[ziggy]

Harper probably wants the diamond mines to cough up,it's a big deal up there now as Ekati and a few others who would have benefited are now renegeing on paying some of the costs for the infrastructure.

So there will probably be another shortage of food and fuel for the 4th year in a row as the north gets ignored untill someone starts reading about how we have to start protecting it.

Pretty unpopulated place to be talking of building roads and pipelines for the benefit of the communities.

In fact anyone who thinks they can build a road from Manitoba to Iqaluit is just plain nuts.If you did there would be so many people dieing on it and freezing to death that it would make your head spin.
This is not a very friendly climate everyone wants to all of a sudden try and tame.

[ridenrain]

bootlegga bootlegga:

ridenrain ridenrain:

We need a resson to have a port and people there. Getting those gas and oilfields up and running gives people a reason to be there, and that more than any flag waving extravaganza, proves that we own it. Look at Alaska and look at the Yukon as an example.

We had military bases in the north that were closed because they were useless and because the Liberals hated the military ( ). We don't need more white polar elephants. If we can provide an incentive to get companies and people to go there, we build inferstructure and have a far better chance at making that community sustainable.

The reason is because it's ours. If the only reason we have for a base is the economy, then around a quarter of our bases better be scrapped, as they are nowhere near 'the econonmy' as you put it. One of the biggest reasons we ran CFS Alert during the Cold War was to tell the Russkies, "Hey we are watching and listening to you". If that was a good enough reason in the Cold War, then it should be a good enough reason now. For us to watch people in the NW Passage, we need more than just a couple Rangers on skidoos. Now that Harper has canned the three heavy icebreakers he promised, we need that port more than ever.

Or are you saying that the economy trumps everything else? If so, perhaps you better tone down your hatred for trade with China...

I'm saying we need product to ship if we're going to have a port.

[bootlegga]

ridenrain ridenrain:

bootlegga bootlegga:

ridenrain ridenrain:

We need a resson to have a port and people there. Getting those gas and oilfields up and running gives people a reason to be there, and that more than any flag waving extravaganza, proves that we own it. Look at Alaska and look at the Yukon as an example.

We had military bases in the north that were closed because they were useless and because the Liberals hated the military ( ). We don't need more white polar elephants. If we can provide an incentive to get companies and people to go there, we build inferstructure and have a far better chance at making that community sustainable.

The reason is because it's ours. If the only reason we have for a base is the economy, then around a quarter of our bases better be scrapped, as they are nowhere near 'the econonmy' as you put it. One of the biggest reasons we ran CFS Alert during the Cold War was to tell the Russkies, "Hey we are watching and listening to you". If that was a good enough reason in the Cold War, then it should be a good enough reason now. For us to watch people in the NW Passage, we need more than just a couple Rangers on skidoos. Now that Harper has canned the three heavy icebreakers he promised, we need that port more than ever.

Or are you saying that the economy trumps everything else? If so, perhaps you better tone down your hatred for trade with China...

I'm saying we need product to ship if we're going to have a port.

There are more uses for a port than just shipping raw materials...any idea how much resources the port at Esquimalt ships?

[ziggy]

You mean food and fuel?

All bulk samples from the mines go by air,allmost everything go's by air.
Ships can only run for one more week untill june or july next year,planes will keep cargo going all year and at a cheaper cost.

If drilling for gas or oil was economical there right now they would be doing it.

[ridenrain]

I don't think they are allowed to drill in the Arctic, just like BC can't drill offshore.

[bootlegga]

My point was that Esquimalt is a military base and usedto help protect our sovereignty...which a port in the Arctic would do as our icebreakers would have a place to stop...

[ziggy]

ridenrain ridenrain:

I don't think they are allowed to drill in the Arctic, just like BC can't drill offshore.

It would cost a million and take a year to barge a rig up there if they wanted to drill a hole onshore anyways and thousands of miles of moonscape to cross to get that product to a port.
Offshore drilling would be a logistics nightmare because diesel fuel runs the arctic and not much else and it's been in short supply for years.We just ordered the fuel for the camp I was at last week and thats for next june,the rest will be flown in at $600.00/45 gallon drum.

Same reason all the talk of a soviet invasion or someone going after Han's island makes me laugh.
I have a buddy on the HMCS Pierre Radison icebreaker who sends me vids,and I send him mine from the Arctic. It's a huge place with a handfull of people.Took this monday flying out and into Rankin inlet,sorry I missed the killer whales.
Huge territory man.Within 2 weeks all those lakes will be froze and gaining one inch of ice a day untill early june.Most will get to over ten feet thick and that's south of the arctic circle.

[ziggy]

So I have to ask myself why do you guys think we need more people there?
Stay away from the politics and lets see if you can come up with a solution instead of haveing a political agenda to slam one party or another.

I'll wait but dont think I'll get a response because all these topics about the north are politically biased by the authors.

But it's good for a laugh anyways.

[ridenrain]

Kee-rist. It's Chuck Norris flying the chopper!

Ziggy: Is the enviroment in the artic or the yukon that much different than in Alaska? If it's not, thf they can drill in Alaska, can't we can drill in the arctic too?

I hear what you're saying. If this whole global warming crap is actually global cooling then it's all going to be frozen and nothings going to move for most of the time.

My point is that if we want people up there for national soverenty, we either pay them to be there or we set up conditions so people can work and live there.

[ziggy]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Kee-rist. It's Chuck Norris flying the chopper!

Ziggy: Is the enviroment in the artic or the yukon that much different than in Alaska? If it's not, thf they can drill in Alaska, can't we can drill in the arctic too?

I hear what you're saying. If this whole global warming crap is actually global cooling then it's all going to be frozen and nothings going to move for most of the time.

My point is that if we want people up there for national soverenty, we either pay them to be there or we set up conditions so people can work and live there.

It's totally different,The people who live there dont want any help except diesel fuel.
They do fine on the food part hunting beluga's and seals.
They also exist where not many others could.
Alaska has tree's and a boreal forest,theres no trees in most of Nunavut so ya it's a different place.
I't's thousands and thousands of miles of desolation and water,most couldnt give a shit about global warming and the people pushing the agenda,they just survive when things get tough.

Nunavut and Nunavik are huge but have small populations and everyone knows everyone,me included,give me a few more years and i'll know everyone in the territories.

No name dropping but Canada is big but when flying in the north it's small.

Been years since the "Chuck Norris" comment was made,i've heard it before and guess I should shave eh?

[ridenrain]

I did forget the forest.

I'm stinn not sure that drilling for oil is out of the question. It's definately an awful place but it may be economical if the price is high enough, or we finally get sick of the gouging from foreign sources.
What about these diamond mines you mention. Where are they?

[ziggy]

ridenrain ridenrain:

I did forget the forest.

I'm stinn not sure that drilling for oil is out of the question. It's definately an awful place but it may be economical if the price is high enough, or we finally get sick of the gouging from foreign sources.
What about these diamond mines you mention. Where are they?

Uhhh,you may want to watch some of my 70 videos of the arctic to see what your dealing with.

The diamond mines? Ekati and the rest? Surely you have heard of them or watched an episode of ice road truckers?

Drilling is out of the question,in one week they will be nailing plywood over every camp tent untill june. They only get 3 months of summer there Riden,and it's gone now.

If you watch even a few of my vids you will see how remote and huge our north is.
I'm awestruck for a week at least when getting home.
And they pay me for it.

[ziggy]

Baker lake in december when I was managing the Agnico camp this winter 60 miles south of the Arctic circle

[herbie]

Jeez we can't even get people to move above the 50th let alone up there!

[Arctic_Menace]

$1:

Nunavut and Nunavik are huge but have small populations and everyone knows everyone,me included,give me a few more years and i'll know everyone in the territories.

In that case, do you know a film maker by the name of John Houston?