Cambridge Bay chosen for High Arctic Research Station

The Canadian Arctic research Initiative (CARI) inched forward with the decision to base the planned Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay in western Nunavut. The announcement, made during prime minister Steven Harper's annual Arctic foray, is a key step for research station's realization — a five-year, $18-million "pre-construction design phase" announced in Budget 2010 that followed a $2-million feasibility study.

With a population of approximately 1,500, Cambridge Bay is one of the larger centres in the far north and the largest port-of-call for passenger and research vessels moving through the disputed waters of the Northwest Passage. It was chosen over Pond Inlet (Baffin Island) and Resolute Bay.

The selection of a single site also put an end to the prospect of developing parallel research capacity through the selection of two networked sites.

The multidisciplinary facility is still years away from completion and it's unclear what its mandate will be once it opens. Harper has stated that it will be a "large-scale, world-class centre that will be looking at all aspects of northern science and north environment." The government has also stated that the station will be "exploring the cutting-edge of Arctic science and technology". The inclusion of technology suggests that it has responded positively to a report recommending the inclusion of technology among the research themes spelled out by CARI in 2007.

A 2008 report by the Council of Canadian Academies and commissioned by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs was critical of CARI's lack of detail and recommended adding two more themes — technology and observation and monitoring —to the list of four contained in CARI (R$, November 13/08).

Arctic research became a key government focus in the run-up to International Polar Year 2007 which Canada hosted (R$, March 8/07). IPY sparked $150 million in new funding which was scheduled to flow over six years to accommodate longer-term projects. Since then $85 million was announced in Budget 2009 to repair and upgrade existing facilities.

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