Poilievre vows to fortify Canada's position in the Arctic

The Conservative leader pledged to take back control of the Canadian Arctic amid increasing tensions with the U.S. and threats from China and Russia.

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   February 11, 2025   |   News Analysis   |   1 Comment

 

As President Donald Trump continues threats to economically annex Canada, Pierre Poilievre has declared that a Conservative government will re-assume control of the Arctic.

“Our safety, territory and trade with the U.S. requires we take back control of Canada’s North,” Poilievre told reporters on Monday from Iqaluit, noting hostile powers want control over northern resources and trading routes.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed President Donald Trump was serious about making Canada the “51st state,” though that largely appears to be a negotiating tactic on Arctic security.

“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may even be why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said behind closed doors to business executives. 

Diane Francis, author of Merger Of The Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country, reportedly had an investment banker assess Canada’s value in accordance with CIA data. The number, though outlandish, is pegged at $17 trillion.

“That’s the facts, that’s not made up,” said Francis. “Nobody’s ever put a number on it,” she claimed.

“They’re [Americans] very aware of our resources,” Trudeau added, “and they very much want to be able to benefit from those.”

Though Trump has frequently called on Canada to become part of the U.S., his comments were not made in the context of wanting Canadian resources. Trump told reporters weeks ago that he doesn’t need Canadian oil, cars, or lumber for that matter.

Trump also told reporters last week that his military was willing to defend the region for a fee. “They have a very small military. They rely on our military. It’s all fine, but they’ve got to pay for that.”

However, Poilievre pledged an Arctic military base on Monday as well as additional support for the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Rangers, should the Conservatives form government.

To cover the costs, he would make significant cuts to foreign aid, “much of which goes to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies.”

Should Canada leave its northern most borders uncontested, Trump will force them to take action, according to former Trump aide Steve Bannon. It’s all about “hemispheric control,” he says.

Meanwhile, Trudeau believes Trump wants to annex Canada for its resources. “It is a real thing,” he said.

The comments coincide with remarks by Bannon, who said Canadians should take the president’s remarks seriously—though not for the reasons aired by Trudeau.

The Arctic is going to be the “Great Game of the 21st century” that Canada cannot hope to defend alone from Russia and China, he said.

General Wayne Eyre, Canada’s former top soldier, also forewarned increasing tensions with both adversaries in the coming decades. Russia has been reopening Arctic military bases and outposts for years, with unprecedented backing from China. 

Trudeau’s inconsistent messaging remains further at odds, having praised Trump as a “very skillful negotiator” last month, when asked about the tariff dispute by American media. 

Meanwhile Francis called out Liberal leadership candidate and unelected politician Mark Carney for being 'another Justin Trudeau.' “That is, a good-looking guy with no credentials and no business experience telling us what he wants [us] to hear, and once he gets in, he’s a left-wing loser," she said. 

A Conservative Party spokesperson told the Globe and Mail that Canada needs to counter “growing threats from China and Russia” to maintain its sovereignty and keep good relations with the United States.

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Alex Dhaliwal

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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-02-11 19:59:09 -0500
    I hope Trump is told about Pierre Poilievre’s comments. Canada needs to get the north secured and to ditch ALL those Trudeau rules. What a vapid jerk Trudeau is.