GG Mary Simon, ITK’s Natan Obed among Canadians at Arctic Frontiers as global spotlight turns North
TROMSO, Norway—With Arctic security dominating headlines following U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to take control of Greenland, this year’s Arctic Frontiers conference is drawing heightened attention — including with several Canadian speakers on the program.
Held annually in the Arctic city of Tromsø, Arctic Frontiers brings together politicians, Indigenous leaders, scientists, business representatives, researchers and policymakers to discuss issues shaping the circumpolar North.
Prominent Canadians addressing the conference this year include Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, who will deliver a keynote during a session on the state of Arctic affairs. Simon, an Inuk from Nunavik, will also speak at a side event on Indigenous women’s leadership.
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national Inuit organization in Canada, will take part in a panel on Arctic infrastructure and why Inuit communities need a say in how they move forward.
Their participation comes as Arctic Frontiers opens amid growing attention to security issues in the North, a shift that organizers say is influencing, but not defining, the conference agenda.
“Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, security policy and geopolitics have featured in an ever more prominent role in the discussions about the Arctic, and Arctic Frontiers is no exception,” Anu Fredrikson, executive director of Arctic Frontiers, said.
“While we will not shy away from addressing geopolitics, we do hope to bring the Arctic agenda back on track in terms of diversification of topics.”
Part of that means making sure discussions, including those focused on security and the flood of defence investments made by northern countries in recent months, include the voices of people who live in the North, including Arctic and Indigenous communities, Fredrikson said.
“In parts of the Arctic the scale of these investments is unprecedented, and the potential for dual use of for example infrastructure investments is big,” she said.
“We wish to shed light on the impact of these investments locally and regionally, and discuss whose priorities steer the decisions.”
Arctic Frontiers runs from Feb. 2 to 5.
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Analysis: By suddenly declaring a deal on Greenland, Trump demolished his case for owning it, CBC News
Denmark: Denmark, Greenland leaders meet Merz, heading to Paris to shore up support, Reuters
Finland: Greenland clash left a mark on EU-US relations says Finnish PM, Yle News
Greenland: New Italy Arctic policy adds U.S. Greenland ambitions to growing Arctic competition narrative, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: NATO chief to Arctic Allies: “We’re all frontline states now,” as Iceland’s role grows, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: “We want to be Europe’s most integrated region in terms of defence”, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Russia claims first-ever North Pole aerial refuelling, TASS reports, Reuters
Sweden: Swedish military intelligence on the great power rivalry over Greenland, Radio Sweden
United States: Rubio says technical talks with Denmark, Greenland officials over Arctic security have begun, The Associated Press
