The Canadian Arctic (via Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs)
The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs is making an “urgent call to action” to address Arctic security in a “changing geopolitical and environmental landscape.”
The committee has released its “Arctic Security Under Threat” report after hearing about a range of “significant threats” including climate change, security challenges from increased international shipping through the Northwest Passage, global interest in the region’s natural resources, the presence of foreign submarines in Arctic waters, and the buildup of Russia’s Arctic military bases.
Canadian Arctic Patrol Ship the Robert Hampton Gray Trident in St. John’s Harbour, February, 2026 (VOCM News)
Saying Canada “must not let this moment pass by,” the committee says climate change is also having a dramatic impact on Arctic peoples through receding shorelines, and melting permafrost affecting community infrastructure, housing, roads and runways.
The Senate committee report says Canada is taking some action designed to enhance security and defence, but more must be done. The Senate Committee says its recent trip to the Arctic underscores the risks facing the region, and the urgency needed to address security and defence capabilities in addition to social and economic infrastructure.
The Senate Committee is recommending that Ottawa work with the governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway Sweden and the U.S. to identify ways to strengthen cooperation on Arctic security and defence, and outline Canada’s approach to deterring adversaries in the Arctic.