Carney says military will spend $420M to expand northern presence

Canada says it will spend $420 million on activities and personnel that expand its existing military footprint in the North and the Arctic.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the money would bring a “greater, sustained year-round presence in the Arctic.”

Whether the funding is new or already accounted for in last year’s major defence spending update was not immediately clear. The last federal military funding announcement in Iqaluit involved minister Bill Blair promising a “substantially increased investment,” a pledge the Department of National Defence then entirely walked back.

Carney discussed the funding while visiting Iqaluit, his first domestic trip since becoming Canada’s leader last week.

In a document associated with Tuesday’s press conference, his office said the $420 million would be spent on expansion of northern operations “including more CAF personnel and the potential for increased inclusion of forces from allied nations with an Arctic interest.”

“New activities aim to support a near year-round military presence through exercises and training to assert Canada’s presence and sovereignty as well as refine information-sharing processes,” the document continued.

“Enabling increased northern and Arctic operations will allow the CAF to better detect, deter and defend against threats to Canada and North America.”

The time period over which that $420 million will be delivered was not specified.

Blair’s announcement of $2.67 billion for northern operational support hubs – one Carney referred back to on Tuesday – was criticized when it became apparent that only $18 million will be shared among all of the newly chosen hubs over the next five years.

Carney went on to use his Iqaluit appearance to announce more than $250 million for Nunavut infrastructure. He also said Canada will work alongside Australia to deliver an advanced early warning radar system – to be deployed by Canada in the Arctic – that was first announced in 2022.

‘Canada must do more’

Northern premiers have welcomed Carney’s decision to make Nunavut his first domestic visit, though NWT Premier RJ Simpson said that had to be backed up with investments.

“As global interest in the Arctic grows, Canada must do more than assert its presence,” Simpson said in a Monday statement after Carney’s office said the trip would “reassert sovereignty” in the North. “We must make long-term investments that build resilient northern communities, support economic development, and reinforce our strategic position in the region.”

Last week, Simpson told the legislature he was working to convince Ottawa to bring forward some of its support hub spending to top up the $18-million commitment between now and 2029.

On Monday, Simpson said “true sovereignty requires more than boots on the ground” and called for increased spending on infrastructure, housing, energy security and industry.

“The North cannot simply be a region Canada defends,” he added. “It must be a region Canada builds.”

Iqaluit has been the focus of Canada’s northern military horizons for some months.

Aside from hosting both Blair and Carney in recent weeks, the Nunavut capital is also the proposed site of a new military base the Conservatives have said they will build if voted into office this year.

The Conservatives are also proposing to double the size of the Canadian Rangers among other initiatives.