Very well.
You both referred to the ability to control the territory and to what happens on the surface of the ocean. Many people have told us that it is extremely important to control our air space as well. I'm referring here to the intrusion, proximity or possible intrusion of the Russian bomber plane. However, for our committee, submarines are our greatest concern. Mr. Pharand, who is an expert on the far north, told us that it is important to know who is navigating under our waters. He even suggested establishing narrow channels in the Arctic to ensure that all traffic transits through there and to be able to identify it.
Mr. Fortier did refer to this when h spoke of the famous icebreakers, but neither of you mentioned the fact that the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has just granted 230,000 square kilometres to Norway. We are scheduled to complete our study in 2013. Is this an extremely important scientific aspect that we will have to take into account to justify Canada's position on territorial and underwater claims in the far North?