Alert to remain in operation

The Canadian government announced its new "Northern Strategy" (Canada’s Northern Strategy: Our North, Our Heritage, Our Future) on 26 July. Among other elements, the strategy (CBC report here) commits the government to "maintain the signals intelligence receiving facility at CFS Alert".

That should put concerns about the possible demise of the station to rest at least until the next round of budget-cutting in Ottawa.

CSE Commissioner died 17 July

CSE Commissioner Charles Gonthier died of cancer on July 17th. R.I.P. (Statement by Defence Minister Peter MacKay here.) No word yet on his replacement.

The Commissioner's annual report, completed in June, was tabled by MacKay five days later, on 22 July. Among other points, the report indicates that the dispute between the Commissioner and CSE/Justice Department over interpretation of the law pertaining to the legality of some of CSE's activities still hasn't been resolved. How many Commissioners will it take?

(HT to an anonymous reader for informing me of Gonthier's death.)

June CSE staff size

1666.

(If you click through on the link and get a different figure, it's probably because the Canada Public Service Agency has updated its website; they update the numbers once a month.)