The past two weeks have been filled with major announcements for Canada’s future.
The first was a decision by NATO to combine Saab’s Erieye extended-range radar and advanced sensor technologies with the Global Express 6500 as a surveillance aircraft, 10 of which are to replace its current Boeing E3 AWACS planes.
The Global Express was preferred because of its long-range capabilities. Both Boeing and L3 Harris competed for the contract.
The next major announcement took place as the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a second major pipeline to the West Coast. This second pipeline is proposed to carry 1 million barrels of oil per day to the Roberts Bank terminal in Delta, B.C. The move will create an opportunity to divert oil from the U.S., where it is discounted to foreign buyers in the Pacific at full-value prices.
The third announcement came as Carney announced that Canada will purchase 12 diesel submarines from NATO partners Norway and Germany, in partnership with TKMS. The cost of the submarines will range between $20 and $30 billion and will grow to $100 billion over the lifetime of the contract. This was a major announcement of Canada’s commitment to NATO, coming just before the summit in Turkey. The submarines will patrol much of Canada’s north just as similar subs protect Norway’s north.
And the fourth announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford and Smith, introducing a pipeline across three provinces that will create an all-Canadian route bringing oil and natural gas from Alberta to Sarnia, bypassing the United States.
It will make for a more secure route, and at the same time, it is important that Churchill should receive consideration to market oil and natural gas to Europe. Once again, it would be worthwhile to extend the pipeline from Sarnia into Quebec to provide a third port to ship our western oil overseas.
While all of this is taking place, Canada is still reconsidering the purchase of F35 fighters or the Saab Gripen fighter.
Canada is choosing to build greater military alliances with NATO allies. Carney’s announcement earlier this year that the world is changing and Canada and other middle powers need to create new alliances with each other and other trading nations is coming true. Historically, Canada has spent 70 per cent of its military capital budget with U.S. military suppliers.
Our government is seeking to reduce its reliance on the U.S., and May exports show that a greater percentage than ever was being diverted from the U.S. New markets are being developed, and Canada is taking advantage of our resources and talent to grow these markets and build new alliances.
