The north is a hot topic. Trump, China, Russia, everyone suddenly has eyes on the Arctic. The Canadian government is promising everything from submarines to ice breakers to show the world we really are a nation stretching from sea to sea to sea.

Today’s headlines might feel like we’re now in uncharted waters but Canada has been here before. In the 1950s Cold War tensions roiled round the north. The Canadian government at that time decided we needed not just boots on the ground, but that we must have civilians living on the land, and the further north that land was the better. One of the people they sent to the High Arctic in 1953 is still there. So Canadaland called him up to get his take on the current round of Arctic sabre rattling.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Written and presented by Bruce Thorson, Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor & Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

Additional music by Audio Network

More information:

• Broken Promises: The High Arctic Relocation — National Film Board of Canada
• Romanian who boated to High Arctic fesses up — CBC
• Speech by Premier Eva Aariak ​​on the Federal investment of $100 million for Nunavut Housing — Nunavut Legislature (archived)

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