Gordon W. Smith

Gordon W. Smith, Ph.D. (1918-2000) dedicated much of his life to researching Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. A historian by training, his 1952 dissertation from Columbia University on “The Historical and Legal Background of Canada’s Arctic Claims” remains a foundational work on the topic, as does his 1966 chapter “Sovereignty in the North: The Canadian Aspect of an International Problem” in R.St.J. Macdonald’s The Arctic Frontier. This article is derived from his unpublished manuscript, A Historical and Legal Study of Sovereignty in the Canadian North and Related Law of the Sea Problems, which was written over three decades and remained incomplete at the time of his death in October 2000. Consisting of 1600 typewritten pages (and approximately 3000 handwritten pages), this document is a treasure trove of meticulous research, rich in subtle analysis and insight. Part A, from which this article is drawn, is concerned with terrestrial sovereignty and contains 50 chapters in eight volumes. Part B deals with the law of the sea and Canadian Arctic sovereignty and contains 15 chapters in three volumes. All of the material is thoroughly and intricately footnoted, making his manuscript an invaluable base for further research into the history of Canadian sovereignty over its Arctic inheritance. I am currently working with Professor Armand de Mestral, Dr. Smith’s literary executors, and the Department of Foreign Affairs to identify which sections (drawn from classified material) of this monumental study must remain closed. Our hope is to make the remainder available to scholars of Canadian and Northern history in the near future. As Arctic sovereignty and security issues return to the forefront of public debate, this invaluable resource will serve as a comprehensive foundation upon which to expand our understanding of how Canada’s claims have evolved since the original transfers of the northern territories in 1870 and 1880.