Canada Wants Year-Round Military Presence in the Arctic
The Canadian government says it will spend billions of dollars on defense over the next several years, including in Canada's North.
The new defense policy, Our North, Strong and Free, was announced on Monday and heavily focused on Canada's North and Arctic sovereignty.
The policy of $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years includes 218 million dollars to be spent over 20 years on what is referred to as "northern operational support hubs."
"These hubs will allow the [Canadian Armed Forces] to establish a year-round presence in the Arctic and increase the military's ability to respond on short notice to all kinds of threats," says Federal Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal.