Canada Command News Release

NR #08.00322 August 08

Op Nanook 08

Operation Nanook 2008 kicks off

By Sub-Lieutenant David Lavallee

Iqaluit, Nunavut, August 22, 2008 - As the sun shone brightly on Canada’s North and the city of Iqaluit, the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence, officially kicked off Operation Nanook 2008.

Op Nanook is a joint operation that takes place each year in the eastern Artic to reinforce Canada’s sovereignty over its northern territory, by having boots on the ground, aircraft in the skies and ships in the water conducting surveillance patrols.

Within the larger operation, several exercises are planned, which are designed to test the ability of multiple government departments, including the Canadian Forces, to work together to respond to humanitarian and environmental emergencies like oil spills, evacuations and other situations.

“Operation Nanook is one of the biggest northern operations the Canadian Forces conduct each year,” said Minister MacKay. Enforcing sovereignty and security in Canada’s North is one of the major focus points of the government’s Canada First Defence Strategy, which was announced earlier this year.

The official kickoff took place during a community day event in the city of Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut Territory, from which Operation Nanook is being coordinated. Members of the local community came out to meet CF members, learn about the CF and other government agencies and enjoy a barbeque.

As Minister MacKay addressed the crowd, he was flanked by members of the navy, army, air force, RCMP, Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Rangers. The official launch was signalled with a flypast from an Air Force CP-140 Aurora.

While the operation focuses on cooperation between all elements of the CF and other government departments, Minister MacKay made special note of the role the Canadian Rangers play not just in Op Nanook, but in protecting Canada’s North year-round.

“We visited with members of the Canadian Rangers yesterday, and what an impressive and professional group we have, dedicated to the protection of the people and places that make of the North,” he said. “They are very much a part of the Canadian Forces family, and very much a part of this community.”

General Walter Natynczyk, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, was also on hand for the event, and he echoed Minister MacKay’s comments. “Our Canadian Rangers have tremendous skills, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

Operation Nanook runs from August 19 to 26, and is being conducted under the command of Joint Task Force North (JTFN), which is responsible for the conduct of all routine and contingency operations in Canada’s North.

JTFN’s commander, Brigadier-General David Millar, is commanding Operation Nanook 2008. “This operation will see the CF working closely with territorial and federal government partners,” said Brig.-Gen. Millar. “In the North, delivering the excellence Canadians expect requires a team approach.”

Operation Nanook is a prime example of the whole-of-government approach to protecting Canadian sovereignty in the North.