An agreement has been reached to settle the dispute with Denmark over a 1.3-square-kilometer island in the Arctic and is expected to be signed today, according to a government minister. Dan Vandal, the minister for Northern Affairs, confirmed on Monday that the agreement on Hans Island would be “officially signed” on Tuesday. The barren rock has been the subject of decades of diplomatic disputes between the two nations, as it is located in the territorial waters of both. The agreement is expected to split the uninhabited island between Ellesmere Island in Nunavut and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Vandal said he was “looking forward” to signing the agreement and that he would attend the ceremony. He said that “the discussions have been going on for a long time” and “the important thing is that the agreement has been completed and we will have the signature tomorrow”. “I think it is very positive given our global situation today,” he said. The deal is likely to mean that Canada, for the first time, shares a land border with Denmark. The dispute over the small island has led to well-intentioned riots since the 1980s between Canada and Denmark over which country rightfully owns it. In 1984, Canada hoisted a flag on the island and dropped a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Later that year, Denmark’s Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs visited by helicopter, hoisting a Danish flag. He also left a bottle of aquavit, a Danish distillate, at the base of the flagpole and reportedly left a note saying “welcome to the island of Denmark”. In 1988, a Danish patrol car from the Arctic Ocean arrived and built a barrel with a flagpole and a Danish flag on the island. Then in 2001, Canadian geologists mapping the northern island of Ellesmere flew there by helicopter. In 2005, Canadian Defense Secretary Bill Graham took a walk on Hans Island in a symbolic move. One week before he set foot there, Canadian forces placed a Canadian flag and plaque on the island, sparking protests from Denmark, which called the Canadian ambassador. In 2005, both countries agreed to reopen talks on the island with former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, saying it was “time to end the flag war”. Both countries agreed, if they could not reach an agreement, to refer it to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for settlement. The island is called Tartupaluk in Inuktitut and Greenlandic, and has been part of the Inuit hunting grounds for centuries. Denmark and Canada are NATO allies and both participate in the Arctic Council. Recently, the two nations have been working closely together on the war in Ukraine, including aid programs for women and girls fleeing conflict. A spokesman for Secretary of State Joly declined to comment. However, the Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Joyce Murray, said the negotiations were “a sign of the strong partnership and friendship we have with Denmark”. Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong said the deal was “a demonstration of how countries that are credible members of our international system can work together to resolve disputes around international borders.” “Few things are more sacred in maintaining international order than ensuring that we respect each other’s international borders,” Chong said. NDP foreign policy chief Heather McPherson told reporters Monday that the deal was a sign of greater international co-operation on Arctic affairs. “The Arctic border countries have an obligation to work together and that is just one of the signs that we are doing this,” he said. He joked that the deal could mean Canada could now qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest. This Canadian Press report was first published on June 14, 2022
