Featured
The “Blue Hackle Mafia” scandal exposed a private Facebook group of roughly 200 Canadian soldiers, mostly from the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, sharing explicit images and hateful content. Despite early internal warnings, leadership delayed action. The military’s attempt at media damage control backfired, revealing deeper institutional accountability concerns.
Despite a major defence budget boost under PM Mark Carney—from $43B to $62.7B this year and a projected $150B by 2035—the Canadian Armed Forces remain in crisis. Readiness levels are near historic lows, and full operational recovery is now delayed until 2032 due to personnel shortages, training delays, and structural challenges.
At the NATO summit, PM Mark Carney pledged to raise Canada’s defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2026 and eventually 5% by 2035. While $9B is new funding, most is reallocated. A broader definition of defence could support mining projects like Yukon’s Mactung tungsten deposit to reduce reliance on China.
On June 9, Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2025–26, increasing the budget from $40B to $62.7B through new funds and budget reshuffling. Carney also announced CAF pay raises, new hires, a Coast Guard realignment, and a review of F-35 fighter jet purchases.
On June 9, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will immediately meet NATO's 2% defence spending target—$62.7 billion annually—boosting DND's budget by $9.3 billion. However, shortages in trained personnel, broken equipment, and housing delays hinder readiness. Meanwhile, NATO eyes a 5% target by 2035, raising future spending expectations significantly.
At CANSEC 2025, new Defence Minister David McGuinty pledged swift action to rebuild Canada’s military in partnership with industry. His use of “immediate” sparked optimism, though no concrete steps followed. Days later at NATO, he softened his stance, reflecting skepticism about Canada’s ability to meet rising defence spending targets.
From May 19–23, Quebec City hosted two French warships, including the powerful Mistral helicopter carrier. Canada once had the chance to acquire similar vessels at a bargain price, but political and budgetary hesitations led to missed opportunities. Egypt ultimately purchased them, and Canada continues to lack such versatile naval assets.
Canadian soldiers from Lord Strathcona's Horse performed the King's Mounted Guard in London from July 11–21, a rare honour marking their 125th anniversary. While visually striking, the author argues such ceremonial duties misuse military resources amid personnel shortages, suggesting civilian re-enactors could fulfill these roles instead of trained combat soldiers.