Carney announces plans to boost Canada’s military footprint in the Arctic

Carney announces plans to boost Canada’s military presence in the Arctic

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday that the federal government plans to expand the presence of Canadian forces in the country’s far north and use Australian long-range radar technology to monitor threats from countries such as China and Russia.

Carney also pledged $253 million in new funding for reconciliation initiatives with indigenous peoples in the North.

Of that, $94 million will go to power plant upgrades in Nunavut and $20 million for a hydroelectric project to help northerners gradually transition away from diesel.

He made the remarks during a brief stop in Iqaluit on his way back from his first official trip abroad, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Carney is expected to call a snap election in the coming days or weeks.

The Liberal Party has seen its popularity soar in recent months, particularly amid repeated threats from U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada’s economy and sovereignty, as well as Justin Trudeau’s abrupt exit from federal politics.

Carney won the Liberal leadership in a landslide victory just days ago and was sworn in as prime minister on Friday.

Carney spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday morning about a new partnership to build a long-range radar system.

Senior government officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the system is advanced, will be ready sooner than other options (likely by 2029) and will likely be welcomed by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

They added that the planned radar base in southern Ontario would take up less space than other options, consisting of just a few observation posts spaced about 1.3 kilometers apart.

The Trudeau government announced the $6.9 billion long-range radar project two years ago. The system is intended to monitor airspace from the U.S. border to the Arctic and detect incoming missiles.

The Canadian Armed Forces currently have a permanent presence in the Alert region of Nunavut. The Carney government has announced that it will allocate $420 million to build three or four similar bases in the region, although their exact locations have not yet been determined.

The government has also allocated $94 million to upgrade power plants in the towns of Cambridge Bay, Jawa-Hwan, Igloobek and Iqaluit.

The Nunavut Nokixautit Hydroelectric Project will also receive $20 million for the engineering phase. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2029.

Finally, Carney announced $74 million in housing development, $66 million of which will go towards building and renovating homes across the North.