The Canadian government plans to extend its seabed claims in the Arctic to include the North Pole.
Foreign minister John Baird said the government has asked scientists and officials to determine how far the country's continental shelf extends under the Pole.
The BBC reports the results of the survey will be submitted to the UN for consideration.
Several countries, including Russia and the United States, are increasingly looking for new shipping lanes and other ways to exploit the Arctic's natural resources. Nearly a quarter of the world's undiscovered oil and gas deposits are located there.
