However, the nature and extent of any future investment remain uncertain, with some stressing the importance of civilian spending and Canada’s top military commander pouring cold water on the idea of ​​permanently deploying troops to the area.
The Liberal government is set to release its latest federal budget on Thursday and is under pressure from the NATO military alliance and others to increase spending on the Canadian military following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The six-week invasion has killed thousands of Ukrainians and Russians and has dealt a major blow to global security, escalating fears of a wider conflict as Moscow engages in nuclear support for Western support in Kyiv.
The invasion prompted Ottawa to pursue long-term plans with Washington to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Administration, the now obsolete system responsible for detecting and detecting attacks on the continent.
Asked on Tuesday about the threat of a Russian attack, Trinto accused the Kremlin of “seeking to disrupt and wreak havoc on the world”.
“We continue to stand strong in our sovereignty and in defending the Arctic,” he added.  “Of course, with the modernization of Norad on the table, with increased investment in defense, the Arctic is an area that we will look at carefully.”
He did not elaborate, but the comments came a day after Trinto and Defense Minister Anita Anand spoke with the prime ministers of Canada’s three territories to discuss Arctic sovereignty and security.
“The prime ministers expressed their concerns about the continuing Russian aggression in Ukraine and the dangers it could pose to Arctic sovereignty,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The summary also said that the prime ministers “reduced the importance of building healthy communities and strong infrastructure to claim sovereignty in the north”, adding that the group discussed funding for healthcare, housing and climate change.
Northwest Territories Prime Minister Caroline Cochrane said in a statement that her priorities were critical infrastructure, telecommunications such as broadband and energy.
“The security of the north is not just about a strong military presence,” he said.  “It is also about building strong, resilient communities through significant investments in critical infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications and energy.”
Stephane Roussel, an Arctic security specialist at the National School of Public Administration in Quebec, says there are clear gaps in Canada’s northern defense that federal investment in infrastructure and communications could help address.
“Yes, there is a security or defense utility,” he said.  “But I think the idea is much more about developing these areas and connecting those areas with the rest of the country.”
In the years before its invasion of Ukraine, Russia had begun rebuilding and expanding its military installations throughout the polar region amid an expected rush of Arctic resources.  It also developed long-range weapons capable of hitting North America from afar.
Defense Chief of Staff General Wayne Eyre noted the new weapons during an appearance before the Senate Defense Committee on Monday, where Anand promised to promote “strong” new investments in Norad in the coming months.
But while Eyre also spoke of the need for more infrastructure, he said there was “no way” Canada could meet Russia’s large military footprint in the Arctic.  He also spoke out against the idea of ​​permanently deploying large numbers of troops in the Far North.
The commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces stressed the importance of having the “simple infrastructure set” needed to deploy troops from the south, as required to respond “given the situation”.
“Whether it is additional front-end locations for our jets that are part of Norad, or showcase search and rescue capabilities based on certain events, or showcase additional ground forces to tackle climate change,” he said.
University of Calgary professor Rob Hubert said the reality is that Ottawa has struggled to build the military infrastructure it has already promised in the Arctic, such as a promised runway extension at Inuvik and a deep-water pier at Nanisivik.
At the same time, he expressed concern that the threat posed by Russia was not being taken as seriously as it should be.
“It’s a little naive to think only because it has never happened, because it is so horrible, it will never happen,” he said of the nuclear war.  “It’s wrong to just say, ‘We have not had a nuclear war to this point, so we will not have one in the future.’
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 5, 2022.