Friday, October 14, 2005
Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Canada | Clear sailing in the North?
Canada's fabled Northwest Passage could soon become the reality its early explorers hungered for. Study after study has shown that the polar ice cap is melting, and the Arctic Ocean might be enjoying ice-free summers a few decades down the line. While the Big Thaw is bad news for the environment, a viable alternative to the Panama Canal might just be just the ticket for the international shipping industry. A northern route to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans -- to give China, for example, better access to European markets -- would cut days off current shipping routes, and mean major savings for companies wanting to move cargo around the world in an age of soaring fuel costs.
