STATE CLAIMS IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMITY WITH ARTICLE 4 (LOSC ARTICLE 7), Canada case

The Canadian straight baseline systems established in the vicinity of
the Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands (see Figs. 5.3, 5.4) appear
valid under Article 4 (LOSC Article 7) rules. The coastlines of both
locales are quite similar to the Scandinavian coasts, with numerous
fjords and fringing islands in the immediate vicinity. The straight
baselines generally follow the directions of both coasts. In the case of
Vancouver, however, there is a severe departure from the coastline
between segments 23 and 26 and in several cases, rocks are used as
basepoints.
The straight baseline system established by Canada on the far
eastern coast of Ellesmere Island (see Fig. 5.5), directly opposite
Greenland, also appears quite conservative, perhaps due to negotiations
with Denmark. The coast generally meets the deeply indented test
and where it does not, the baseline returns to the low-water mark. In
all cases, the baselines follow the general direction of the coast.
Interestingly, the baselines established on the Arctic Ocean side of
the island, where there is no counterpoised state claim to discipline
Canada’s claim, are much more extensive (see Fig. 5.6), presaging
some of the pathologies treated below in Section 3. Although this area
of coast can for the most part be characterized as deeply indented,
some of the baseline segments appear inappropriate, making frequent
use of islets or rocks as basepoints. In general, however, few
segments in this area depart from the general direction of the coast.