Canada and Norway strengthen cooperation

Norway's role in the High North was central when General Alexsus G. Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), visited Norway last week.

“Norway holds a unique geostrategic position and plays a central role as NATO’s eyes and ears in the Arctic. We could not do our job without Norwegian support,” said Grynkewich.

After meetings in Oslo with the Norwegian chief of defense, prime minister and minister of defense, the general travelled to Bodø, Northern Norway, to visit NATO's new combined air operations centre. There he received first-hand briefings on how Norwegian and allied air forces operate together in the High North.

ALSO READ: CAOC Bodø Completes First Major Exercise as a Fully-Fledged NATO Headquarters

Norway and Japan are expanding their polar cooperation through a new agreement between the Norwegian Polar Institute and Japan's National Institute of Polar Research.

The press release states that the agreement will be signed on June 1 during a seminar in Tokyo, attended by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. The aim is to strengthen joint research on climate, sea ice and ecosystems in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Japanese researchers have been active in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, since 1991, and the institutions collaborate, among other things, in the RINGS project, which examines the ice cover in Antarctica to better understand future sea level rise.

On Tuesday, the EU and Norway held their fifth security and defense dialogue in Oslo, where cooperation in the Arctic was among the topics.

"We agreed to reinforce our preparedness to tackle evolving security risks, including in the Arctic region, and enhance our cooperation on critical sectors needed for civil-military interaction," the parties said in a joint statement.

They also referred to a new framework for dialogue between the EU and Norway on the Arctic, with the first meeting taking place this spring.

The meeting was co-chaired by Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence at the European External Action Service, and Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ALSO READ: EU Foreign Policy Chief in Northern Norway – Gathered Input for New Arctic Strategy

The Norwegian and Canadian coast guards have signed a new cooperation agreement, which will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the Arctic.

The agreement was signed during the Arctic Coast Guard Forum in Copenhagen last week.

In a post on Facebook, the Norwegian Navy informs that the agreement facilitates increased and long-term cooperation in education, training and exchange of personnel.

This is part of a broader international effort to strengthen security, preparedness and situational awareness in the Arctic, it further states.

Other states that participated in the forum in Copenhagen were Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the USA.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) has nominated Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) as the new Commissioner of the United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC).

The Commission is an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on U.S. research activities in the Arctic.

"The Commission is pleased to welcome Governor Dunleavy," said Thomas E. Dans, Director of USARC, in a press release.

He added that Alaska plays a central role in the nation's Arctic research efforts.

"The Governor's perspective and experience will contribute to the Commission's work to advise the President and Congress on Arctic research priorities and promote collaboration between the federal government, the State of Alaska, and Arctic communities."

At the same time, USARC thanks outgoing Commissioner Deborah Vo for her work in advancing Arctic research priorities and engaging with Arctic communities.

Researchers have identified 37 subglacial lakes beneath glaciers in Canada's Arctic, 35 of them previously unknown, according to CBC News.

The study has revealed a hidden water system that could help scientists better understand how glaciers move and lose ice.

Scientists say knowing where the lakes are, and how they fill and drain, could improve our understanding of how quickly glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising. The lakes form a complex network of interconnected water bodies flowing beneath the ice, largely hidden until now.

In March, the Norwegian business Holmøy Havbruk lost 9,300 salmon after a slush flow at their facility in Fiskefjorden in Lødingen municipality, Northern Norway. According to the company, the fish probably died from acute poisoning when the avalanche masses hit the cages.

"Fortunately, reports of landslides that have hit fish farms or had negative consequences for the fish are rare," says Aud Skrudland from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to iLaks.

This is also confirmed by the Directorate of Fisheries.

"This type of incident can occur, but very rarely," says Communications Director Anette Aase, who emphasizes that most facilities are located far enough from mountain slopes to avoid the risk of avalanches.

Avalanches have nevertheless led to consequences in the past. Troms County Council refers to facilities having had to be moved after avalanches, and recalls an incident in 2021 where a facility with 1.2 million fish was hit in the Alta fjord.

As a measure to increase voter turnout, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) gave out $100 vouchers to Inuits who voted in the presidential election.

The scheme had an immediate effect: Voter turnout increased from 18 percent in 2022 to 66 percent in 2024, NTI CEO Kilikvak Kabloona told CBC News.

The voucher program is now becoming permanent.

At the same time, NTI is introducing stricter rules: Only Inuit-owned businesses with a physical presence in Nunavut can accept the vouchers in the upcoming by-election.

This is drawing criticism from the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce, which believes that online Inuit businesses are being unfairly excluded.

“It should be up to the people, it should be up to the Inuit, to decide where they want to spend that voucher,” says President Tara Qunngaataq Tootoo Fotheringham.

NTI responds that the intention is to ensure that the values remain in local communities.

Last week, production began at the Canadian Davie's shipyard in Quebec of the Polar Max icebreaker, one of two new polar icebreakers being constructed for the Canadian Coast Guard.

Polar Max, expected to be delivered by 2030, is part of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) that Canada, Finland and the United States signed in 2024.

Construction of the Polar Max hull began at Davie's shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, in August 2025.

The second new Canadian icebreaker is being built at Seaspan's shipyard in Vancouver.

"In a region shaped by rapid climate and geopolitical change, these vessels will play a vital role in Canada’s Arctic future. Flying the Canadian flagyear‑round in Arctic waters, they will strengthen our sovereignty, support maritime safety and security, and provide the essential services northern communities and Arctic science rely onfor decades to come," says David J. McGuinty, Canada’s Minister of National Defense.

This Wednesday evening, the German company Isar Aerospace will make a new attempt to launch the Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Northern Norway.

The rocket will carry satellites of various types. If all goes according to plan, this could be the first satellite launch from mainland Europe.

According to Isar, the launch window will open at 9 PM CET at the earliest. The launch can be followed live here.

If weather conditions are not favorable, new attempts will be made until April 19th. Isar's first test flight with the Spectrum from Andøya last year ended with the rocket falling into the sea shortly after the launch.

ALSO READ: Norway, Germany and Canada's Heads of Government: We Are Ready to Defend the High North

This year's sea ice maximum is set to be the second lowest since satellite measurements began, only to be turned off in 2025, reports the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research.

Since 1979, satellites have been monitoring sea ice in the Arctic and measuring how extensive the ice has been at its greatest extent. In their first year, the measurements showed an extent of over 16.5 million square kilometers of sea ice, from the first measurement until this year the ice has been reduced by a full 1.5 million square kilometers.

Only 2018 and 2025 have had similar low values ​​at this time of year.

The president of Aurora College, Angela James, has retired from her position effective immediately.

This was reported in a press release from the university, which is located in the Canadian Northwest Territories.

James took office in August 2024 for a five-year period and was to lead the college "into the next phase of transformation into a polytechnic university."

The college's board did not provide a reason for her early retirement.

The Nordic countries and Canada are intensifying their cooperation in the areas of defence, security, resilience and green economic growth.

This was reported by the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister in a press release.

At the Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo today, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney together with Prime Ministers Mette Fredriksen of Denmark, Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, Petteri Orpo of Finland and Kristrún Frostadóttir of Iceland.

‘The Nordic countries and Canada have a great deal in common. We are all Arctic states and close NATO Allies, and we have many shared values and interests. Today, we have agreed to further deepen our cooperation in order to safeguard our security and create new opportunities for economic growth,’ said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

In a joint statement, the six Prime Ministers acknowledge that we are living in a time of heightened geopolitical tension, war and climate change, and reaffirmed that they are united in viewing international cooperation based on international law, shared values and interests as the best way to strengthen our common security and prosperity.

‘Canada and the Nordic countries work hard every day to enhance security in the Arctic, and we support the efforts to strengthen the Allied presence through NATO. For Norway, it is vital to build vibrant local communities in the north – communities where people want to live and that enhance our national security and preparedness,’ said Mr Støre.

In a world where technology and international trade are increasingly being used as coercive tools, high priority will be given to economic security, job creation and green economic growth as the Nordic countries and Canada work to strengthen their cooperation.

‘The Nordic countries and Canada are committed to democracy, the rule of law and international law. We firmly support Ukraine in its legitimate fight to defend itself against Russia’s illegal and brutal war, and we call on all members of the Coalition of the Willing to increase their support,’ said Mr Støre.

Monday, the Arctic Winter Games kicked off in Whitehorse, Canada.

The games bring about 2,000 participants from Arctic nations together over the next week to compete in 20 sports.

The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 and are a biennial multi-sport and indigenous cultural event involving circumpolar peoples residing in communities or countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.

"Norway and Canada have a close relationship and have much in common. In a time of increasing geopolitical unrest, it is important to strengthen trade policy cooperation. Canada offers good opportunities for Norwegian companies, and Norway is also an attractive country for Canadian investments. Closer trade cooperation will be good for both countries," says the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth in a press release.

Norway and the three other EFTA countries, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, have a trade agreement with Canada. The agreement dates from 2008 and mainly covers trade in industrial goods, fish and seafood.

"Norway believes it is time to modernize and update the free trade agreement between the EFTA countries and Canada. We believe the agreement should be expanded to also apply to trade in services, business establishment and public procurement, among other things. It is positive that the EFTA countries and Canada are planning a meeting during the first half of 2026 for further negotiations on this," says Myrseth.

The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, said NATO must turn its focus to the North at a major defence and security conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

This was reported by CBC.

"Last August, I raised the point about ensuring that NATO has efforts that are geared towards Arctic security and protection, and my foreign minister colleagues around that table, the Nordic Five, agreed with me wholeheartedly," she said.

The Nordic Five includes Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Anand said Canada wants a NATO Arctic strategy that is more comprehensive than the Arctic Sentry mission launched earlier this year, and that includes a permanent presence in the region.

She said she planned to discuss the topic with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte later in the day.

On Monday, Greenland and Canada signed a letter of intent on the strengthened cooperation on critical minerals and energy.

The agreement has strategic and economic significance for both parties, writes Greenland's government, Naalakkersuisut.

"The cooperation will lead to a better understanding of our natural resources and increased economic activity. Lately, Greenland has been the subject of international attention. This agreement cements the importance of strong alliances and partnerships," says Naaja Nathanielsen (IA), Greenland's Naalakkersuisoq (minister) of Industry, Raw Materials, Mining, Energy, Law Enforcement and Equality.

On Wednesday, a delegation from the Canadian parliament, led by Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, visited Norway.

This was reported by the Norwegian parliament, which is hosting the visit.

The Canadian delegation's agenda includes a number of political meetings, such as with the parliament president (speaker), as well as members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and the delegation for Arctic parliamentarian cooperation.

"Canada and Norway share democratic values, have historical ties and are close allies. Our relationship becomes increasingly important in these uncertain times. As Arctic coastal states, we see the need for closer cooperation in the North," says the Norwegian parliament president Masud Gharahkhani (Labor).

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked Russian aircrafts operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on February 19, the command informs in a press release.

The Russian aircrafts were two Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50.

NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.

"The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD states in the press release.