Canada opposition head says he will slash foreign aid to build Arctic base

11/2/2025 5:52

The head of Canada's official opposition party, on track to win an election in the coming months, said on Monday he would slash foreign aid to help build a base in the Arctic and boost regional security.



U.S. President Donald Trump, who is threatening to impose tariffs on Canada, often complains Ottawa does not spend enough on defense. Canada only has a handful of military bases and 2,000 local Inuit rangers to watch over a vast deserted frozen landscape that covers more than 4.4 million square km.



Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, noting the Pentagon had warned of potential Russian action in the Arctic, said he would build at least one new military base, double the number of rangers to 4,000 and buy two more polar icebreakers.