Ensuring a strong, secure and sovereign Canada: Senators Osler, Patterson, Robinson and Ross
Tags
Elbows up, Canada.
Repeated U.S. threats to annex our country through economic force have boosted Canadians’ national pride. The collective effervescence of renewed patriotism should be harnessed to reinforce national identity, sovereignty and security. This op-ed launches a series where four senators explore national security through a broad lens, examining agriculture, business and health care as Canada’s pillars of resilience against emerging global threats and new challenges.
This country’s greatest responsibility is ensuring the sovereignty and security of its people. The shifting realities of global politics makes it obvious that Canada can no longer rely on others for its military security amid escalating threats, particularly in the Arctic. We must step up.
Asserting our sovereignty and ensuring security in the Arctic is not just about having a military presence, it is also about economic investment, development and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Those of us in Canada’s south can overlook our land borders in the North; for example, that Yukon shares a border with Alaska. Therefore, security in the Arctic is not just a role for the military, but also for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the RCMP.
Canadians can no longer afford to be complacent. Our sovereignty and security must be a concern to us all, and the issue needs to remain front and centre.
Our national security is also dependent on a healthy and productive economy.
Though Canada has long maintained mutually beneficial relationships with many of our allies, the current geopolitical reality shows turbulence ahead with threats to our economic security and well-being. When one of every six jobs in this country is supported by Canadian exports, a foreign state that weaponizes trade is a direct threat to our people’s jobs and livelihoods.
Canadian firms of all sizes and sectors are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of foreign governments and businesses that seek to advance their own national interests by targeting trade, investment partnerships, critical infrastructure or access to technology.
These foreign industrial policies and targeted trade measures are protectionist in nature and, over time, will have a substantial impact on Canadian businesses and our economic security.
Economic resilience is equally critical when it comes to agriculture. When faced with threats of economic uncertainty, Canadians worry about food security.
For generations, this nation has been a global leader in agriculture exports. Despite boasting coveted agriculture resources, our global competitiveness is slipping even as we continue to improve production efficiency. From 2022 to 2023, the sector dropped from fifth to eighth largest global exporter, and from producing 10% of the country’s GDP to 7%. Today, the uncertainty of U.S. tariffs — combined with the self-imposed Canadian maze of costly regulations — is eroding investor confidence.
Agriculture is relatively resilient, making it a buffer during economic downturns. Canada can be an agriculture powerhouse, yet we underestimate, over-regulate and undervalue the sector. We should be grabbing the brass ring, and realizing the opportunity offered by increased capital investment.
With a shift in focus to national security and preparations to weather an economic conflict, it is time to unleash agriculture’s potential.
Health is also a determinant of national security. A country’s ability to protect its sovereignty is linked to the well-being of its people and the capability of its health systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to embed health security as a foundational element of national security given global population mobility, international economic interdependence and a changing geopolitical landscape.
Healthy societies are stable societies with economically productive workforces. Attacks on health-care security, such as mis- and dis-information or cyberattacks on health-care institutions are attacks on national security. Accordingly, the concept of health security must expand beyond the traditional public health lens to include strengthening critical health infrastructure resilience, investing in health-care system cybersecurity, reshoring Canada’s life sciences and biomanufacturing ecosystem, securing supply chains and enhancing health-care system readiness.
A comprehensive Team Canada approach is essential to address the evolving challenges to our sovereignty. By broadening conversations about national security beyond the military to include sectors such as agriculture, business and health care, we can strengthen our national identity, build resilience and safeguard Canada’s future against economic pressures and external threats.
Our series provides a deeper look at these essential sectors.
Read Senator Osler’s op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Patterson’s op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Robinson's op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Ross's op-ed on SenCAplus.
Senator F. Gigi Osler represents Manitoba. She is an internationally renowned surgeon and a dedicated advocate for health and health care.
Senator Rebecca Patterson is a retired rear-admiral and a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces with 34 years of service. She represents Ontario in the Senate.
Senator Mary Robinson represents Prince Edward Island. Coming from a sixth-generation family farm operation, she has been a strong voice for industry at the provincial, national and global levels.
Senator Krista Ross represents New Brunswick. She worked with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, as general manager from 1989 to 1997 and as CEO from 2011 to 2023.
A version of this article was published in The Hill Times on March 27, 2025.
Elbows up, Canada.
Repeated U.S. threats to annex our country through economic force have boosted Canadians’ national pride. The collective effervescence of renewed patriotism should be harnessed to reinforce national identity, sovereignty and security. This op-ed launches a series where four senators explore national security through a broad lens, examining agriculture, business and health care as Canada’s pillars of resilience against emerging global threats and new challenges.
This country’s greatest responsibility is ensuring the sovereignty and security of its people. The shifting realities of global politics makes it obvious that Canada can no longer rely on others for its military security amid escalating threats, particularly in the Arctic. We must step up.
Asserting our sovereignty and ensuring security in the Arctic is not just about having a military presence, it is also about economic investment, development and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Those of us in Canada’s south can overlook our land borders in the North; for example, that Yukon shares a border with Alaska. Therefore, security in the Arctic is not just a role for the military, but also for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the RCMP.
Canadians can no longer afford to be complacent. Our sovereignty and security must be a concern to us all, and the issue needs to remain front and centre.
Our national security is also dependent on a healthy and productive economy.
Though Canada has long maintained mutually beneficial relationships with many of our allies, the current geopolitical reality shows turbulence ahead with threats to our economic security and well-being. When one of every six jobs in this country is supported by Canadian exports, a foreign state that weaponizes trade is a direct threat to our people’s jobs and livelihoods.
Canadian firms of all sizes and sectors are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of foreign governments and businesses that seek to advance their own national interests by targeting trade, investment partnerships, critical infrastructure or access to technology.
These foreign industrial policies and targeted trade measures are protectionist in nature and, over time, will have a substantial impact on Canadian businesses and our economic security.
Economic resilience is equally critical when it comes to agriculture. When faced with threats of economic uncertainty, Canadians worry about food security.
For generations, this nation has been a global leader in agriculture exports. Despite boasting coveted agriculture resources, our global competitiveness is slipping even as we continue to improve production efficiency. From 2022 to 2023, the sector dropped from fifth to eighth largest global exporter, and from producing 10% of the country’s GDP to 7%. Today, the uncertainty of U.S. tariffs — combined with the self-imposed Canadian maze of costly regulations — is eroding investor confidence.
Agriculture is relatively resilient, making it a buffer during economic downturns. Canada can be an agriculture powerhouse, yet we underestimate, over-regulate and undervalue the sector. We should be grabbing the brass ring, and realizing the opportunity offered by increased capital investment.
With a shift in focus to national security and preparations to weather an economic conflict, it is time to unleash agriculture’s potential.
Health is also a determinant of national security. A country’s ability to protect its sovereignty is linked to the well-being of its people and the capability of its health systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to embed health security as a foundational element of national security given global population mobility, international economic interdependence and a changing geopolitical landscape.
Healthy societies are stable societies with economically productive workforces. Attacks on health-care security, such as mis- and dis-information or cyberattacks on health-care institutions are attacks on national security. Accordingly, the concept of health security must expand beyond the traditional public health lens to include strengthening critical health infrastructure resilience, investing in health-care system cybersecurity, reshoring Canada’s life sciences and biomanufacturing ecosystem, securing supply chains and enhancing health-care system readiness.
A comprehensive Team Canada approach is essential to address the evolving challenges to our sovereignty. By broadening conversations about national security beyond the military to include sectors such as agriculture, business and health care, we can strengthen our national identity, build resilience and safeguard Canada’s future against economic pressures and external threats.
Our series provides a deeper look at these essential sectors.
Read Senator Osler’s op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Patterson’s op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Robinson's op-ed on SenCAplus.
Read Senator Ross's op-ed on SenCAplus.
Senator F. Gigi Osler represents Manitoba. She is an internationally renowned surgeon and a dedicated advocate for health and health care.
Senator Rebecca Patterson is a retired rear-admiral and a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces with 34 years of service. She represents Ontario in the Senate.
Senator Mary Robinson represents Prince Edward Island. Coming from a sixth-generation family farm operation, she has been a strong voice for industry at the provincial, national and global levels.
Senator Krista Ross represents New Brunswick. She worked with the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, as general manager from 1989 to 1997 and as CEO from 2011 to 2023.
A version of this article was published in The Hill Times on March 27, 2025.