Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised on Saturday to secure Canada's claim to the Northwest Passage.

Speaking before hundreds of residents, politicians and military personnel at the Nunavut legislature in Iqaluit, Harper said his government would defend Canada's sovereignty in the region.

"The economics and the strategic value of northern resource development are growing more attractive and critical to our nation," Harper said.

"And trust me, it's not only Canadians who are noticing. It's no exaggeration to say that the need to assert our sovereignty and take action to protect our territorial integrity in the Arctic has never been more urgent."

Harper's first visit to the North since his election coincided with Canadian Forces Day in Iqaluit, with over 400 troops and three Navy ships on hand to greet the prime minister and the community.

The troops will then move north and spend the next two weeks at the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage as part of Operation Lancaster, a strategic operation to stake the country's claim to the Arctic. 

Operation Lancaster is the largest Canadian military operation ever mounted in the High Arctic.

The prime minister said the 320-km offshore boundaries recognized in the Atlantic and Pacific should also apply to the Arctic Ocean. He also promised the build a deep-water port and a military training centre in Nunavut.

Premier Paul Okalik said he welcomed a stronger federal presence in the North.

The prime minister is scheduled to visit Canadian Forces base Alert in Nunavut on Sunday, with stops at Yellowknife and Whitehorse later in the week.

 

With files from the Canadian Press