ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the history of petroleum developments in the Canadian Arctic. Dr. Douglas Clarke worked in the Canadian Arctic for several years and developed a strong sense of identification with the land and a keen awareness of the intrinsic values of its resources. Environmental concerns about the development of oil and gas had surfaced in Canada over the construction of an oil pipeline. During the critical predevelopment period, the Wildlife Service had little influence on the formulation of environmental policies for the Arctic. The Department of the Environment had many scientists involved in research along the route, and the Arctic Land Use Research Program provided grants for a variety of studies. The aboriginal rights of the Indian and Inuit peoples of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon were ignored during the thrust for the development of Arctic petroleum resources in the 1960s.
