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Canada's coastlines vulnerable, Senate report says

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Canada's coastlines vulnerable, Senate report says
Updated Wed. Mar. 28 2007 12:27 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff
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A new Senate report says the federal government's focus on defending Arctic sovereignty is misplaced -- and millions of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere are being wasted.

The Senate security and defence committee has now released four reports in the past week. The previous three focused on security at airports, seaports and borders.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made it clear that defending Canada's Arctic waters is a priority, but the committee's report calls the allocation of resources "unfathomable." It says Canada's others coastlines are being left vulnerable to attack while virtually no threat exists in the Arctic.

Canada has 243,000 kilometres of coastline.

"Disagreements over Canada's sovereignty in these (Arctic) waters are not going to be settled through the use of gunboats,' the report states. "They will be settled through the use of diplomacy or in the courts.

"Canada's Navy is not trained or equipped for icebreaking, nor is it the right agency to exert Canadian sovereignty in the North. Draining the navy's already inadequate budget to play such an inappropriate role makes no military sense.''

The report suggests Canada is neglecting the defence of its near-shore waters, with little co-ordination of efforts on the east, west and south coasts.
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This and other recent Senate reports on Coastlines, Airports, Borders, etc. are located here:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenRep.asp?Language=E&Parl=39&Ses=1&comm_id=76
 
Well if I was a drug smuggler I think that I would rather take my stuff ashore In some bay in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia Or B.C. and take the small risk of getting caught then bring it ashore in Nunavut and dragging it across the Tundra.
 
nowhere_man said:
Well if I was a drug smuggler I think that I would rather take my stuff ashore In some bay in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia Or B.C. and take the small risk of getting caught then bring it ashore in Nunavut and dragging it across the Tundra.

Smuggling along the coastlines pf NFLD, NS and BC is not a new phenomenon and every once in awhile someone does get caught so I am not sure what your post is alluding to...
 
Perhaps we can build a wall out of all of the reports and studies done to tell us how poor the situation is. It seems India is ahead of us in this regard, maybe we can outsource?
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/airforce/India_to_Set_Up_a_UAV_base_in_Andamans100011093.php
They could start by giving Prince Rupert Marine traffic centre a Radar station to monitor the North coast so they can check which ships are entering Canadian Waters.
Several years ago when the migrant ships where arriving I spoke to a Officer on the BC ferry servicing the Queen Charlotte Island, one day a large number of Chinese males in ill fitting suits and carrying suitcases board the ship, so he called Immigration about it, they said, “oh it’s probable nothing, don’t worry about it”. Shortly after they discovered the vessel drifting by itself. What defense we have were asleep at the wheel.
 
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