Conclusions: "Use It or Lose It," History, and the Fourth Surge

Résumé

Climate change is transforming the Arctic. Questions abound about what this will mean for the Canadian Forces, for Canada’s sover­eignty position, for northern peoples, and for stability and security in the circumpolar world. Fortunately, Canadians have encountered and debated similar issues in the past. This volume, featuring chapters by established and emerging scholars, offers essential historical analysis on Canadian Arctic security and sovereignty policies and practices since the Second World War. The “lessons learned” lay a solid foundation for future research and historiographical debate in this dynamic field, and should inform Canadian thinking on what is necessary to protect national interests in the twenty-first-century Arctic.