Let me start by framing the Arctic security working group, our team north partners that I referred to repeatedly: the federal, territorial, regional organizations; first responders; and emergency measures. We come together twice a year to look at what we have, what we don't have, what we need to do together, how we need to get better at doing it together. What we've circled as a theme for this year—not because Defence or Public Safety has the lead—from the group that gets together is the increasing maritime traffic, and the potential for drilling to come to the north. There is drilling to our west on the north slope in Alaska. We chose that the theme to look at across-the-board responsibilities, capacities, and capabilities. It also supports our wider Arctic security working group effort to try to do that kind of capability mapping more broadly, so that we know who has what in times of crisis or emergency. It really is a deeper dive into both what the risks are going to look like as we move forward, and how we're postured for a collective response, and if we have to respond, what that might look like.
On May 13th, 2014. See this statement in context.