Canada names YK, Inuvik, Iqaluit as new northern military hubs

Editor’s note: The headline of this article was amended on March 11, 2025 after the Department of National Defence confirmed an apparent ten-fold increase in funding – asserted by the defence minister in an interview and press conference at the time – was in actuality no such thing. Read this report for more information. The remainder of this article, below, is as originally published.

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Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit have been confirmed as the first northern operational support hubs alongside an apparent huge jump in funding.

The hubs are a major feature of Canada’s latest defence policy, designed to “increase the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence and responsiveness across the Arctic and the North” while investing in infrastructure local communities can also use.

They have been characterized as one rung below a full military base.

The selection of Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit was made public in the NWT legislature last week.

On Thursday, defence minister Bill Blair said the funding initially dedicated to the hubs – $218 million over 20 years – will now be more than 10 times greater, at an expected $2.67 billion over the same time frame. He termed that a “substantially increased investment.”

Blair said Canada also expects to build more than the originally announced total of five hubs. Only the first three locations have been confirmed.

The concept of the hubs was announced less than a year ago. Asked what had changed since then to warrant such a surge in funding, Blair said the “tepid support for additional defence spending” a year ago had given way to a new era.

“Canadians are now insisting that we make investments. But they want us to not just spend their money, they want us to invest their money. They want to invest their money in things that make a difference for all Canadians, and they are particularly keen to invest in Canada’s North because they see it as an opportunity for nation-building,” he told Cabin Radio.

One of the largest geopolitical shifts of the past year has been a new occupant of the White House.

More: In a divisive world, an Arctic operation highlights collaboration

Asked if the actions of President Donald Trump had a bearing on Canada’s massive shift in northern investment, Blair said: “Many things have changed, and certainly some of the activities of our American partners are have been concerning.

“But I also want to remind everybody we have worked in partnership with the United States military for generations and through Norad, and that remains a really important partnership to us.

“We’ve also got a responsibility to all our international partners right across the North, and that includes Norway and Sweden, Finland and Denmark, but also the United States. We’ve got a responsibility to do our part, to strengthen our defence and our resiliency so that we can be a good partner to everyone else.”

Critically, the increase in spending will also move Canada closer to the Nato target of investing at least two percent of its GDP in defence.

The extraordinary shift in US relations over recent weeks was on the minds of other dignitaries at Thursday’s announcement in Iqaluit.

Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok said: “Today, considering the jabs about Canada as a 51st state, it is even more urgent for our country to reinforce our presence in the Arctic.”

Akeeagok said Nunavut hoped the coming investment would also help to expand search-and-rescue capacity in the territory, rather than relying on help from the south that “makes no sense” given the time it can take to arrive.

‘We’re going to do it in partnership’

The precise sums of money being invested into each of the three communities announced on Thursday are not yet known, and nor is the exact infrastructure they can expect. All three already have a military presence, with Yellowknife being the headquarters of Joint Task Force North.

In the NWT legislature last week, Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Denny Rodgers welcomed the funding as “great news” for the town.

Canada has said it will aim to create plenty of “dual use” infrastructure, a military term for buildings, roads and other things that can serve the Canadian Armed Forces but also help local communities. All-season roads and water treatment plants are examples.

Blair said the Department of National Defence will “now engage in a more specific conversation with the people of those communities,” each of which already has a significant military presence.

In Yellowknife, for example, a new facility for the Canadian Rangers is already under construction. Inuvik’s runways are being comprehensively upgraded through an existing nine-figure DND investment.

Blair said decisions about how to extend the military presence in each community would be made in consultation with territorial, local and Indigenous governments.

“When I’ve come to the North and I’ve talked about maintaining our defence and sovereignty in the North, the northern people told me that really, what is required is an investment in infrastructure. And I agree,” the minister said.

“That’s why we’ve got the funds and we’re building a plan we will execute with the people of the North to build capacity so the Canadian Armed Forces will be able to operate here more effectively.”

Blair listed the likes of systems to handle missile defence, new landing fields for fighter jets “and even deepwater ports” as investment that lies ahead, but also the likes of power plants, housing and fibre-optic communications.

“The opportunities are expanding quite significantly and the case I’m trying to make to Canadians is that the right investment for our defence is going to be in the North,” said Blair.

“When we do that, we’re not just going to arrive and make an announcement without consultation with them.

“We know the potential, we also know the requirements that are needed here, but we’re going to do that in partnership with the people of the North.”

Blair noted that with Parliament currently prorogued and a federal election coming up, some uncertainty exists over the long-term direction and size of national defence spending.

That said, both major parties have appeared committed to major northern investment in the years ahead. The Conservatives have said they, if elected, would support planned military upgrades for Yellowknife and Inuvik and build a new military base in Iqaluit.

Without setting a timeline for money to flow into the communities chosen as support hubs, Blair said: “The work has already begun, I think we’re ready to move forward very quickly on some investments.”

NWT welcomes announcement

In a written statement released after Thursday’s announcement, NWT Premier RJ Simpson said the new hubs would be “important steps toward ensuring the North remains secure, resilient, and prepared for future challenges.”

“For generations, Indigenous peoples and other Northerners have been the frontline stewards of Canada’s Arctic. Sovereignty is not just a concept – it is something we assert every day by living and working here, building strong and sustainable communities, and driving economic stability through resource development, which operates year-round and is vital to the northern economy,” Simpson stated.

“Looking ahead, ensuring long-term Arctic security and economic stability will require sustained investment in the North.

“We look forward to working with Canada to build on these commitments – investing in critical infrastructure, energy security, resource development, and access to global markets to strengthen our sovereignty and enhance the quality of life for northerners.”

The Sahtu Secretariat, a body representing Sahtu Dene and Métis, also issued a statement in support of Thursday’s announcement.

The secretariat has said it hopes military funding could be used to pay for at least some of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, a proposed all-season road through the region that would vastly improve supply lines to Sahtu communities.