A major figure from the federal government is currently visiting the NWT on official business.
Bill Blair, the Minister of National Defense, is currently in Inuvik on a three-day visit to showcase Canada’s arctic-focussed defence policy update, known as “Our North, Strong and Free.” Blair is meeting with municipal, territorial, and Indigenous leaders, and is being accompanied by the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs.
In his meetings and conversations, Blair has been discussing how Inuvik is becoming an increasingly more strategic location for the defense of Canada’s Western Arctic. He says that the federal government is committing to the continued defence investments towards the town. Training exercises were completed earlier in the month by the Canadian NORAD Region CF-18 Hornet detachment to help demonstrate their readiness against any potential threats.
Blair has already been to the Green Hangar at the Inuvik Airport, which had been acquired by the federal government at a cost of $8.6 million dollars. Minister Blair reiterated that following an appraisal and analysis of the hangar’s strategic value, the Government of Canada found a clear interest in acquiring the facility, which is in close proximity to NORAD Forward Operating Location.
Through the Our North, Strong and Free policy, Minister Blair announced a series of investments from the federal government for Arctic security:
- $218 million over 20 years for Northern Operational Support Hubs to support a greater year-round presence across the Arctic and the North, and invest in multi-use infrastructure that also meets the needs of territories, Indigenous Peoples, and Northern communities where feasible.
- $18.4 billion over 20 years to acquire a more modern, mobile, and effective tactical helicopter capability that will provide the CAF with the speed and airlift capacity to assert Canada’s sovereignty and respond to natural disasters and emergencies throughout the country.
- $307 million over 20 years for airborne early warning aircraft that will vastly improve Canada’s ability to detect, track, and prioritize airborne threats sooner, ensuring a faster, better coordinated response with the United States when required.
- $1.4 billion over 20 years to acquire specialized maritime sensors to conduct ocean surveillance. They will be used to monitor Canada’s maritime approaches, including in the Arctic and North, and will be a critical component of the CAFs’ ability to defend Canada from a growing range and sophistication of underwater threats, including vessel-launched missiles, underwater systems, ships, and submarines, on all three coasts.
- $222 million over 20 years to build a new satellite ground station in the Arctic. This ground station will improve our ability to detect, deter and respond to malign activities and to communicate those threats quickly with our most trusted partners.
In a statement, Minister Blair said that “The security challenges facing our Arctic and our North are changing. As our Arctic becomes more accessible due to climate change, authoritarian states are rapidly building up their military capabilities, and are becoming more present in the North. With Our North, Strong and Free, Canada is investing in Arctic sovereignty to protect our North and the people who live there. Inuvik is an increasingly vital hub for defence activities, and our significant investments in Inuvik will help to keep Canada safe all while creating economic opportunities.”
This is Minister Blair’s third trip to the North since the release of Our North, Strong and Free. Minister Blair previously visited Yellowknife from April 23-25, 2024, and broke ground on a new defence facility in Yellowknife.
