The Arctic Bridge: Churchill, Man., is the key to linking Afghans with the world

Here is an interesting article by Michael Berk, originally published in the National Post:

“When Russian explorers planted a flag on the Arctic seabed earlier this year, they set off a chorus of howls from Canada, Denmark, the United States and Norway — all making claims of ownership. But if Canada really wants the maple leaf taken seriously in the Great White North, we must drop our “baby steps” strategy and do something… sensibly Canadian.

Coincidentally, one such sensible strategy to build our presence in the Arctic would do more than open the door to untold billions in trade between Canada and the rapidly emerging economies of Eurasia. It would also provide a clear route — through Churchill, Man. — for the integration of Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asia into the global economy. That economic integration would do more to stabilize the region than Canadian forces ever can.

The Churchill-to-Kandahar route is not an easy one to see at first glance, but each leg of the journey makes sense locally and fits into a global context that can result in the greatest geopolitical and economic advance of the 21st century.

Churchill is Canada’s only Arctic deep-water seaport; a crucial shipping point for goods between North America, Europe and Asia. As part of an Arctic Bridge, Churchill is ready for its role on the global stage. Connecting to Murmansk, an ice-free seaport in the extreme northwest of Russia, Churchill could become an end point for the shortest shipping route between North America and rapidly developing Eurasian markets, such as Russia, China and India. Shipping via the Churchill-to-Murmansk Arctic Bridge is nine days faster than the St. Lawrence Seaway passage– a huge competitive advantage.

Last month, the federal and Manitoba governments agreed to invest in rail and port improvements to Churchill — a modest first step. The vision is that, in conjunction with other North American transportation infrastructure projects, goods would enter Churchill and be moved through Manitoba to the U.S. Midwest, and if desired into Mexico. Thus, Canada becomes an essential and desirable link between North American and Eurasian markets.

At the same time, Churchill would play an even bigger role in Canadian attempts to assert sovereignty over the Arctic, as infrastructure projects create jobs, promote regional development and increase the level of our activities in the North. Furthermore, the development of Arctic shipping routes will bring many countries to the negotiating table, which would increase dialogue over confrontation.

With the Arctic Bridge connecting North America, Europe and Eurasia in an unprecedented manner, the impetus for the construction of a Eurasian land bridge — ground transportation routes connecting Central Asia to itself and the rest of the world–becomes enormous.

At present, about US$600-billion worth of goods are shipped from Asia to Europe each year, only 1% of which is moved over inland transit routes. Developing common Eurasian transportation routes is a top priority for many countries in the region, as trade volume is expected to bolster both local economies and security co-operation.”

This entry was posted on November 27 2007 at 02:24 and is filed under Central Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.