Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a major initiative Tuesday that involves mapping out the geological resources in Canada's Arctic.
Harper said state-of-the-art geological science and technology will be used to map the energy and mineral potential of the North.
"Researchers on the ground and aboard aircraft fitted with specialized sensors will gather data on the geological characteristics of all of our northern territories," he said during a press conference in Ottawa.
"This information will be used to create geological models of the Arctic... that will help future resource producers find the treasures buried there."
Harper said it is estimated that a quarter of the world's oil and gas lies beneath the Arctic.
"Managed properly, Canada's share of this incredible endowment will fuel the prosperity of our country for generations," he said.
He said geo-mapping will help pave the way for the resource development of the future.
"It will also help us anticipate the infrastructure needs of the North to ensure that the communities that grow alongside industry are healthy and stable," said Harper. "And it will help us plan policies that do a better job of balancing economic development and environmental protection."
The initiative involves a $100 million commitment from the Federal government over five years.
Later Tuesday, Harper leaves for a three-day visit to the North. His trip will take him from the heart of the Arctic's energy industry to Tuktoyaktuk on the Mackenzie Delta to the historic gold rush town of Dawson in the Yukon.
His trip comes as observers say the Tories will likely trumpet their record on Arctic sovereignty in the next federal election campaign -- which observers say could come as early as next month.
On Monday, the Canadian military kicked off a series of training exercises in the Arctic to prepare for situations that may arise as a result of increased traffic in the region.
Meanwhile, the federal New Democrats are criticizing the Tories for not focusing enough on the needs of the people who live in the North.
"The focus on military measures is distracting the government from the crucial initiatives that are needed elsewhere," Michael Byers, an academic and Arctic expert who was recently nominated as an NDP candidate from Vancouver, told The Canadian Press.
With files from The Canadian Press
