Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Canadian Army waiting for air-defence systems as Ottawa buys equipment for Ukraine

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    The federal Liberal government's plan to buy anti-aircraft missiles for Ukraine is prompting questions about why such equipment isn't being bought for the Canadian Army.

    The Army has been without weapons to defend Canadian troops from enemy aircraft, rockets and drones since the last of its anti-air weapons were retired in 2012, and efforts to acquire new ones have remained stuck in neutral for years.

    Multiple Army commanders have described the lack of such weapons as a key deficiency for the Canadian military, including defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre, when he was the head of the Army in 2019.

    That December, Eyre said restoring anti-aircraft defence was one of his top priorities.

    A spokesman for Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday that the provision of an American-made surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine, at a cost of $406 million, would help protect against air attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and military sites.

    "Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine is also an attack on the international rules that keep us all safe," Daniel Minden said in an email. "In other words, Ukraine's security is Europe's security and the world's security -- including Canada's."

    The decision to purchase surface-to-air missiles for Ukraine was applauded by retired military officers who spoke to The Canadian Press, but they also questioned why Ottawa wasn't doing the same thing for the Canadian military.

    Former Liberal MP and retired Army commander Andrew Leslie said his first reaction to news about the systems for Ukraine was: "Excellent."

    "And in about three seconds, it went from, 'Excellent, we're buying this for Ukraine' to 'Now, why the hell aren't you buying it for Canada?"' he said.

    The need for anti-air defence is particularly relevant now as the Canadian military prepares to deploy more soldiers and equipment to Latvia, where Canada is leading a NATO battle group charged with defending eastern Europe from Russia.

    Minden did not say why Canada was buying what's known as the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System for the Ukrainian military but not its own. He instead pointed to a procurement project launched by the Liberal government in 2018 to obtain a variety of anti-air defensive systems.

    That $1-billion "ground-based air defence" project is expected to deliver a variety of capabilities to defend against different threats. Yet it isn't scheduled to deliver anything to the Army until at least 2027.

    In the meantime, Minden said, "Canada continues to operate alongside allied nations who have this capability."

    Retired lieutenant-general Marquis Hainse says the need for what is known as ground-based air defence system was identified back in 2013, when he took over as commander of the Army.

    "We certainly pushed it up as a priority for the Army in my time and somehow we never got there," he said in an email.

    Analysts have previously noted that when the Canadian military put away the last of its anti-air weapons in 2012, it was on the assumption that Canada and its allies would have air superiority in any battle and not have to worry about airborne attacks.

    But Hainse noted that the war in Ukraine has highlighted a number of different gaps in the Canadian military's capabilities, including the need for air defences.

    He and Leslie said the surface-to-air missile system, which is designed to intercept short- to medium-range threats, may not be perfect, but it's a start.

    "Is it a pretty good system? Yes," Leslie said. "Is it bleeding edge technology? No. But we have nothing right now."

    Retired lieutenant-general Guy Thibault, who previously served as vice-chief of the defence staff, said there were arguably legitimate reasons for why the government took its time on buying a ground-based air defence system for the military in previous years.

    Those include the lack of a clear threat, other priorities and Ottawa's emphasis on made-in-Canada content and economic benefits, which has been a hallmark of the Canadian military procurement system over the past decade.

    "But I would think that things have changed in people's minds when they're watching what's going on in Europe, and thinking about our forces that are on the frontlines there," he said.

    "And as a significant partner in NATO, I think it's rather shameful that we couldn't provide these kinds of capabilities, or that we're not in a position to provide more capacity to contribute to the alliance's defence and deterrence mission in Europe."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A six-year-old boy from northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found dead.

    Toronto police have released video footage of a suspect who allegedly stole a taxi in the city’s downtown core over the weekend.

    A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse.

    Canada

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. last week has been found safe, police said Sunday evening.

    • Toronto police have released video footage of a suspect who allegedly stole a taxi in the city’s downtown core over the weekend.

    • More than a year after the Government of Saskatchewan introduced the pronoun policy, the constitutionality of it continues to be questioned.

    • The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

    • Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.

    • The City of Calgary ended water restrictions for the city at a Sunday morning update.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. last week has been found safe, police said Sunday evening.

    • Crime and street disorder have become a key political issue in British Columbia amid a series of violent stranger attacks and other public safety incidents. Here are some of events that have made the issue prominent with the public.

    • One man is dead and another injured after a shooting in Langley Saturday evening that homicide investigators say is gang-related.

    • A new charter challenge set to get underway on Monday will test the constitutionality of a controversial Ontario law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into long-term care homes not of their choosing or face a $400-per-day charge if they refuse.

    • Toronto police have released video footage of a suspect who allegedly stole a taxi in the city’s downtown core over the weekend.

    • Some wet weather is in the forecast this week for Toronto after an extended bout of dry conditions in the city.

    • Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    • Premier Danielle Smith on Monday is expected to make an address at the Future of Energy Summit in Banff, a meeting of energy industry leaders from around the world.

    • After winning two gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Paris, a Canadian swimmer is on top of the podium again.

    • Ottawa Police are investigating a Sunday late night shooting which sent one person to hospital.

    • Thousands participated in the 17th annual Canada Army Run Sunday in the capital's downtown.

    • There are 'no restrictions' on the right to receive health services in Quebec for English speakers, according to a new clarification document issued by the Quebec Health Ministry on Monday.

    • Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt will lay off 1,600 employees in Sweden, a fifth of its workforce, as it seeks to 'concentrate all energy and investment on (its) core business' amid financial difficulties.

    • Quebec, California and Washington State have reiterated their intention to link their carbon markets.

    • Charges are pending against a driver who was headed the wrong way before a crash on Anthony Henday Drive early Monday morning, police say.

    • Police are investigating a shooting in central Edmonton on Sunday.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      Summer's over, but we're not done with heat just yet.

    • The first full week of the New Brunswick election campaign is kicking off today with announcements about housing and affordability planned from the two opposition parties.

    • A woman is dead and a man is injured after they were hit by a truck in Glace Bay, N.S., Saturday night.

    • A fire at a barn in Lower Coverdale, N.B., early Sunday morning is under investigation.

    • A six-year-old boy from northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found dead.

    • Winnipeg police called in the bomb unit Saturday night after a suspicious item was found in a Centennial neighbourhood back lane.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • More than a year after the Government of Saskatchewan introduced the pronoun policy, the constitutionality of it continues to be questioned.

    • A six-year-old boy from northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found dead.

    • A 14-year-old girl from Flying Dust First Nation was killed after a high-speed ATV struck a ditch near Meadow Lake.

    • Brantford, Ont. residents were met with an unexpected sight on Saturday evening as a suspected funnel cloud appeared in the skies above the city.

    • Waterloo Regional Police were called to a business located near Ottawa Street South and Fischer Hallman Road at around 4 p.m. Sunday.

    • Police were called to a business in the area of University Avenue East and Weber Street North at around 10:40 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man attempting to stab another man.

    • More than a year after the Government of Saskatchewan introduced the pronoun policy, the constitutionality of it continues to be questioned.

    • A 14-year-old girl from Flying Dust First Nation was killed after a high-speed ATV struck a ditch near Meadow Lake.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • The sexual assault trial for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is expected to begin in northern Ontario this week, following a jury selection process.

    • Sudbury police are investigating after two men required medical attention for stab wounds following an altercation with a group in the downtown area.

    • Two people have been arrested following a suspicious death investigation in London. As previously reported, it was around 6 p.m. on Friday when first responders were called to Kathleen avenue for a "check welfare investigation."

    • In early August, Gord Leaman proudly put up a billboard on his front lawn that says "Screw Trudeau, Screw Singh, Capitalism not Socialism, and White Lives Matter."

    • The identity of a motorcyclist has been revealed by loved ones on social media following Friday’s fatal south end collision in London. The London Police Service has not released anything regarding the driver’s identity.

    • Illegal dumping has become an issue in the small township south of Shelburne.

    • Two people were arrested on alleged trafficking and gun-related charges.

    • One man is in police custody after fabricating a story to police and reporting his vehicle was stolen.

    • Windsor police arrested two suspects after seizing numerous illegal firearms and recovered three stolen motorcycles.

    • As the cleanup continues from the Wheatley explosion in 2021, the project team says it has found what it believes is a wooden-cased petroleum well.

    • As the City of Windsor celebrates the first east-end edition of its popular Open Streets event, officials say it likely won't be the last.

    • Work crews have been busy in the British Columbia legislature over the summer, prying apart desks in the historic chamber and piling them up in hallways as they tried to work out how to fit in six more seats.

    • The two top contenders in British Columbia's provincial election dove deep into the various issues plaguing the Metro Vancouver area on Sunday, in some cases hearing directly from those most affected.

    • A Victoria woman is now $1 million richer after winning a Maxmillions prize on a recent Lotto Max Draw.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Medicine Hat man faces charges after police say they found him in possession of drugs and a .22-calibre pen gun.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The sexual assault trial for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is expected to begin in northern Ontario this week, following a jury selection process.

    • This week marks the first full week of winter and with that, a sad ending to being summer tourists. Officials with Indigenous Tourism Ontario however say it was a banner summer for operators in the province.

    • The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½