Peter Kikkert
Peter Kikkert is an Associate Professor in the Public Policy and Governance program and a research fellow with the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government. Dr. Kikkert has written extensively on historic and contemporary safety, security, and sovereignty issues in the polar regions. His current research program focuses on how to strengthen search and rescue, disaster and emergency management capabilities, and community disaster resilience in rural, remote, and Northern communities. He is the co-creator of the Nunavut and Nunavik Search and Rescue Roundtables and the Arctic SAR Exchange.
Dr. Kikkert has presented his research to Senate and House of Commons committees and often works closely with local, territorial, and federal government organizations, including the Canadian Coast Guard Arctic Region, the Canadian Armed Forces, Nunavut Emergency Management, and Kativik Civil Security. He has had the privilege to live and teach in the North, sail the Northwest Passage, participate in training patrols with the Canadian Rangers, and travel on the land, ice, and waters of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska with community responders and Elders. He has also had the opportunity to learn from veteran first responders in Nova Scotia while serving as Team Leader and Training Officer for the Strait Area Ground Search and Rescue team, where he is able to put his research into practice as a first responder.
Select Peer-Reviewed
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer, “The Canadian Coast Guard Arctic Region: Transforming Arctic Search and Rescue,” Canadian Naval Review Vol. 21, No. 2 (2025).
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer, “Leaning Forward: Joint Task Force North, Civil-Military Relations, and Domestic Disaster Response in the North,” Canadian Journal of Emergency Management (2025): https://doi.org/10.25071/35d8gj73.
Belton, Ian, John Quigley, Archie Rudman, Peter Kikkert, Susan Howick, and Lesley Walls. 2025. “Risk Modelling for Remote Communities: An Inuit-Driven Bayesian Network Approach to Enhance Search and Rescue Operations in Arctic Canada.” Proceedings of the International ISCRAM Conference, May 2025. https://doi.org/10.59297/bz4zhp86.
Peters, Joshua, John Quigley, Archie Rudman, Ian Belton, Susan Howick, Peter Kikkert, and Lesley Walls. “Designing a Bayesian Urgency Assessment Tool for Search and Rescue in the Canadian Arctic.” Proceedings of the International ISCRAM Conference, May 2025. https://doi.org/10.59297/zgw11c50.
Greaves, Wilfrid and Peter Kikkert. “Climate-Disasters and Human Insecurity: British Columbia 2021.” In Evolving Human Security: Frameworks and Considerations for Canada’s Military, eds. Shannon Lewis-Simpson and Sarah Jane Meharg. Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy, 2023. 140-142.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “‘That Others May Live’: Search and Rescue.” In Evolving Human Security Frameworks and Considerations for Canada’s Military, eds. Shannon Lewis-Simpson and Sarah Jane Meharg. Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy Press, 2023. 143-147.
Lackenbauer, P. Whitney and Peter Kikkert. “Broadening Human Security: The Canadian Rangers and Community Disaster Resilience.” In Evolving Human Security Frameworks and Considerations for Canada’s Military, eds. Shannon Lewis-Simpson and Sarah Jane Meharg. Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy Press, 2023. 148-151.
Kikkert, Peter, Calvin Pedersen, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Mitigating the Tyranny of Time and Distance: Community-Based Organizations and Marine Mass Rescue Operations in Inuit Nunangat.” In Arctic Shipping at a Time of Change: Governance Challenges and Approaches in the Canadian North, edited by Kristin Bartenstein and Aldo Chircop. Leiden: Brill, 2023. 182-210. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004508576_010.
Lackenbauer, P. Whitney and Peter Kikkert. “A ‘Profound Change of Direction’? Co-Developing Canada’s ‘New’ Arctic and Northern Policy Framework.” In Arctic Fever: Political, Economic & Environmental Aspects of New Regional Agendas, ed. Anastasia Likhacheva. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. 241-276.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Civil-Military Operational Support to the ‘Heart of Canada’s North’: Looking to Alaska and the Australian North for Options?” Canadian Military Journal 21, no.4 (Autumn 2021): 26-39.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “‘A Great Investment in Our Communities’: Strengthening Nunavut’s Whole of Society Search and Rescue Capabilities.” Arctic 74, no. 3 (September 2021): 258-275. https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic73099.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Search and Rescue, Climate Change, and the Expansion of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Inuit Nunangat / the Canadian Arctic.” Canadian Journal of Emergency Management 1, no. 2 (July 2021): 26-62.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “The Canadian Rangers: Strengthening Community Disaster Resilience in Canada’s Remote and Isolated Communities.” The Northern Review 51 (2021): 1-33. https://doi.org/10.22584/nr51.2021.003.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “The Militarization of the Arctic to 1990.” In The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics. Ed. Ken Coates and Carin Holroyd. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. 487-505. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20557-7_30.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Bolstering Community-Based Marine Capabilities in the Canadian Arctic.” Canadian Naval Review, Vol. 15, No. 2 (2019): 11-16.
Kikkert, Peter. “Finding Ihuma: Inuit Leadership Norms and the Canadian Rangers.” In Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Operations, 1941-2015: Historical and Contemporary Lessons Learned. Eds., Adam Lajeunesse and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Fredericton: The Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Peace, 2017. 370-386.
Select Professional Publications: Articles, Reports, and Policy Briefs
Kikkert, Peter. Nunavik Search and Rescue Roundtable 2025: Finding the Trail Forward. Nunaviksar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 26 pp.
Kikkert, Peter. Arctic Search and Rescue Exchange 2025: Operating at the Speed of Trust. 2025. Nunavutsar.ca / Nunaviksar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 37 pp.
Calvo, Arturo, Hannah Geiser, Peter Kikkert, P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Yukon First Nations Defence and Security: Prioritizing Sovereignty, Preparedness, and Partnership. Prepared for The Assembly of First Nations – Yukon Region, August 2025. https://www.naadsn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-YFN-Defence-Secur…. 70 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and Ian Belton. Nunavut Search and Rescue Roundtable 2024: SAR Coordination and Planning. Nunavutsar.ca / Nunaviksar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 37 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and Liam Smith. Nunavik Search and Rescue Roundtable 2024: Standard Operating Guidelines. Nunaviksar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 37 pp.
Kikkert, Peter, Calvin Pedersen, P. Whitney Lackenbauer, Ian Belton, John Quigley, and Ronald Pelot. The State of Search and Rescue in Nunavut. A Report Prepared for Nunavut Emergency Management and the Nunavut Search and Rescue Roundtable. December 2024. 113 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and Ian Belton. Arctic Search and Rescue Exchange 2023: Working Better Together. Nunavutsar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. September 2024. 48 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. The State of Search and Rescue in Nunavik. A Report for the Kativik Civil Security Department. A Report Prepared for the Kativik Civil Security Department and the Nunavik Search and Rescue Roundtable. June 2023. 62 pp.
Lackenbauer, P. Whitney and Peter Kikkert. Canadian Inuit and North American Defence Modernization: Background Considerations. North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. June 2023. 96 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Strengthening the Foundation: Proposal for a Hudson Bay Consortium Working Group on Search and Rescue. Hudson Bay Consortium, May 2023. 38 pp.
Kikkert, Peter, Calvin Pedersen, Ian Belton, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Nunavut Search and Rescue Roundtable 2022: Regional Roundtables Summary Report. 2023. Nunavutsar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 101 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Nunavik Search and Rescue Roundtable 2022: Summary Report. 2023. Nunaviksar.ca / North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 50 pp.
Pedersen, Calvin Aivgak, Peter Kikkert, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Inuit Nunangat needs a community public safety officer program.” Policy Options. 27 June 2022.
Kikkert, Peter. “Creating a Non-Military Disaster Workforce Must be Part of Canada’s Climate Change Response.” North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network Policy Brief. 8 December 2021.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “The Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Rangers’ Maritime Role: An Unclear Proposal.” North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network Quick Impact. 13 October 2021.
Kikkert, Peter. “How creating an Armed Forces Indigenous community assistance program would pay off.” Policy Options. 31 March 2021.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Enhancing the Canadian Ranger Role in Disaster/Emergency Management (DEM).” North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network Policy Brief. 24 February 2021.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Strengthening Search and Rescue in Nunavut: Approaches and Options.” North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network Policy Primer. January 2021. 8 pp.
Lackenbauer, P. Whitney and Peter Kikkert. Measuring the Success of the Canadian Rangers. Report prepared for 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and the Canadian Rangers National Authority. Published by the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN). October 2020. 169 pp.
Kikkert, Peter, Angulalik Pedersen, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Kitikmeot Roundtable on Search and Rescue: Summary Report / Qitiqmiuni Katimatjutauyuq Qiniqhiayinit Annaktinillu – Naunaitkutat. Report from a workshop hosted at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, 31 January – 1 February 2020. Available at Kitikmeot Search and Rescue (Kitikmeotsar.ca). 17 pp.
Kikkert, Peter, Angulalik Pedersen, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Kitikmeot Roundtable on SAR: General Report and Findings. Report from a workshop hosted at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, 31 January – 1 February 2020. Available at Kitikmeot Search and Rescue (Kitikmeotsar.ca). 68 pp.
Kikkert, Peter, Angulalik Pedersen, and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. Kitikmeot Roundtable on SAR: Mass Rescue Tabletop Exercise Report. Report from a workshop hosted at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, 31 January – 1 February 2020. Available at Kitikmeot Search and Rescue (Kitikmeotsar.ca). 52 pp.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “Canada’s Arctic & Northern Policy Framework: A roadmap for the future?” In Redefining Arctic Security: Arctic Yearbook 2019. Eds. Heininen, L., H. Exner-Pirot and J. Barnes. Akureyri, Iceland: Arctic Portal, 2019. Available from https://arcticyearbook.com/.
Kikkert, Peter and P. Whitney Lackenbauer. “A Better Road Map Needed for Arctic and Northern Policy Framework.” Policy Options, 17 September 2019, https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/september-2019/a-better-road-m…
