Former PM Harper says military spending can address Arctic infrastructure gap

Former prime minister Stephen Harper delivers the keynote address at a conference on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — Former prime minister Stephen Harper says the best way to build much-needed infrastructure in the Arctic is through military spending.

Speaking at an Arctic security conference in Iqaluit on Friday, Harper said leveraging military spending can build roads and runways to create supply chains and lower the cost of living.

Canada has committed to NATO’s new military spending target of five per cent of GDP and federal officials have spoken in recent years about linking northern infrastructure to defence spending.

Harper said the threats Canada faces offer an opportunity to develop the region, much as the Second World War and the Cold War led to rapid development of northern infrastructure.

Harper said this visit to Iqaluit is his first since leaving office.

Harper prioritized northern development as prime minister and made annual trips to the region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press