Acts of Occupation: Canada and Arctic Sovereignty, 1918-25

Janice Cavell, Jeff Noakes

UBC Press, Jan 1, 2011 - History - 308 pages

As climate change threatens to open the Northwest Passage to ice-free travel, Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic has come to the fore. Although Canada's claim to the Arctic archipelago is now firmly entrenched in the minds of Canadians, less than a century ago, that claim was much less secure.

Acts of Occupation draws on a wealth of previously untapped archival sources to piece together the engrossing story of how one explorer's self-serving ambition ultimately led Canada to craft and defend a decisive Arctic policy. Historians Cavell and Noakes show how unfounded paranoia about Danish designs on the north, fueled by a deliberate campaign of deceit and fear-mongering, was the catalyst for Canada's active administrative occupation of the Arctic.

A compelling tale, Acts of Occupation throws new light on a transformative period in the history of Canadian Arctic policy and provides much-needed historical context for contemporary debates on northern sovereignty.

Contents

• Taking Hold of the North: 12
• The Danish Threat: 35
• An Expedition to Ellesmere Land: 63
• A Citizen of the British Empire: 103
• Rasmussen in London: 121
• Wrangel Island: 139
• Stefansson in London: 183
• The Sector Claim: 217

About the author

Janice Cavell works in the Historical Section at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Jeff Noakes is a historian at the Canadian War Museum.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Acts of Occupation: Canada and Arctic Sovereignty, 1918-25
• Authors: Janice Cavell, Jeff Noakes
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: UBC Press, 2011
• ISBN: 0774818700, 9780774818704
• Length: 308 pages
• Subjects: History / Canada / Post-Confederation (1867-); History / Canada / Provincial, Territorial & Local / Northern Territories (NT, NU, YT); History / Expeditions & Discoveries; History / Polar Regions