NLC explores the Arctic in fall series
By Cecilia Nasmith
An exploration of what is really meant by that popular Canadian phrase “coast-to-coast-to-coast” comes to the community with Arctic Rising, the Northumberland Learning Connection fall series that runs Oct. 22 through Nov. 26.
Seven events featuring expert presenters will look at some of the issues impacting this vital region, including national sovereignty, climate change and Inuit self-determination.
Presentations will take place at the Columbus Community Centre (232 Spencer St. E., Cobourg) – at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and 29, as well as Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26, with a Nov. 20 event at 10 a.m.
Oct. 20 – An Inuk's Look at How We Got Here – Inuk educator and expedition leader Jason Edmunds provides a high-level introduction to the people, decisions, relationships and forces that have shaped the Arctic we know today.
Oct. 29 – Chasing Explorers into the Northwest Passage – Author Ken McGoogan (whose six books include Fatal Passage, Lady Franklin's Revenge, Dead Reckoning and Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery) began his Arctic odyssey almost 30 years ago. A dozen voyages later, he believes that awakening to the Arctic is the Great Canadian Story.
Nov. 5 – Creation and Transformation: Defining Moments in Inuit Art – Winnipeg Art Gallery curator of Inuit art Darlene Coward Wight has curated 75 exhibitions in her 40 years at the museum, some of which have toured throughout Canada and in Europe. Her talk will celebrate creative expression in the Canadian Arctic, describing the genesis and evolution of contemporary Inuit art, charting dramatic transformations over the decades.
Nov. 12 – Inuit Self-Government in Nunatsiavut – The Nunatsiavut Assembly operates on a consensus model without political parties, bringing together elected ordinary members, community leaders and the regional president to ass laws, direct policy and hold the executive branch accountable. Bryan Winters, Ordinary Member for the Constituency of Canada, will share his experiences of Inuit self-government.
Nov. 19 – The Sovereignty Question: Who Owns the Arctic – Can Canada control the Northwest Passage, or to Russia or China pose a threat to Canadian sovereignty and security in the Arctic? As shipping routes like the Northwest Passage (and access to seabed oil and gas) remain contested, author and lawyer Michael Byers presents a case for international co-operation -and highlights Inuit occupancy as a vital foundation for Canada's sovereignty claim.
Nov. 20 – On Guard for Thee: Our Military in the Arctic – Though defence is distinct from sovereignty, international and Indigenous communities consider presence, posture and infrastructure to be core elements. Retired Major General Scott Clancy (who served as a Director General of the RCAF and Director of Operations for the North American Aerospace Defence Command) will describe the concepts, capabilities and limitations of Canada's military force, including the ability of NORAD to defend the continent.
Nov. 26 – The Cost of Getting There: Tourism, Shipping and Extraction in the Arctic – While the cruise-ship boom to the Arctic that everyone expected did not really materialize, a wave of mining, sealift and tanker vessel traffic has been quietly reshaping risks to the region, its communities and its politics. Adventure Canada Director of Operations and Government Sebastian Charge will share his perspective on the impact of commercial activity on the land and people.
Tickets are $25 per event on the Northumberland Learning Connection website. Events will be recorded, and ticket holders will be sent recordings afterwards.
