Polar Imperative
Polar Imperative: A History of Arctic Sovereignty in North America By Shelagh D. Grant Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre $39.95 Reviewed by Russell A. Potter Canada's sovereignty over its Arctic territory has been a hot-button issue of late, the more so under the government of Steven Harper. The sight of live-fire interdiction drills, flag-plantings on Hans Island, and the flying of a government minister for a live video at the site of the rediscovery of HMS Investigator in Mercy Bay are all signs of how central the issue has become. And yet, while willing to put out a good deal of money and resources for such shows of force, the federal government of Canada has shown much less interest in supporting the social and infrastructure needs of its Arctic inhabitants, particularly the Inuit. How did this state of affairs come about? With her new book, Polar Imperative , Shelagh D. Grant provides an eloquent and well-documented answer. And, as it turns out, the Harper government is fa