Originally Posted by
CBC News
Diplomatic dispute over Arctic heats up
Defence Minister Bill Graham's recent visit to an Arctic island off the northwest coast of Greenland has set off a diplomatic row.
The UPI news agency reported that Canadian troops landed on the island a week before Mr Graham's visit, planted a Canadian flag and built an Inuit stone marker.
Last week, Graham walked about on 1.3-square-kilometre Hans Island. Graham said Canada has always considered Hans Island its territory. In 1984, Denmark's minister of Greenland affairs raised a Danish flag on the island. He then buried a bottle of brandy at the base of the flagpole and left a note saying "Welcome to the Danish island." Danish navy ships visited in the island in 2002 and 2003.
Mr. Graham noted that the recent defence policy statement articulated that Canada's forces would become more active in the North. He said the department will be using more unmanned aerial vehicles in the Arctic, as well as increased satellite coverage.
Denmark says it will send a protest letter to Canada over the incident.
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