples. Newcomers/old-timers refer to immigrants and settlers of Canada. The core/periphery model is a key concept that is commonly referred to throughout the text. It depicts the core as concentrations of power/wealth/population, with the periphery/hinterland as the weakly developed, resource based area.

    Read More

  • Canadian Technological Advancement in the 20th Century

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Newman, Garfield et al. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: Mc Graw – Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000.

    Read More

  • Jacques Cartier John Cabot And Henry Hudson

    366 Words  | 1 Pages

    Canadian history has shaped Canada's future for centuries now. Without the great explorers of their time, and maybe even our time, provinces and territories, gulfs, bays, rivers and land would be lost and undiscovered for many years. Our great country can thank many brave and brilliant explorers and their crew, for founding our name, and creating such an amazing land. Jacques Cartier, John Cabot and Henry Hudson, all managed to explore much of Canada. Through discovering the islands of Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island to locating the Hudson Bay, these 3 explores endure Canada's harsh winters, famine, scurvy and much more, to begin the great discover of all of Canada.

    Read More

  • Canadian Confederation

    3837 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the year of 1867 the nation we know as Canada came into being. The Confederation in this year only came about after things had been overcome. Many political and economic pressures were exerted on the colonies and a federal union of the colonies seemed to be the most practical method of dealing with these pressures and conflicts. While Confederation was a solution to many of the problems, it was not a popular one for all the colonies involved. In the Maritime colonies views differed widely on the topic. Some were doubtful, some were pleased, others were annoyed and many were hopeful for a prosperous future.1

    Read More

  • Treaty-Making in Canada

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction “We are all treaty people” Campaign. The year 1907 marked the beginning of treaty making in Canada. The British Crown claims to negotiate treaties in pursuance of peaceful relations between Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginals (Canada, p. 3, 2011). Treaties started as agreements for peace and military purposes but later transformed into land entitlements (Egan, 2012, p. 400).

    Read More

  • Growth of Canada as a Nation during WWI

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Canada has become a superior nation thru, perseverance, courage and even care as they persevered thru many dark battles, and made sure they all came thru together as a unit other than individuals. Their courage made there fighting 100% stronger as they wouldn’t back down to any task and they weren’t afraid to lose their life to help a fellow friend and country out. Care played a major aspect in each Canadian heart. There cared about Britain so they weren’t to go help them when they declared war, they helped other troops with their emotional problems and lastly they even cared a little about there enemies as they are the same person, however the only thing separating them is there culture. Canadians contributed in many ways to help our country's great efforts in the First World War.

    Read More

  • Canada Is Becoming Too Americanized

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country.

    Read More

More about The Northwest Passage: Canada versus The United States

Open Document