How Should Canada Position its Military in an Uncertain World? | TVO Today Live

Video Description

Amid dramatic shifts in global security, Canada pledged last year to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces. With billions in new spending, that will meet the NATO spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035, what kind of military can and should we have? Steve Paikin explores that question with former Chief of Canada's Defence Staff, retired Canadian Forces General Wayne Eyre; former Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, Wendy Gilmour; and Professor Christian Leuprecht from the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University. It was recorded with a live audience at Hangar A of the Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation at Centennial College's dedicated aerospace campus, part of the DAIR hub (Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research) on January 24, 2026. 0:00 – Intro 0:38 – Why Canada’s Military Matters Now 0:53 – Canada’s Shifting Military History 1:06 – Billions Reallocated: The New Defense Spending 1:17 – Acknowledging Supporters: Wilson & Jackman Foundations 1:49 – Introducing Today’s Panel Guests 2:39 – Why This Conversation? Canada’s $81B Defense Package 3:09 – “Elephant in the Room”: The U.S.–Canada Tension 3:20 – General Eyre on a Collapsing Rules-Based World Order 4:21 – Wendy Gilmour: “Keep Calm and Carry On” 5:07 – How Canada Handles a Difficult U.S. Administration 5:26 – Christian Leuprecht: U.S.–Canada Tensions in Context 6:50 – Has the Relationship Ever Been This Bad? 7:29 – Why Trump Wanted Greenland 7:44 – Strategic Importance of Greenland & the GIUK Gap 9:19 – Why Is Trump Fixated on Greenland? 10:01 – The New Arctic Threat Environment 11:43 – General Eyre: Why Today Is Not Like the Cold War 13:00 – Should Canada Fear U.S. Control of the Arctic? 14:02 – Arctic Sovereignty & Indigenous Rights 15:06 – Is the Arctic Threat Overstated? 16:07 – The U.S. Wants Allies More Engaged in the Arctic 17:08 – Deep Military Interoperability with the U.S. 18:05 – Working with Allies in Unpredictable Times 19:00 – Has Canada Let Its Capabilities Decay Too Long? 20:00 – How Canada Benefited from Post‑WWII Strategy 20:52 – Have Canadians Become Complacent About Security? 21:43 – Has Canada Hurt Its Reputation in NATO? 22:41 – Why 2% of GDP Is a Bad Metric 24:14 – The Cost of Canada Never Hitting its NATO Target 24:46 – Is NORAD Still Relevant? 26:07 – Why NORAD Matters for Canadian Sovereignty 27:07 – What the U.S. Wants from Canada (Sensors & Capability) 28:00 – New U.S. National Defense Strategy: What It Means for Canada 29:23 – Planning for U.S. Contingencies (Even Invasion) 30:42 – The Need for Canada to Bring Capabilities to the Table 32:00 – NATO’s Three Pillars & Canada’s Under‑recognized Role 33:27 – Why Continental Defense Protects Democracy 34:01 – Canada Must Project Strength, Not Dependence 35:41 – Could the New U.S. Strategy Spark Global Miscalculation? 36:47 – We’re Distracted by Greenland — While Real Threats Grow 37:47 – Reset: Location & Guest Reintroduction 38:29 – The Big Procurement Question: F‑35 or Swedish Gripen? 39:32 – Defense Spending vs Industrial Strategy 41:00 – Wendy Gilmour: “We Just Need to Get the Aircraft” 43:05 – General Eyre on F‑35s & Next‑Gen Warfare 45:00 – Should Industrial Benefits Sway Fighter Choice? 46:12 – Canada Needs Capability Now and Later 47:48 – Why Canada’s Reputation Suffers from Procurement Delays 49:52 – What Should Canada Buy? The Big Wish List 50:46 – Canada’s Strategic Culture Is Changing 52:14 – Why Canada Must Invest in Mass‑Produced Autonomous Systems 53:05 – Wendy Gilmour: We Need Speed, Process, and Clear Decisions 54:54 – Christian’s Three Priorities for Canada’s Future 56:04 – Why Canadians Must Support Defense Investment 57:48 – Sovereignty Means Not Depending on U.S. “Help” 58:08 – Audience Q&A Begins 1:00:00 – Q1: Are Fighter Purchases Linked to Trade Deals? 1:01:03 – Q2: India/Russia and Non‑Arctic Actors in the Arctic 1:06:17 – Q3: Canada’s Defense Industrial Strategy 1:06:23 – Q4: Role of the Canadian Rangers & Northern Communities 1:08:04 – Q5: Should Canada Prioritize Defense, Peacekeeping, or NATO? 1:09:14 – Q6: Gripen vs F‑35 and Sensor Capabilities 1:13:46 – Q7: How Non‑Defense Professionals Can Contribute 1:16:24 – Q8: Canada as a Peacekeeping Nation—Still Relevant? 1:20:00 – Reflections on World War II, Normandy & Canadian Strength 1:20:30 – Responding to Trump’s “Canada Didn’t Fight” Comment TVO Today Live is an Ontario-based event series that convenes important discussions on the future of democracy. Guests include politicians, journalists and prominent public figures. This initiative is made possible through the support of The Wilson Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen and enrich Canada in education leadership, community, history and heritage, and public service. Learn more about TVO Today Live at https://tvo.me/TVO-Today-Live/ and sign up for email updates to get the latest information.