Canada will buy at least six patrol ships to assert its sovereignty claim in the Arctic, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday backed away from an election pledge for navy icebreakers that would ply the waters of the Northwest Passage all year round.
This is important to Canada because their claims are not universally recognized:
Canada's claim over the Arctic Northwest Passage that links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is disputed by countries, including the United States, that consider much of the region to be international waters.
What has been a purely legal question could have practical results if temperatures rise enough to make the passage an economic asset.
