Canada moves to 2% GDP end of FY25/26 - PMMC

[FJAG]

Go full commonwealth air training plan, get airfields across the prairies doing basic pilot training.

Fund more air cadets and glider training. It worked for the Germans in the 1930s.

 

[GK .Dundas]

Fund more air cadets and glider training. It worked for the Germans in the 1930s.

That comes under the heading of a good start.

 

[MilEME09]

Fund more air cadets and glider training. It worked for the Germans in the 1930s.

Plenty of former bases you could reclaim as Cadet glider bases too

 

[OldSolduer]

Plenty of former bases you could reclaim as Cadet glider bases too

Gimli has entered the chat....

 

[PrairieFella]

Gimli has entered the chat....

As an aside, what a Gucci base that must have been back in the day. Living and working on the beach in the summer. Tons of trails and recreation in the winter. Good food, reasonably close to Winnipeg, in those days, a train direct to downtown Winnipeg at Union Station. I love visiting Gimli in all seasons.

 

[GK .Dundas]

As an aside, what a Gucci base that must have been back in the day. Living and working on the beach in the summer. Tons of trails and recreation in the winter. Good food, reasonably close to Winnipeg, in those days, a train direct to downtown Winnipeg at Union Station. I love visiting Gimli in all seasons.

Oh yes, Gimli .

 

[Czech_pivo]

This is a great read - a great read - in understanding all the moving parts between Canada and the EU right now.

Basically it boils down to this - price of entry into ReArm Europe is NOT is buying or investing in Euro arms/ defence, it’s us allowing the EU to turn its back on Russian gas/oil once and for all and for us to provide energy security to the EU.

After reading this, I’m feeling pretty optimistic that pipelines (yes with an ‘s’) to the East will get built.

Of note was talk of shipping nat gas to Thunder Bay and shipping the gas via the Great Lakes to Saint John and then on to Europe. I’ve not read anything about that previously.

Carney's 'grand bargain' for Canadians: New allies, gas for Europe and old debates

Canada's PM is expected to sign on to join Europe’s sweeping rearmament plan when he meets that continent’s leaders next week in Belgium.

www.saltwire.com

 

[Kirkhill]

And looking the other direction -

Canada Japan

Canada and Japan strike partnerships on energy, defence

Canada and Japan have carved out partnerships involving energy, defence equipment and the sharing of intelligence during the G7 summit.

calgaryherald.com

Canada and Japan have carved out partnerships involving energy, defence equipment and the sharing of intelligence following talks at the G7 summit.

Most of the issues were agreed upon in principle earlier this year, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a news conference in Calgary on Tuesday evening. However, he confirmed the two countries will soon sign formal agreements.

Canada South Korea

Northern BC terminal partners with South Korean authority to advance ammonia fuel project

If successful, the undertaking could allow Canada to export two million metric tonnes of ammonia annually starting late 2029

www.thenorthernview.com

South Korea has a bit of leg up I believe having already invested in oil sands projects, received Alberta crudes and is/was heavily involved with SeaSpan renovations for the NSPS projects.

....

Also South Korea is making friends in Europe with their armoured vehicles and Japan is integrated with the UK and Italy in the Global Combat Aircraft Program.

They are becoming European by association, just like Canada

Rearming Europe with Trusted Partners

In March 2025, the European Union published a white paper for European Defense Readiness 2030, which identifies defense needs and envisions a massive €800

www.globalpolicywatch.com

To quickly expand its defense capabilities, Europe is also exploring strengthening its defense industrial collaboration with trusted partners such as the Republic of Korea, Norway, and Japan (with which the EU signed Security and Defence Partnerships last year), as well as its traditional allies and partners, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

The only stumbling block is the French. (They are being French).

France blocking Britain from EU’s massive defence fund

Paris seeking to restrict member states to purchasing weapons made mostly within the bloc, diplomatic sources claim

www.telegraph.co.uk

A diplomatic source told The Telegraph that Paris was seeking to restrict member states looking to make a purchase under the scheme to weapons made mostly within the bloc

French diplomats have insisted the tool should be solely used to boost firms based inside the EU, as well as Norway and Ukraine.

The demand means that Britain, which recently signed a flagship defence and security agreement with Brussels, will be shut out from the majority of projects being funded by the EU’s budget.

The UK will also be blocked from joint procurement projects under the EDIP scheme.

“Not even a month ago, we solemnly declared the turning of pages and opening of new chapters in our relationship with the UK,” an EU diplomat told The Telegraph.

“Yet, at the first occasion to turn those words into action, we have slammed the book shut.”

There are also fears the hard-line French position will see potential EU funding cut from factories producing Patriot surface-to-air interceptors, because they are a US technology.

Not all of the EU is onside with the French position.

 

[FJAG]

After reading this, I’m feeling pretty optimistic that pipelines (yes with an ‘s’) to the East will get built.

And as a follow up

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-c-5-passes-1.7566780

Liberals' major projects bill passes House of Commons with Conservative support​

House wraps up for summer after passing bill that fast-tracks nation-building projects​

 

[KTown Cowboy]

Ottawa considering ‘combination of approaches’ to 20% military pay hike

 

[Rifleman62]

DND: Always considering, seldom implementing.

 

[Czech_pivo]

And as a follow up

I am happy to see that the Conservatives worked with them on this. For something like this, it should cut cross party lines as overall it’s good for the entire country - full stop.
This isn’t 30-50% of the population benefitting from this, it’s more like 90-95% of the country. When the big nation building projects are put forward, I expect and hope that the Conservatives will again join with Carney and vote together.

 

[MilEME09]

I am happy to see that the Conservatives worked with them on this. For something like this, it should cut cross party lines as overall it’s good for the entire country - full stop.
This isn’t 30-50% of the population benefitting from this, it’s more like 90-95% of the country. When the big nation building projects are put forward, I expect and hope that the Conservatives will again join with Carney and vote together.

The real test will come over the next couple months when those projects start getting submitted

 

[GK .Dundas]

And looking the other direction -

Canada Japan

Canada and Japan strike partnerships on energy, defence

Canada and Japan have carved out partnerships involving energy, defence equipment and the sharing of intelligence during the G7 summit.

calgaryherald.com

Canada South Korea

Northern BC terminal partners with South Korean authority to advance ammonia fuel project

If successful, the undertaking could allow Canada to export two million metric tonnes of ammonia annually starting late 2029

www.thenorthernview.com

South Korea has a bit of leg up I believe having already invested in oil sands projects, received Alberta crudes and is/was heavily involved with SeaSpan renovations for the NSPS projects.

....

Also South Korea is making friends in Europe with their armoured vehicles and Japan is integrated with the UK and Italy in the Global Combat Aircraft Program.

They are becoming European by association, just like Canada

Rearming Europe with Trusted Partners

In March 2025, the European Union published a white paper for European Defense Readiness 2030, which identifies defense needs and envisions a massive €800

www.globalpolicywatch.com

The only stumbling block is the French. (They are being French).

France blocking Britain from EU’s massive defence fund

Paris seeking to restrict member states to purchasing weapons made mostly within the bloc, diplomatic sources claim

www.telegraph.co.uk

Not all of the EU is onside with the French position.

The only real problem with the French is ....well they're being French.

 

[Stoker]

Ottawa considering ‘combination of approaches’ to 20% military pay hike

I think a lot were thinking it was going to be an immediate 20% raise, it seems like that was overly optimistic.

 

[GK .Dundas]

I think a lot were thinking it was going to be an immediate 20% raise, it seems like that was overly optimistic.

They're actually considering retention bonuses which is quite the change from the usual attitude of " You should be grateful we pay you at all "

 

[FJAG]

The real test will come over the next couple months when those projects start getting submitted

And the Americans start to wake up to the fact that diversification of Canadian energy resources means a cut back as to what they are receiving.

 

[Stoker]

They're actually considering retention bonuses which is quite the change from the usual attitude of " You should be grateful we pay you at all "

Yes retention bonus for personnel in different trades and at certain ranks, which is great for the people receiving the money. A 20% broad pay raise corrects the disparity we currently have from the last increase to keep up with inflation and buying power, not to mention it counts towards salary. Like everything the CAF touches this will be a trainwreck.

 

[Cloud Cover]

As an aside, what a Gucci base that must have been back in the day. Living and working on the beach in the summer. Tons of trails and recreation in the winter. Good food, reasonably close to Winnipeg, in those days, a train direct to downtown Winnipeg at Union Station. I love visiting Gimli in all seasons.

Centralia with its emergency runway at Grand Bend comes to mind. Open at least until the mid 60’s.

 

[FJAG]

Centralia with its emergency runway at Grand Bend comes to mind. Open at least until the mid 60’s.

I was at Centralia a few years ago taking my sister in law to some of the air bases her husband had served at. Almost all the infrastructure is still there (and in much better shape than Gimli or Rivers). The PMQs are a fairly neat housing community. The airfield is intact as are most of the hangers and related buildings having been taken over by Blue Water Recycling and several other agencies.