Feds’ defence industrial strategy promises much potential for Canada, but it will need public and private-sector champions

Increases in federal R&D spending and new initiatives through the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science—BOREALIS—are important. The strategy also promises $4-billion in new venture funding through the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Japanese Ambassador to Canada, Kanji Yamanouchi, left, and Defence Minister David McGuinty at the signing of the Canada-Japan Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement in Ottawa on Jan. 27, 2026.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY DAVID CRANE

March 2, 2026

TORONTO—The Carney government’s defence industrial strategy is both a bold attempt to modernize the military for a new technology age, and an ambitious bid to maximize the opportunities to deepen Canada’s defence industrial base, creating opportunities to build a ne...

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