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Our Next MEETING
587th meeting
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Andrea Charron
CANADA AND THE ARCTIC: THE DEFENCE PERSPECTIVE
For more than three decades, Canadian governments have struggled to
define and prioritize the defence requirements of the Arctic. During the
1990s and early 2000s, policy was shaped by the belief in an
“exceptional” Arctic—one characterized by low geopolitical tension,
cooperative governance among the eight Arctic states, and limited
military risk. This perception produced a corresponding pattern of
minimal investment. Regularized Canadian Armed Forces activity,
including Operation Nanook, did not begin until 2007, and references to
the Arctic in successive defence policies were cursory until 2017.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 challenged the assumption of
Arctic stability, but Canadian attention largely narrowed to discussions
about renewing the North Warning System rather than adopting a
comprehensive approach to Arctic defence. By 2026, however, geopolitical
conditions have shifted dramatically. The broader world order is
increasingly “ruptured,” global competition has accelerated, and
Canada’s defence budgets are comparatively healthy. The Arctic is now
positioned for significant multipurpose investment but will it be
focused on size of standing forces or will it concentrate on domain
awareness and deterrence, i.e. more function than force size?
This presentation will unpack the defence projects planned for
Canada, largely via NORAD modernization and continental defence projects
but also involving more coordination with NATO.
Andrea Charron holds a PhD from the Royal Military College of
Canada (Department of War Studies). She worked for various federal
departments including the Canadian Privy Council Office in the Security
and Intelligence Secretariat before beginning her academic career. She
writes extensively on Arctic security, NATO, NORAD and Canadian defence
policy. She is coauthor of NORAD: In Perpetuity and Beyond (MQUP, 2022),
coeditor of The Legacy of 9/11: Views from North America (MQUP, 2023),
and author of several other papers on sanctions. Currently, Dr. Charron
is Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies and Professor
of International Relations at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
This meeting will be a virtual one, broadcast on Zoom. Access to
Zoom will open at 1945 hr (7.45 pm) EST on November 10 at the following
link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87144674179?pwd=HngbaUZIveEKlp0e5Mahfi2w2AUD5V.1;
Meeting ID 871 4467 4179; Passcode 338766.
Dr Charron’s talk will begin
at 2000 hr (8.00 pm) EST.
Next meetings:
Dec 8 Don MacNeil: A history of Arctic defence in Canada
Jan 12 Annual General Meeting; Student presentation
If you have not yet paid your membership dues for 2026 ($40.00 in-town, $30.00 out-of-town, $20.00 student membership), please include them in your payment.
Thomas Frisch
Secretary
613 725 2221
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