Appearance before the Standing Senate Committee National Security, Defence, and Veterans Affairs on January 30, 2023

Logistics

Date: January 30, 2023
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Room C128, Senate of Canada Building and by videoconference
Subject: Examine and report on issues relating to security and defence in the Arctic

Appearing

Context

Officials from Northern Affairs have been invited to appear on a panel on the matter of issues relating to security and defence in the Arctic. This is SECD's twelfth meeting on this topic, but the sixth following SECD's recent study tour of the North. During these meetings, questions are often direct and ask for concrete updates and timelines for procurement initiatives.

Senators are mainly interested in building on the discussion that they participated in during their trip to the Arctic. North American Aerospace Defence (NORAD) modernization is a predominant theme during the meetings, in which there is interest on how Canada is engaging with its allies and partners. Another key topic of discussion is northern infrastructure and major procurement projects such as the Inuvik Hangar facility and Nasittuq.

A range of concerns have been raised by Senators about the nature and results of Canada's consultations with northern and Indigenous communities. Witnesses have lamented on the lack of information sharing between Arctic communities and government agencies and have commented on the potential benefits of Indigenous consultation and engagement. All meetings have stressed the importance of training and building relationships with Indigenous peoples in the North, which is a priority that requires sustained attention.

Meeting Proceedings

The Chair will call the meeting to order and provide instructions for the meeting proceedings. He will then introduce the witnesses and invite the an official from each appearing department to deliver opening remarks (speaking order To be confirmed (TBC)). This will be followed by a Q&A period (details below).

It is recommended that all speakers speak slowly and at an appropriate volume to ensure they are heard by the interpreters.

A live webcast of the meeting can be viewed on SenParlVU. Note that the webcast may lag behind the live proceedings (approximately 1-minute delay).

Other Information for Appearing In-Person

• Witnesses should arrive early to allow time for security screening. Screening could take 30 minutes or more for those without a Hill pass.

To appear before the Standing Senate Committee on National Defence (SECD) Arctic Governance and Northern Perspectives

Ottawa, Ontario — January 30, 2023

Check against delivery

Kwe Kwe, Tansi, Unnusakkut, Good afternoon, Bonjour.

Mr. Chair, I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak to the work our department is doing to support the Department of National Defence on issues of security and defence in the Arctic. This is CIRNAC's second appearance before the Committee on this study.

The department is responsible for coordinating the Government of Canada's activities across the north.

The Minister of Northern Affairs has also been mandated to work with federal colleagues to implement international and defence-related aspects of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, to ensure that Indigenous Peoples and Northern communities are meaningfully consulted on its development and benefit from this work.

I would like to express to Committee members today the importance of Canada's consultations and engagement with Northern and Indigenous communities, and of relationship building with Indigenous Peoples in the North.

The co-developed Framework, released in 2019, sets out a long-term vision that incorporates northern voices, to ensure that Northerners have a say in what happens in the North, including in Arctic Indigenous communities. The Framework's international and defence goals set out our co-developed priorities for our commitment to a safe, secure, and well-defended Arctic and North.

A collaborative approach and its implications for self-determination is at the core of this work. Framework partners have made it clear that their definitions of safety, security and sovereignty go beyond traditional defence considerations- they include personal and community safety, mitigation for the effects of climate change, investments in critical infrastructure, healthcare, housing, transportation and education. What we have heard is that Canada's sovereignty is expressed through the wellbeing of Northern and Arctic communities.

Many of CIRNAC's current programs and activities are focused on elements of this broader approach, including investments related to housing, climate change and food security.

We continue to work with Framework partners to ensure that their perspectives are reflected in policy and program implementation. The 2022 Leadership Committee meeting, held in September in Yellowknife, served as a significant opportunity for the Minister of Northern Affairs, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, to hear directly from partners.

Northern security and defence were among the top priorities noted by partners at that 2022 meeting, including decisions related to the development of multi-purpose infrastructure, as well as links to education and economic development.

Indigenous partners emphasized their desire to enhance partnerships with National Defence, both to ensure their needs and priorities are reflected and to contribute their unique knowledge.

Infrastructure investments have been identified as a priority through community engagement by National Defence, particularly in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Iqaluit, and Goose Bay. They will be an important component of NORAD modernization and could provide opportunities for multi-purpose infrastructure that could be open to community use when not required for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Research activities by the Canadian High Arctic Research Station and POLAR's support for research activities across northern Canada in the Canadian Arctic contribute to the development of new dual-use or multi-purpose infrastructure as well. The design and construction of the station, and its integration with the local community, are an example of implementation that supports self-determination and a broader definition of sovereignty and security.

Climate change increases risks to existing infrastructure, safety, and well-being in northern communities. When climate change-related events happen at the same time, the effects become even more severe. CIRNAC is working to help communities take leadership in adapting to climate change.

Climate change impacts will affect military infrastructure as well — which is all the more reason to work on this issue together.

Our department will continue to support and work with National Defence to facilitate engagement with Indigenous communities in the North, so that NORAD modernization is informed by their perspectives on Arctic security and delivers broader benefits where possible. We also continue to deliver programs that address the human security dimensions of safety and security, and to work with other departments and agencies on this broader approach.

I am optimistic that through the Framework process, progress in jointly making decisions and taking action in priority areas will enable us to achieve our shared goals.

Thank you for your time today. I am available to respond to any questions you may have as it pertains to CIRNAC's mandate and the Minister of Northern Affairs' responsibilities in this area.

Meegwetch, Thank you, Merci.

If pressed on opportunities and northern Defence spending

• The Federal Government's Indigenous procurement policy applies to Defence spending and will help to ensure opportunities for Inuit businesses, local employment and economic development.
• In line with the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, CanNor's Pan-Territorial Growth Strategy and Defence's Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's Defence Policy will provide economic development opportunities and help diversify the northern economy.

Key Messages

• The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was launched in 2019 with territorial, Indigenous and provincial partners, and is now focused on implementation. The Framework includes a Safety, Security and Defence chapter led by the Department of National Defence.
• We continue to work with Framework partners to ensure that Northerners' needs are met. The 2022 Leadership Committee meeting — held on September 29th in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories — served as a significant opportunity for the Minister of Northern Affairs to hear directly from partners on their top priorities. The meeting also provided an occasion to update partners on key issues of relevance, including a presentation by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence on Arctic and northern security and defence.
• Northern security and defence was among the top priorities noted by partners at the 2022 meeting, including decisions related to infrastructure and site selection.
• Since the release of the Framework, the Government of Canada has made significant investments, including in Budget 2022, to support northern economies and move forward on social and political self-determination. These investments reflect both the co-developed Framework goals and the direct advocacy of partners.
• Conversations with Framework partners related to Arctic security are important and will continue, to ensure that their priorities and contributions to a safe and secure North and to Canada's overall strength are appropriately reflected.
• The Framework's vision — strong, self-reliant people and communities working together for a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable Arctic and northern region at home and abroad, while expressing Canada's enduring Arctic sovereignty — reflects goals and objectives that address both 'resilient and healthy northern people' and 'safety, security and defence'.

Background

• Released in 2019, the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was co-developed with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis, the territorial governments of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as the provincial governments of Manitoba, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Development of the Safety, Security and Defence chapter was led by the Department of National Defence.
• Goal 7 of the Framework, that "the Canadian Arctic and North and its people are safe, secure and well-defended," articulates the following associated objectives:
  • Strengthen Canada's cooperation and collaboration with domestic and international partners on safety, security and defence issues
  • Enhance Canada's military presence as well as prevent and respond to safety and security incidents in the Arctic and the North
  • Strengthen Canada's domain awareness, surveillance and control capabilities in the Arctic and the North
  • Enforce Canada's legislative and regulatory frameworks that govern transportation, border integrity and environmental protection in the Arctic and the North
  • Increase the whole-of-society emergency management capabilities in Arctic and northern communities
  • Support community safety through effective and culturally-appropriate crime prevention initiatives and policing services.
• The Framework also covers a more broad definition of security, encompassing goals and objectives that address the human dimension of security. This reflects the approach and priorities of partners, and has continued to be reaffirmed:
  • Goal 1: "Canadian Arctic and northern Indigenous peoples are resilient and healthy". for example, has objectives addressing housing, food security, mental and physical well-being, addressing all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, and closing the gaps in education outcomes, among others.
  • Goal 8: "Reconciliation supports self-determination and nurtures mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples", drives efforts to advance self-determination for Canada's Arctic and northern residents.
  • Other Framework goals and objectives address infrastructure, local economies, knowledge and decision-making, and northern ecosystems, and also reflect the broad human security focus of the Framework.
• The Minister of Northern Affairs has been mandated to work with the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and partners to assert Canada's Arctic sovereignty and implement the Framework to create a future where Canada's Northern and Arctic residents are thriving, strong and safe.
• Indigenous partners have expressed a desire to enhance partnerships with the Department of National Defence, leverage their unique knowledge to play a meaningful role, and benefit from economic opportunities in support of Northern and Arctic defence.
• Department of National Defence officials have twice in 2022 provided presentations to Framework partners at the officials level, most recently in July following the Government of Canada's June announcement of its plans to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and enhance the Canadian Armed Forces' capabilities to detect and deter aerospace threats.
• Since its release, the Government of Canada has made significant investments in areas reflective of both Framework priorities and the direct advocacy of Framework partners, including investments in housing, northern post-secondary education, transportation infrastructure and climate change mitigation/adaptation. These targeted federal investments are contributions toward the achievement of Framework goals and objectives and are complementing existing efforts to strengthen Arctic and northern communities. Defence related investments which apply across Canada but have implications for the North and Arctic include:
• Budget 2022 invested:
  • 6.1 billion over 5 years, starting in 2022-2023, with $1.3 billion in remaining amortization, and $1.4 billion ongoing to National Defence to meet Canada's defence priorities, including continental defences, commitments to our allies, and for investments in equipment and technology to immediately increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces
  • Included in this, $9.5 million over 5 years to align National Defence's operations and engagement with Indigenous Peoples with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
• Budget 2021 invested:
  • $88.8 million over 5 years, with $48.7 million in remaining amortization, and $0.6 million ongoing to sustain existing continental and Arctic defence capability
  • $163.4 million over 5 years, with $111.1 million in remaining amortization, to lay the groundwork for NORAD modernization
• Budget 2019
  • $144.9 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, including $22.9 million from within existing Communications Security Establishment resources to strengthen cyber security of Canada's critical infrastructure

Investments that target the human dimension of security include:

• Budget 2022
  • $150 million to support affordable housing and related infrastructure in the northern territories.
  • $32.2 million supporting the Atlin Hydro Expansion project to provide clean electricity to the Yukon.
  • $14.5 million ($2.5 million ongoing) to support the completion and operations of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
  • $29.6 million to support the co-development of an Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda.
  • $40 million to support northern regulatory processes as part of the Critical Minerals Strategy.
  • In addition,
• Budget 2021
  • $143.4 million over two years to expand Nutrition North Canada's ability to help eligible northern and isolated communities address local food security priorities. The investment includes an additional $36 million for the Harvesters Support Grant and $60.9 million to launch a new Community Food Programs Fund under the Grant to support food-sharing activities. An additional $1.5 million over two years is also being provided for Nutrition North Canada's Food Security Research Grant.
  • $40.4 million over three years (starting in 2021-22) to support feasibility and planning of hydroelectricity and grid interconnection projects in the North.
  • $25 million in 2021-22 to the Government of Yukon to support its climate change priorities.
  • $25 million in 2021-22 to the Government of the Northwest Territories to address housing priorities, including to support the construction of 30 new public housing units across the territory.
  • $25 million in 2021-22 to the Government of Nunavut to support the Territory's short-term housing and infrastructure needs including priority redevelopment and refurbishment projects.
  • $54 million over 2 years (starting in 2021-22) to renew the Territorial Health Investment Fund to support the territories in overcoming the challenges of delivering health care services in the North.
  • $8 million over two years (starting in 2021-22) to the Government of the Northwest Territories to support the transformation of Aurora College to a polytechnic university.
• Fall Economic Statement 2020
  • $174 million committed directly Northerners for Health and Social Support critical priorities, such as northern air carriers, and the enhanced food security subsidy.
  • $65 million to directly support the governments of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut in responding to the pandemic.
• Budget 2019
  • $18 million over 3 years to support planning by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the proposed Taltson hydroelectricity expansion project
  • Up to $47.54 million over 5 years starting in 2019-20 and $9.66 million ongoing for the Construction and ongoing operation of an addictions treatment facility in Nunavut.
  • $15 million over 5 years supporting the Northern Isolated Communities Initiatives Fund including support for food security in northern and Indigenous communities.
  • $1 million over 2 years supporting a Task Force to study post-secondary education in Canada's Arctic and northern regions
  • $26 million over 5 years supporting the construction of a new campus science building in support of Yukon College's transition to Yukon University.
  • $13 million over 5 years supporting the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning for the delivery of culturally appropriate and community developed curricula to enhance access to and success in higher education for Indigenous and northern students.
• Building strong relationships and making progress towards reconciliation with northern Indigenous partners is of paramount importance in all work to implement the Framework.
• In the Arctic and the north, reconciliation starts with the upholding and full implementation of the suite of modern treaties and self-government agreements that cover the region. These relationships with Arctic Indigenous peoples are based on the affirmation of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.

Current Status and Next Steps

• The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework Secretariat within CIRNAC coordinates annual political-level Leadership Committee meetings which both provide a forum for providing updates to all partners on implementation, and serve as a venue for partners to raise their individual priorities. CIRNAC also convenes regular all-partners' meetings at the officials' level, and meets with Framework partners bi-laterally. The Department of Defence participates in these meetings at both the political and officials levels.
• The Leadership Committee meeting held in Yellowknife on September 29, 2022 was chaired by the Minister of Northern Affairs and co-hosted by the Premier of Northwest Territories. Reflecting the whole-of-government nature of the Framework, the meeting included a presentation by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence on northern security and defence.
• Security and defence, including infrastructure and site selection, was also one of the most-identified priorities noted by Framework partners at this meeting.
• The Department of National Defence is establishing a dedicated funding program to support Indigenous partners and advance engagement activities where partners' resources are constrained and as part of its commitment to building in a distinctions-based, nation-to-nation approach to Indigenous engagement.
• Securing resources which are specifically allocated for Framework implementation remains, for partners, a foremost concern, as clearly articulated at the 2022 Leadership Committee meeting. Partners are seeking ongoing collaborative work to determine regional priorities for new investments, including in relation to northern security and defence, and to contribute to co-implementation.
• Moving forward, Framework partners' requests for federal investments are expected to continue to be channelled through the Framework Leadership Committee on an annual and as-needed basis.

Key Messages

• Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine poses grave impediments to international cooperation, including in the Arctic. This has serious implications for key institutions like the Arctic Council.
• CIRNAC is working collaboratively with Global Affairs and the Indigenous, territorial, provincial and federal members of Canada's Arctic Cooperation Advisory Committee to ensure Northern interests continue to guide our international Arctic engagement.
• CIRNAC plays a key role in Canada's engagement at the Arctic Council, including leading the Canadian delegation for the Sustainable Development Working Group and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme.
• We are pleased that the working groups' project work was resumed this past June in cases where there is no Russian participation.
• It is important that the international projects we are advancing in areas like health, gender and climate change can continue and yield benefits for Indigenous and northern communities.

Background

• Following the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, the other seven Arctic Council member states issued a Joint Statement on March 3rd, 2022 advising that all formal meetings of the Arctic Council, contact with representatives of the Russian Federation and outward communications of the Council were being paused.
• This was followed by a second Joint Statement on June 8th, 2022 on the limited resumption of Arctic Council work which advised that cooperation and informal meeting on Arctic Council projects at the working group level, where Russia is not involved, could resume including new work planning for the incoming Norwegian Chairmanship in May 2023.
• CIRNAC's Northern Affairs Organization houses Canada's Head of Delegation for the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) - two of six Arctic Council working groups that address the issues of contaminants, climate change and sustainable development.
• Canada's international Arctic engagement is guided by the multi-stakeholder Arctic Cooperation Advisory Committee led by Global Affairs. CIRNAC officials participated in the Committee's most recent meeting in Yellowknife on November 21-22. Representatives from the territorial and provincial governments and the three Arctic Council Permanent Participant organizations with Canadian membership (Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich'in Council International and Inuit Circumpolar Council) met with federal partners to discuss implementation of the international chapter of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, including Canada's Arctic Council engagement.

Current Status and Next Steps

• There is an active and ongoing bilateral Norway/Russia dialogue on Arctic Council Chairmanship transition in May 2023, while at the same time Senior Arctic Officials from the other seven Arctic Council members states continue to informally meet on a regular-basis to discuss modalities for advancing the consensus-based work of the Council given the current realities.
• Due to the sensitive content of the early post-invasion discussions among the other seven Arctic Council member states, which largely moved beyond regular Council business and into areas of national security, early informal meetings did not include the Arctic Council's six Indigenous Permanent Participant organizations. Representatives from these organizations (including those with Canadian membership) have conveyed their collective dissatisfaction with being on the outside of early post-invasion informal discussions. Permanent Participants organizations were invited and attended the most recent informal Senior Arctic Officials' meeting in Reykjavik Iceland, held November 8-10th, 2022.
• Project work, dialogue and cooperation is ongoing among the Council's six working groups and their state (including officials from NAO) and Indigenous Permanent Participant representatives to deliver on their 2021-23 work plans where Russia is not involved.
• Given the current uncertainty and without the ability to make consensus-based decisions, host a Ministerial meeting and endorse final deliverables, it is expected that all existing work plans of the Arctic Council's six working groups will be extended into the Norwegian Chairmanship for 2023-25.
• Dialogue among the other seven Arctic Council member states on a continued way forward is ongoing. Ensuring the continuity of the Arctic Council and its work during unprecedented geo-political times remains the focus for all seven other member states.

Key Messages

• Canada and Canadians have made major investments in infrastructure to create a stronger, more prosperous nation and build communities that everyone can be proud to call home.
• Together with provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners, the federal government has a leading role to play in this nation-building work. That is why the Government of Canada is making historic investments in infrastructure from coast to coast to coast.
• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. To date, the Plan has invested over $126 billion in over 84,000 projects, 95% of them completed or underway. All three territorial governments have signed agreements with the federal government.
• Using a whole-of-government approach, including the Government of Canada's Investing in Canada Plan, can move us towards closing infrastructure gaps between the north and the rest of Canada, will ensure Canada's supply chains are stronger, and that Canada's northern economy has the ability to thrive.

Background

• Northerners have continually emphasized the lack of adequate infrastructure and the significant challenges this poses to socio-economic growth, emergency management, the provision of health services, resource development, defence, security and the fundamental safety and well-being of northern people, and the sustainability of northern communities
• The North's harsh environment, short construction season, insufficient financial resources and capacity, and shifting environmental conditions due to climate change make it challenging to build and maintain infrastructure. Longer timelines, availability of materials, higher costs, and the importance of infrastructure investments to the socio-economic health of remote communities must all be considered.
• The federal government invested in nation-building infrastructure projects throughout the 20th century that benefited southern Canada, such as the Trans-Canada highway system, mine access roads, the national railroad system, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and major ports. While a similar approach was taken in the North from the 1940s through the 1970s, a federal investment gap over the past forty years has not kept up with the North's needs. Meeting the infrastructure needs of the North remains an integral component of nation-building efforts in the region but, despite multiple investments over the past few years, decades of underinvestment have left significant infrastructure gaps.
• Building international trade corridors: will support the fluidity of Canadian goods trade and supply chains by alleviating capacity constraints and bottlenecks along regional and inter-provincial trade corridors; strengthen modal interconnectivity and operability; and improve producers' access to markets, industrial centres and/or multimodal hubs and gateways.
• Through the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada is investing over $180 billion over 12 years in infrastructure projects across Canada. These investments are being made through 21 federal departments and agencies, including Infrastructure Canada, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Indigenous Services Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Transport Canada.
• Budget 2022 signaled the government's intention to accelerate the deadline for provinces to fully commit their remaining funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to priority projects to March 31, 2023. Any uncommitted funds after that date will be allocated to other priorities. However, the original deadline of March 31, 2025 was left unchanged for the territories, which have faced difficulties in accessing infrastructure funds due to fiscal capacity issues in matching funds.
• In addition, through Budget 2022, the Government of Canada is investing:
  • To help build more resilient and efficient supply chains, $603.2 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, including $450 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to support supply chain projects through the National Trade Corridors Fund, which will help ease the movement of goods across Canada's transportation networks, including in our Arctic and Northern regions;
  • $4 billion over seven years, starting in 2022-23, to accelerate work in closing Indigenous housing gaps; and,
  • $150 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to support affordable housing and related infrastructure in the North. Of this amount, $60 million would be provided to the Government of Nunavut; $60 million to the Government of the Northwest Territories; and $30 million to the Government of Yukon. Of this amount, recipients must use a minimum of 60 per cent for housing, and the remaining amount on housing related infrastructure.
• Northern infrastructure investments need to be made "with" Northerners – not "for" Northerners. This includes Indigenous governments and organizations, who continue to seek partnership roles in infrastructure development and maintenance.

Current Status and Next Steps

• Continued and deepened interdepartmental collaboration with all levels of government, northern partners, and Indigenous organizations, is required to enable projects that will address the broader issues affecting the North, such as healthy communities, socio-economic opportunities, climate change, and environmental protection and sustainability.

Polar Knowledge Canada's contributions related to security and defence in the Arctic, including Canada's military infrastructure and security capabilities.

The Canadian High Arctic Research Station and POLAR's support for research activities across northern Canada contribute to a strong Government of Canada presence that underscores our Arctic sovereignty. Research activities in the Canadian Arctic contribute to, and benefit from, the development of new dual-use or multi-purpose infrastructure, as well as investments in career training and job opportunities focused on northern youth.

POLAR undertakes regular efforts to engage in science diplomacy activities on behalf of Canada, using science to provide advice that informs and supports foreign policy objectives, and promotes scientific cooperation to improve international relationships.

Research on climate change including awareness, adaptation and mitigation conducted by and supported by POLAR supports priorities of the new NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (hosted by Canada).