FAAE meeting 5 · 2025-10-07 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development met to study Canada’s Arctic foreign policy and related efforts to secure Arctic sovereignty. Appearing as witnesses were Robert Sinclair, Director General of Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs at Global Affairs Canada; Eric Laporte, Executive Director of Regional Security and Defence Relations at Global Affairs Canada; and Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière, Commander of Joint Task Force (North) of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Robert Sinclair outlined Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy, launched in December 2024, which rests on four pillars: asserting sovereignty, pragmatic diplomacy with allies like the U.S. and Nordic states, leadership in Arctic governance, and a more inclusive approach engaging indigenous and northern partners. He highlighted the appointment of an Arctic ambassador based in Iqaluit, new consulates in Nuuk and Anchorage, and increased funding for the Arctic Council. Sinclair emphasized that there will be no return to business as usual with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, and that Canada’s claim to the Northwest Passage as internal waters is based on historical title and shared sovereignty with Inuit. He recommended the committee engage directly with Arctic and northern partners and consider perspectives from Greenland and other Arctic states.

Eric Laporte discussed the growing military cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, including joint air and maritime patrols near North American defence zones, and the risk of sanctions evasion through Chinese investments in Russian LNG extraction. He noted that Canada has gamed out scenarios for a potential U.S. warship transit through the Northwest Passage without permission but declined to detail the government’s response. Laporte highlighted the importance of the ICE pact with the U.S. for icebreaker construction, the ongoing NORAD modernization, and the creation of a Defence Investment Agency to speed up procurement. He recommended speaking with Arctic allies and noted that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO has shifted attention northward, creating opportunities for deeper collaboration on Arctic security.

Brigadier-General Daniel Rivière described the immense challenge of sensing and being present across 40% of Canada’s landmass with limited forces, stressing that the Arctic is not a single operational environment. He identified sustainment, mobility and logistics as the top priorities, and called for implementation of the northern operational support hub program and investment in runways and dual-use infrastructure. Rivière noted that the Canadian Rangers are a key asset and that indigenous knowledge is incorporated into all operations, including Operation Nanook, which is expanding to near year-round activity. He encouraged small-scale experimentation with observation platforms in the north and leveraging indigenous knowledge to accelerate capability development.

The committee adopted three study budgets without debate.

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Witnesses · 3

Robert Sinclair

Director General, Arctic, Eurasian and European Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Opening remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the invitation to appear with my colleagues, Eric Laporte and General Rivière. We are very pleased to brief you today on this very pertinent and topical issue. In December 2024, after months of meaningful and distinctions-based engagement with indigenous partners and territorial and provincial governments, Canada launched the Arctic foreign policy in response to the evolving geopolitical context in the Arctic. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shook the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic and around the world. Canada has been clear there will be no business as usual with Russia, at the Arctic Council or elsewhere. From a security perspective, the harsh Arctic environment and sea ice no longer offer the same level of natural protection they once did. As international maritime activity increases, more countries are turning their eyes to the Arctic as a region of opportunity to pursue their economic and geopolitical interests. There is a narrative among some non-Arctic states that because, as they say, what happens in the Arctic affects them, they should have a greater role in Arctic governance. Canada's position is…

Full testimony ↗

Eric Laporte

Executive Director, Regional Security and Defence Relations Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

Opening remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the question. If I could highlight, on the F-35s, the government has an ongoing review of that. That said, there are 16 aircraft, I think, that are on contract, four of them to be received as of next year. That is proceeding on course. In terms of our engagement with NATO allies, I would point out that over the course of the past couple of weeks we've had a number of CF-18s deployed to Europe that are in operation and in training with European allies. At the moment, I don't see that as a limiting factor. I'll stop there. I don't know if the general has any other elements to add.