The Canadian Space Agency is seeking advice from its Russian counterpart in a long-term project to put a satellite over the North Pole.
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Russia is developing a similar program. The two countries would share scientific information gained from the new satellites.
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Canada already has two satellites orbiting northern reaches. Radarsat 1 and Radarsat 2 keep an eye on northern waters and provide climate and weather information.
Images from those satellites are being used to help the military track activity in Canadian Arctic waters in a program called Polar Epsilon.(link)
Ok. So let's get this straight. The DND has been pursuing a space strategy centering around providing space surveillance of the Canadian arctic.
Make's sense.
If Canada is going to protect its borders it needs to have a way to monitor such large arctic borders.
Canada especially needs to protect it's borders against other artic nations like Russia.
It may be a stretch to call Russia an "enemy" of Canada, but it definitely is a competitor with Canada when it comes to the arctic.
And so here the CSA comes along and wants to consult with them on how to develop this capability?
It's the equivalent of Iran asking the US for advice on how to build a Nuke.
Sounds like great cooperation. Doesn't make much strategic sense.