One of Canada’s greatest responsibilities is to ensure the sovereignty of our nation and the security of our people. In these times of global instability, increased threats to democracy, challenges to international rules-based order — and in the face of threats to this country’s security and sovereignty — it is now more important than ever for politicians to rethink our approach to defence and security.

Canadians often think of our sovereignty and security in terms of borders alone, and not the secure environment in which we live that fosters shared values and a sense of democratic resiliency. The idea that humans needed to feel secure to ensure a peaceful society emerged in the 1990s. At the 2022 Madrid Summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders outlined the alliance’s approach to human security, focusing on a people-centred, gender-responsive prevention and protection framework to address risks and threats to civilians, especially in a conflict or crisis.

We can no longer think of borders alone as firewalls to keep out threats. An effective security framework must focus not only on protecting Canada’s territorial integrity, but also on all asymmetrical threats to the well-being of our citizens. This includes threats that attempt to disrupt and sow discontent with the aim of fracturing our cohesion as a nation. We cannot discount the impact of unexpected threats from traditional allies that seek to apply economic coercion, all with the potential to diminish our standard of living and negatively affect Canadians’ confidence in our democracy.

Unusual times call for unusual approaches. It is time to think and act differently about defence and security. We need to reinforce and foster a strong whole-of-state approach getting all stakeholders to the table if we truly want to address the complex challenges we face. Imagine the power that would be unleashed in building a more resilient and secure Canada if we seek engagement from every level of government. It calls for strategic planning that includes consultation and collaboration with the defence industry, economic development organizations, civil society and Indigenous peoples to best deal with crises that threaten our sovereignty and security. Yes, it is challenging, but Canadians in all sectors need to be engaged as they bear the brunt of the current global crisis.

I want to focus on Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. We have examples of direct efforts by external states that are seeking to exploit territorial waters, the resources and peoples who call the Arctic home. Additionally, climate change has created greater access to the region, impacted biodiversity and is threatening the livelihood of Indigenous peoples. Addressing climate change remains essential and mitigation efforts must be considered, as a part of any government security decisions. 

This is why timely, focused and robust investment in the Arctic, across multiple domains, will be required to defend our ability to assert this nation’s sovereignty and protect the security of the Arctic and beyond. The time is now to continue investment in critical equipment and ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces and other security forces in the Arctic can detect and deter external threats along our international borders.

Enhanced Arctic security is also about investing in and promoting economic development, along with building critical infrastructure for both military and civilian use, such as deep seaports, roads and runways. This must be done in partnership with Indigenous peoples who are the knowledgeable custodians of the land.  

Further, we cannot go it alone. If you rotate the globe and view a world map from the North Pole, you will see that Canada is responsible for a significant portion of the northern flank of NATO. We are a critical partner in the defence of NATO’s northern flank, with a strong and direct link between us and our Nordic NATO allies. The minimum 2% of GDP NATO spending target is a must; it is an integrity and trust issue. We should view building collaborative and strong partnerships with old and new allies alike as a requirement to ensure this flank does not become a security vulnerability either to NATO, or to Canada.

In this time of great global instability, defence, security and sovereignty should be priorities for all federal parties. Complacency is no longer an option.

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.

This article was published in the April 16, 2025 edition of The Hill Times.