Defence Minister Highlights Arctic Defence Gaps; Ottawa Acquires Strategic Inuvik Hangar
Ottawa has purchased a strategic airport hangar facility in the Northwest Territories amid growing geopolitical competition in the Arctic. Defence Minister Bill Blair has warned of Canada’s insufficient presence in the area in light of increasing interest from China and Russia.
In January, the government paid $8.6 million to acquire a leasehold interest and related equipment for the hangar located at Inuvik Airport, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) confirmed in a July 9 email statement.
The move comes as Canada and its allies increasingly focus on Arctic security amid growing strategic interest from Russia and China in the region.
The minister highlighted Canada’s defence gap in the northern frontier, citing security concerns like the extensive maritime border the country shares with Russia.
“Canada has the largest maritime border with Russia, of any country in the world, and frankly, we’re not persistently present there,” he said.
Mr. Blair also raised concerns about other Chinese activities, including its deployment of dual-use ships for intelligence gathering in the Arctic Ocean and efforts to invest in Canada’s critical infrastructure.
“The incursions that we’re seeing, the effort of China, which now calls itself a near-Arctic nation… it is a concern to us. And frankly, I believe that we have a responsibility not just to assert our sovereignty but to be prepared to defend it,” Mr. Blair said.
“I’m not trying to start a fight, I’m trying to prevent one,” he added.
Strategic Role of Inuvik
The acquisition of the 21,000-square-foot hangar at Inuvik’s Mike Zubko Airport aligns with Canada’s efforts to enhance strategic defence capabilities in the Arctic region.
Noé Chartier contributed to this report.