Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai is in Ottawa this week to press the federal government for more defence spending.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
Yukon’s Premier says he is concerned about increased naval exercises by foreign actors close to his territory in the North.
Ranj Pillai, who is in Ottawa this week to press the federal government for more defence spending, described in an interview the growing presence of China and Russia in the region.
“As we see more ice-free routes from a seasonal perspective, I think you’ll see more countries try to navigate the North, and you will also see foreign actors trying to invest in more passive activities like research or in the private sector,” he said Monday.
Mr. Pillai, the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party, has been Premier of the territory, home to about 46,000 people, since January, 2023.
He and Defence Minister Bill Blair on Monday signed a commitment to establish a naval reserve presence in the North, amounting to a bridge between the military and local communities. There are over 4,000 members at 24 Naval Reserve Divisions located in cities across the country.
“The establishment of a Naval Reserve presence in Whitehorse is another step forward to better asserting our sovereignty and strength in the North,” Mr. Blair said in a statement.
“By increasing our presence and capabilities in the region, we are prioritizing our ability to respond decisively at home and abroad.”
But Mr. Pillai was also talking about more expansive measures, such as submarines. He said he needs more technical expertise to inform his views, but that it’s important for Canada to have the evolving technology by partnering with other friendly countries to share it.
“It seems now there’s a lot of thought being put into how to deploy that technology and how we can use it best,” he said.
Ottawa, in announcing its new defence policy update in July, committed to looking at options for renewing and expanding the country’s fleet beyond the current existing one of four Victoria-class submarines.
“Canada needs a new fleet of submarines to protect our sovereignty from emerging security threats,” says a statement on the plan issued earlier this year.
And amid concerns about the United States pressing Canada to meet a commitment to NATO to spend 2 per cent of its GDP on defence, Mr. Pillai suggested that infrastructure could be included in the equation.
“We believe the spend toward the NATO 2 per cent can be done in different ways, and one of them can be much-needed infrastructure for the North,” he said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will meet the 2 per cent of GDP defence commitment by 2032. Mr. Pillai said he is hoping to meet with Mr. Trudeau while he is in Ottawa through Thursday, where he plans to pitch the infrastructure idea to him.
The territory and the federal government have launched a feasibility study on a Yukon-based Canadian Institute for Arctic Security to address security broadly, and liaise with the territories, Canada and the global Arctic.
Earlier this year, the federal government released a defence policy update that includes a commitment to spending $8.1-billion over the next five years, and $73-billion over the next 20 years.
The report says emerging and existing threats in the Arctic include advanced submarines, hypersonic and cruise missiles and surveillance activities.
In response, the federal government will seek to enhance Canada’s ability to respond to emergencies and disasters, and establish greater presence, reach, mobility and responsiveness across Canada, including the Arctic.
Meanwhile, Yukon has established an Arctic security council to examine defence and security challenges in the North. And, in February, it signed an agreement with neighbouring U.S. state Alaska that includes a commitment to work together on matters of joint concern and mutual interest.
In April, the Canadian territory and the U.S state announced an Alaska-funded plan to upgrade the north Alaska highway, a primary land link between southeast Alaska and the rest of the United States, through 2027.
Mr. Pillai believes Canadians in the south need to be mindful of issues involving Northern defence.
“For Canadians, whether you’re in Toronto or Vancouver or Ottawa or Halifax, you need to support your Northern territories and you need to be concerned about what’s happening there, even if it’s not something that you can see from your living room,” he said.
.