Latest news with #CANSEC
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
The time when foreign invasions were impossible is over, former diplomats tell defence conference
Social Sharing At the onset of the First World War, Britain's veritable foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, remarked that the lamps were going out all over Europe and "we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime." The metaphor has long been considered as the unofficial epitaph to what at the time was the longest run of peace and prosperity on the continent. The retelling of that story has become commonplace since the invasion of Ukraine. It was hard not to think of it this week when listening to both a former NATO secretary general and the man who was Lithuania's foreign minister as they each delivered stark assessments of where the world is going and how it got here. Neither Lord George Robertson, who led the Western military alliance from 1999 to 2003, nor Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Baltic nation's top diplomat for years, argued that we're on the cusp of war. Rather, they both called for clear-eyed deterrence as they delivered separate, sobering messages at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries annual gathering of defence contractors in Ottawa, known as CANSEC. Even still. The post-Cold War era where nations didn't have to worry about their sovereignty and territorial defence is over, Robertson told the conference. "That world has evaporated, and it will not return even in our children's lifetime," he said. NATO's Article 5 — the pledge of collective defence and that an attack on one was an attack on all — gets all of the attention, Robertson said. But he argued that the third article of the Washington Treaty, which established NATO in 1949, will get more and more attention in the coming months and years. That clause says members must have the individual and collective capacity to resist an armed attack. "In other words, there is an obligation to defend your own homeland, an obligation that was, too often in the past, overlooked as we've looked at the [terrorist] enemy abroad," Robertson said. "There's no longer room for business as usual." It's been that way for more than a decade, he said, following the Russian annexation of Crimea. "As we see every day in the east of Ukraine, the threat of naked aggression and wonton violence in the Euro Atlantic region — it's no longer theoretical, no longer just a remote possibility," Robertson said. "It's real. It's brutal and it's very, very close to us." The challenge today for nations, including Canada, is to stop believing that some things, such as invasions, are impossible. "We need to be alert and wide awake," said Robertson, who admitted in a later interview to being frustrated with Canada's anemic record of defence spending. But he added he's encouraged to see promises to do more from Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. Canada is hoping to soon sign on to a major $1.25-trillion European Union defence-industrial plan known as ReArm Europe. Landsbergis was intensely critical of European leaders, who he says have been hitting the snooze button on defence since the 2008 Russian invasion of neighbouring Georgia. His reaction to the ReArm Europe plan could be summed up in two words: about time. "We're finally starting to see our leaders talk about serious money," Landsbergis said. "The European ReArm plan might be the first step in the right direction." Landsbergis said Europe simply allowed the crisis to build following Russia's annexation of Crimea, rather than taking decisive action. It has been, he said, a wasted decade. "During that time, Europeans said all the right things, but unfortunately very little preparation," Landsbergis said. "After the 2022 [Ukraine] invasion, there was hope that the situation would change dramatically and European factories would start rolling out tanks, howitzers and ammunition. This happened, but not to the extent that one would have hoped." WATCH | Canada plans military buildup in the Arctic: Canada plans Arctic military expansion as part of sovereignty push 15 days ago Duration 2:02 Canada is planning a major Arctic military expansion, boosting its presence by several months each year and inviting more NATO troops to join. The move aims to assert sovereignty and respond to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. NATO does its best to put things in context, saying over the past decade, European allies and Canada have steadily increased their collective investment in defence — from 1.43 per cent of their combined gross domestic product in 2014, to 2.02 per cent in 2024. (Canada currently sits at 1.37 percent of GDP) The increase represents $485 billion US in defence, the alliance says. Landsbergis's criticism, however, was not restricted to the political establishment. He said defence contractors and the corporate world have been equally stuck on the notion of business as usual. "Every conversation I had with defense industry representatives during the years of war would end with a phrase: 'I'm not building anything until you show me the money,'" he said. "And that was the crux of the problem. Europe would talk nice but spend little and business leaders, Putin or anyone who's good at math would see right through it." The lack of urgency, Landsbergis said, was evident in Ukraine's life-and-death fight to hold the line from the advancing Russian army. As a Lithuanian who understands life under Russian occupation, the arming of Ukraine in fits and starts was painful to watch, he said. "Whenever another baby step is taken, I must show gratitude and whisper to myself, 'Better late than never,'" Landsbergis said.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Media outlet demands apology after Ottawa police arrests citizen journalist
A volunteer-operated media outlet is decrying the arrest of one of its volunteer journalists at a protest opposing the CANSEC military trade show in Ottawa on May 28. Article content Article content The North Star, an independent media organization, said Ramona Murphy was one of the 13 individuals arrested by the Ottawa Police Service during demonstrations that sought to disrupt the annual major arms show. Article content Article content Article content Another demonstrator was later arrested in a separate demonstration in front of OPS headquarters on Elgin Street. Article content The North Star said police threatened Murphy with mischief and resisting arrest charges, but she was released without charge eight hours later. Article content 'Arresting a journalist, whether a volunteer or not, is a frontal attack on press freedom,' the news release added. Article content Bruno Le Héritte, a spokesperson for The North Star, said citizen journalists were recognized 'as important as any other journalist.' Article content 'I think everyone who tries to reveal the truth about the world is important,' he said. 'When we say people say we are in a democracy, then we should prove that.' Article content Article content In 2021, Darnella Frazier won a Pulitzer Prize for her recording of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., which set off a global reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality. Article content Article content Le Héritte said those who were doing their job documenting protests shouldn't have to worry about the risk of arrest. Article content The Ottawa Police Service could not confirm whether or not there was an exclusion zone set up for media during the protests against CANSEC. An exclusion zone is a practice by police to place journalists in a specific area and away from a police operation. Article content In an interview, Murphy said that, if there was an exclusion zone, it was 'difficult to ascertain where it was' given how quickly the police formations shifted.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Saab, CAE to work jointly on training for Royal Canadian Navy's new submarine fleet
OTTAWA - Swedish defence manufacturer Saab and Canadian tech company CAE Inc. say they will work together to create training simulators for the Royal Canadian Navy's next submarine fleet. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the initiative on Thursday, the last day of the CANSEC defence industry trade show in Ottawa. Ottawa plans to purchase up to a dozen new conventional submarines for the RCN to replace the rapidly aging Victoria class, and has said it expects to award a contract by 2028. Saab is a heavy equipment maker that has expertise in Arctic submarine technology, while CAE is known for its submarine detection software and naval and flight simulators. Canada has come under heavy international pressure to spend more on defence to meet its NATO commitments. Senior government officials have suggested that purchasing the new subs could push Canada past the NATO spending target the country has long struggled to meet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Saab, CAE to work jointly on training for Royal Canadian Navy's new submarine fleet
OTTAWA - Swedish defence manufacturer Saab and Canadian tech company CAE Inc. say they will work together to create training simulators for the Royal Canadian Navy's next submarine fleet. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the initiative on Thursday, the last day of the CANSEC defence industry trade show in Ottawa. Ottawa plans to purchase up to a dozen new conventional submarines for the RCN to replace the rapidly aging Victoria class, and has said it expects to award a contract by 2028. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Saab is a heavy equipment maker that has expertise in Arctic submarine technology, while CAE is known for its submarine detection software and naval and flight simulators. Canada has come under heavy international pressure to spend more on defence to meet its NATO commitments. Senior government officials have suggested that purchasing the new subs could push Canada past the NATO spending target the country has long struggled to meet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
King Charles brought out crowds. Now Ottawa wants tourists to stay
Article content King Charles' royal visit kickstarted a busy tourism season in Ottawa, boosting the city's visibility for avid 'king spotters.' Article content Article content While it's unclear how many people came from out of town to see the king, many onlookers who spoke with the Ottawa Citizen went to great lengths to see the king. One monarchist, Rushad Thomas, drove eight hours from Maryland attend the festivities. Article content Article content Jerome Miousse, director of public affairs for Ottawa Tourism, said the royal visit sparked excitement for fans of the royal family, as well as tourists who were already in Ottawa. Article content Article content 'While it is hard to know exactly how much of the occupancy in local hotels can be attributed to it, partly because of its timing between the Tamarack Race Weekend and the highly-attended CANSEC conference, the visit creates promotional opportunities in the British market — a trend that was noticed after the uptick in British tourism to Ottawa following the royal visit in May 2022,' Miousse said in an emailed statement. Article content 'The difference this time around is the new direct flight launched on March 31, making travel easier for British visitors.' Article content The royal couple attended events around Ottawa on Monday and Tuesday, drawing thousands at Lansdowne Park and Rideau Hall. Article content Article content But the largest crowds were seen along Wellington Street on Tuesday morning when the king gave the throne speech, which marked the new session of Parliament. People in the crowd waved the Union Jack and Canadian flags, shouting their love for the royal couple as they rode in a horse-drawn carriage to the Senate that morning. Article content Article content More cheers could be heard after the king and queen laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at noon, concluding Charles' first visit to Canada as king. Article content The royal visit likely came with an initial cost for the City of Ottawa. Many of the events were heavily patrolled by Ottawa Police Service officers. Set up and clean up for each event were also done by city employees. Article content City staff said it is not on the hook for most of the costs associated with the visit, as it will be able to recover them from the federal government. Richard Bruxer, manager of business and technical support services for the city, said the final costs of the visit are still being finalized.
