Douglas A. Ross

Towards a Canadian Maritime Strategy in the North Pacific Region

As the government of Canada moved haltingly towards publication of its long-awaited defence white paper in June 1987, analysts of Canadian security policy both inside and beyond formal government channels made increasingly strong demands for the development of a coherent and systematic Canadian approach to Western security problems in the Pacific region.1 Contrary to many peoples expectations and Canadas past record of a determinedly minimal security involvement in this area, it is likely that Ottawa will eventually respond substantively to such demands.8 The white paper, recognizing as it does the strategic importance of events in the Pacific to Canada, is a major step in acclimatizing Canadian policy-making to the demands and rigours of serious participation in the Pacific Rim security community.