A Sea Route to the Orient

 

There is a bright possibility in Canada’s future, which, of course, our ruling elite is doing whatever they can to prevent.

Global warming.

The possibilities for expanded agriculture are obvious, for the second largest and second coldest nation on earth.

But here’s another opportunity: the Northwest Passage.

It was the original promise of Canada: a faster, shorter, route between Europe and Asia. Something more valuable year by year, as Asia develops. Currently, the best option is the Panama Canal. But an open passage over the top of Canada would be shorter, like the Great Circle Route favoured by the airlines, and would allow for far larger ships to pass.

Canadian port facilities built along the route could be an important economic boost—as being on the strategic Straits of Malacca bottleneck helps Singapore now.

Of course, aside from trying to stop global warming on conservative principle, the elite will object to large-scale shipping in the North because of possible spills and environmental damage.

Yet the same considerations ought then to shut down the Singapore Strait, the English Channel, or the Panama Canal. Do we worry about it there?

But what, you will say, of the livelihood of aboriginal people, if such damage occurs?

Probably no Inuit still survive by hunting on the ice floes. That is a romantic fantasy. Give them those port facilities, and they can have high-paying jobs instead of subsisting on welfare.

It could open up the Greater North to development.