The federal government is significantly increasing the amount of money it’s spending to build a network of northern military hubs from $218 million to $2.67 billion.
National Defence Minister Bill Blair made the announcement in Iqaluit on Thursday, saying the first of several hubs would be established in Nunavut’s capital as well as in Yellowknife and Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.
“Climate change is causing the Arctic to warm at four times the global average,” he said. “It is creating growing access to Arctic resources and shipping lanes that, unfortunately, is enticing other adversarial nations to engage in heightened competition here in this region.”
Blair did not provide a timeline for when the three northern operational support hubs would be operational. He said the government felt a “strong sense of urgency” and that the three chosen locations are already considered “forward-operating” locations with “significant” military infrastructure the government plans to build on.
“We can see the potential of the forward-operating location infrastructure that’s currently in place,” he said from within a military aircraft hangar in Iqaluit. “But it’s not up to the mission that we’re now giving the Armed Forces to operate more effectively here.”
Hubs will consist of airstrips, logistics facilities and equipment and are intended to support military aircraft operations and also serve as storage for equipment and spare parts, according to a news release from the Department of National Defence.
Blair said the hubs will be designed to adapt and grow, with infrastructure that can be quickly activated for “swift action.”
The northern operational support hubs are a pillar of the defence strategy the federal government released last year and it initially said it would spend $218 million over 20 years to build a network of them. The $2.67 billion is expected to be spent over the same time frame. Asked why the government was investing more than 10 times more money into the network, Blair said the decision stems from conversations being had with northern people, the northern premiers and Canadians.
“They have an expectation that we’re going to invest in our country,” he said.
“I think Canadians want us to invest in our defence and our strength and resiliency to assert our sovereignty, we clearly should not be relying on anyone else to defend our nation. It’s our job and we’re going to do it.”
Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, meanwhile, said that “jabs about Canada as the 51st State” reinforce the importance of a stronger military presence in the Arctic. He said more attention is being paid to the circumpolar world and that the “geopolitical landscape is shifting rapidly”
Akeeagok also said the hub in Iqaluit would be multi-purpose – serving as a storage spot for search and rescue equipment and paving the way for more efficient rescue operations that would save lives.
In an emailed statement, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson thanked the federal government for its investment, saying the expansion of the military’s presence strengthens Canada’s “strategic presence” in the Arctic and reinforces its commitment to northern communities.
“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,” he said.
He also said that long-term security in the Arctic would require “sustained investment.”
