Navy commander visits Marine Institute
Commander Alexander Grant of the Canadian Navy spoke at the Marine Institute on Wednesday, Nov. 25, discussing such topics as conflicting claims of sovereignty over northern lands and the ability of the Government of Canada to react to a crisis in the country's most isolate and thinly populated region
Thursday, November 26, 2009The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland was the site for a discussion on the Canadian military’s role in Arctic sovereignty and security on Wednesday. Commander Alexander Grant of the Canadian Navy was on hand for a one-hour presentation that examined the role of the Department of National Defence in the Canadian North. Commander Grant provided an entertaining and informative session, complete with photos of the HMCS Toronto on duty in Arctic waters and a look at the history and future of international relations in Canada’s northern waters.
“I thoroughly enjoyed Cmdr. Grant’s presentation and want to thank him for visiting the Marine Institute,” said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, MI. “Cmdr. Grant has a wealth of experience working in demanding and challenging environments, which makes him well suited to speak with MI faculty, staff and students.”
Cmdr. Grant was the commanding officer of the HMCS Toronto for the past two years and commanded the ship during its two recent deployments to Northern Canada. In August, 2008 and August, 2009 HMCS Toronto sailed to Nunavut for Operation Nanook, one of three major sovereignty operations conducted every year by the Canadian Forces in Northern Canada. He spoke of the significance of these missions during his time at MI, stressing how important it is for all branches of Canada’s Department of National Defence to be properly informed of the changes and challenges presented by the changing climate of the Arctic.
“In order to exercise control and authority, you have to know what’s going on and you have to have the capability to act,” Cmdr. Grant said during his presentation. While he focused on the role of the Canadian Navy in Arctic sovereignty and security during his presentation, Cmdr. Grant touched on a number of topics.
Among the subjects he discussed were the year-long ice-free route of the Northwest Passage, conflicting claims of sovereignty over northern lands and the ability of the Government of Canada to react to a crisis in the country’s most isolate and thinly populated region.
Afterward, Cmdr. Grant spoke of how fitting it was to discuss such topics at the Marine Institute, the country’s leading post-secondary institution dedicated to oceans-and-marine-related studies. “It is a perfect setting,” Cmdr. Grant said of MI. “I was impressed with the attentiveness and enthusiasm of the audience and with the hospitality shown to me.”
Cmdr. Grant first joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1981 as an Officer Cadet at Collège Militaire Royale in St-Jean, QC before transferring to the Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, BC, where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Physics and Oceanography in 1986. In 2004, he earned a Diploma in National Security, Strategy and Policy and Joint Military Operations from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
