Northwest Passage open again

So say the BBC - "open to ordinary shipping".  That's only twice in recorded history, 2007 and 2008 (Scientific American).  Time for the next stage in that particular dance: Canada has a moneyspinner if it can convince the world that the Passage is theirs; generally it's considered international waters but Canada's PM is having a go at establishing control over vessels.  This is just the beginning of the politics of the ice-free North: just wait until they launch the first oil rig.

The Passage has been navigated before, by a variety of vessels - notably the icebreaker supertanker Manhattan and shallow-draught boats.  When Amundsen did it, it was in a shallow-draft, ice-armoured motor sloop (Gjøa) and he was a Nordic ninja.  None of these are "ordinary shipping".  This is new.