In his remarks from Yellowknife, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will bolster its claim to sovereignty in the Arctic by investing heavily in northern defense and infrastructure, including new and expanded military operating sites. The prime minister framed the spending as part of what he said is an era in which Canada cannot depend on other countries for its security and prosperity.
Carney announced an additional C$32 billion (US$24 billion) for military forward operating locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit and Goose Bay. He made the announcement in Yellowknife, the capital city of Canada’s Northwest Territories, before a planned visit to Norway to observe a NATO exercise.
Carney’s government also plans to spend C$2.7 billion (US$1.9 billion) on four new remote operating hubs across the North, which he said are intended to assist with rapid deployment. Alongside the defense measures, Carney said the government is providing funds for road and port projects in the region.
One of the projects Carney highlighted is the Mackenzie Valley Highway, which he said will connect Yellowknife and Inuvik. The prime minister tied the infrastructure effort to the broader Arctic debate over trade and security, saying increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put the Arctic at the heart of the discussion.
Carney’s comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump called earlier this year for the United States to take control of Greenland, an Inuit self-governing territory of the kingdom of Denmark. Trump has also talked about making Canada the 51st state, according to the report that carried Carney’s announcement.