June 4, 2026
The Empire Club of Canada Presents
Forging the Army Canada Needs: Stakeholder Opportunities to Contribute to the Defence of Canada
Chairman: Saurabh Popat, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Moderator
Jody Thomas, Senior Advisor at Council of Public Affairs
Panellists
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army
Bernie Derible, Ontario’s Agent General in Southeast Asia
Patrick Kelly, Director General for Land, Joint & Procurement Excellence, Defence Investment Agency
Head Table Guests
Chris Lane, Senior Vice President of Defence, EllisDon
Welcome Address by Saurabh Popat, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. Apologies for the delay in getting the event started, but here we are. I hope you enjoyed your meals this afternoon. My name is Saurabh Popat, and I’m the chair of the board here at the Empire Club of Canada, and your host for today’s event.
To formally begin, I’d like to acknowledge that we are gathering on the Traditional and Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the homelands of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples. I encourage you all to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you work and live.
Now, today’s event would not be possible without the generous support of our incredible sponsors. The Empire Club is a nonprofit organization, and our sponsors generously support the club, and make these events possible and complimentary for our online viewers to attend. So, please join me in thanking our Lead Sponsors, EllisDon, and McKinsey & Company. Thank you. Thank you to our VIP Reception Sponsors, CL Defence, Colt Canada, the Canadian Corps of Commissioners, Draganfly Inc., FelixClark, Pomerleau, Texture Communications, and Unisync, and Wuxly. Thank you. And thank you to our Supporting Sponsors, BLG, Dominion Dynamics, GHD Limited, PWC, and TriggerTech. Thank you. We also deeply appreciate the ongoing support of our Lead Season Sponsors, Bruce Power, Hydro One, and National Bank Capital Markets, and our VIP Reception Season Sponsors, EllisDon, McKinsey & Company, the Ontario Road Builders Association, and Waste Connections of Canada. Yeah, so a round of applause for everyone, as well. And finally, thank you to our Media Partner, the Toronto Star, and our AV Partner, Bespoke Audio Visual.
If you have a question for our speakers, please scan the QR code found on your program, or through the Q&A function, if you’re online. For those of you online, if you require technical assistance, please use the chat feature.
As the Prime Minister recently said in his speech in Davos, the rules that govern international security for decades are shifting. Adversaries are actively challenging global stability. Great powers are flexing their muscles. Alliances are straining, or shifting. And that means our military must adapt to meet these new realities.
The Empire Club has long been a forum for these critical national conversations. For more than 122 years, we have hosted leaders from generals to ministers to prime ministers to discuss Canada’s military position. In fact, in 1946, the legendary general Harry Crerar, commander of the first Canadian army in Europe during World War II, stood at this very stage, and gave a stark warning. He said at the time, “War has not been banished from this world. On the contrary, the danger of its reoccurrence is a situation which we Canadians must frankly face. And in any future war, neither time nor geography will be factors on which this country can count.” And just last October, Canada’s Minister of Defence, David McGuinty, also stood on the stage and echoed that very sentiment from 80 years ago. He said that our geography was once a buffer from international threats, but not anymore. Then, as now, we must be able to defend our sovereignty on our own terms. A modern, capable army requires a strong industrial foundation. We cannot rely entirely on global supply chains for our safety. We need to build capacity right here at home in Canada. And we all have a part to play in protecting Canada. Businesses, researchers, and public institutions all have a role, when it comes to equipping our forces.
A secure nation requires a resilient economy, and today, we will explore exactly how we build that capacity. Later this afternoon, Jodi Thomas will moderate a panel discussion. She will be joined by Bernie Dureble and Patrick Kelly to discuss how the public and private sectors can work together to strengthen Canada’s defence capacity. We’ll also hear directly from the Commander of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, and he will remain with us for that broader conversation, as we examine what a modernized land force requires.
Now, to formally begin our program, please welcome Chris Lane, Senior Vice President of Defence from EllisDon. Chris.
Opening Remarks by Chris Lane, Senior Vice President of Defence, EllisDon
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and members of the Empire Club of Canada. My name is Chris Lane, and I have the privilege of serving as Ellis Don’s Senior Vice President of Defence. I’m honoured to be here today to introduce a truly inspiring figure within the Canadian Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army, and Chief of the Army Staff.
Enrolling in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1990, Lieutenant-General Wright has held a distinguished career in the Canadian Armed Forces. He has served in all three Canadian mechanized brigade groups, and commanded at the platoon company and battalion level. In 2021, he was the Commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, and Chief of Defence Intelligence, where he was then appointed to Commander of the Canadian Army in 2024. Lieutenant General Wright has deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, earning both the Medal of Military Valour and the Meritorious Service Medal. Under his leadership, the Canadian Army has developed Inflection Point, a generational shift in how all elements of the Canadian Army will be structured, equipped, trained, sustained, and integrated.
Earlier this year at Davos, our Prime Minister spoke of a rupture in the world order. Rules-based order is fading, and Canada, along with other middle powers, needs to deepen relationships and act together. This is incredibly inspiring, as what lies core in our ethos at EllisDon is that true success comes from deep and lasting relationships. Just like the middle powers, industries that are aligned with our shared values need to be ready to deepen partnerships with the Canadian Armed Forces. For 75 years, Ellis Don has been proud to partner with Canada. We’ve been building the infrastructure that keeps our women and men in uniform ready for the future. From coast-to-coast-to-coast, our teams have constructed new operation centres, training facilities, maintenance complexes, and accommodation buildings. We’ve developed Arctic infrastructure, and have collaborated with partners to strengthen our industrial capacity. Our team has developed innovative strategies to deliver work faster. By connecting design, construction, and maintenance, we become fast, fluid, and flexible. We’re a group of passionate individuals guided by our core values, and our drive to build on great relationships. And so, as we strengthen our sovereignty as a nation, EllisDon is ready to deepen relationships, and act together with the Canadian Armed Forces.
So, on behalf of EllisDon and the Empire Club, it is my pleasure to ask you to join me in welcoming Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army. Thank you.
[VIDEO]
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army
Good afternoon, everyone. It’s a real privilege for me to be at an institution that has long brought together leaders from across business, government, and academia to shape national conversations. And that’s exactly what this afternoon is all about, an important national conversation about a vital national institution. Building a modern Army for Canada’s security and sovereignty spans industry, finance, innovation ecosystems, research institutions, and the talent that is developed in our classrooms. Decisions that are being made today will determine not only how we defend this country, but how we compete, how we innovate, and how we grow.
As you know, Canada is making historic defence investments with a clear expectation to deliver capability faster, at scale, and in ways that strengthen both our sovereignty and our economy. So today, I’ll speak to you about why your Canadian Army is modernizing with a sense of urgency, what that modern Army will look like, and how we can all build it together.
As you’ve already heard, the global security environment is more contested, complex, and unpredictable than at any time in recent decades. We are in an era of strategic, persistent competition where the boundary between peace and conflict is blurred, and adversaries operate across the military, cyber, economic, and cognitive domains. Disinformation moves faster than truth. And adversaries seek not just to defeat, but to delay, disrupt, and divide. Technology is reshaping the modern battlefield with sensors, drones, AI-enabled targeting, and persistent surveillance. Decision cycles have compressed, and warning time has collapsed. And our sovereignty, values, and way of life are no longer protected by participation in institutions alone. They must be underwritten by deterrence, generated and demonstrated through credible capability, proven readiness, and national resilience.
Now, the video summarized our Inflection Point 2025, that we released last fall. The central argument that it makes is simple: the army we have is not the army we need. For decades, Canada, with other countries, contributed to coalitions assuming that others would provide necessary capabilities that we did not have. But those assumptions no longer hold, and our allies face the same pressures that we do. Today, we need to rearm and rebuild an agile, scalable, digitally transformed, and fully interoperable army. One that is capable of not only contributing to, but leading major combat operations, as Canada did during both world wars. As a G7 nation and a founding member of NATO, it is what is expected of us by our allies, and I’d argue should be expected of us by Canadians.
We’re moving quickly to grow our people, acquire necessary capabilities, and make long needed changes to our training and our structure. Now, despite the incredible advances we are seeing from uncrewed systems on the modern battlefield, they do not replace soldiers. Land power remains decisive. Only soldiers can seize, hold, and control terrain, and sustain a persistent presence in all weather and all terrain, including in our Arctic. Our soldiers can protect vulnerable populations, and critical infrastructure in Canada and around the world. Soldiers remain the very foundation of combat power, strengthening deterrence and resilience, and providing a direct, credible, and cost-effective way to achieve rapid operational effects. Land power fosters economic and security resilience, and drives demand for Canadian defence industry, sovereign production, and innovation.
As you know, the defence team is present from coast-to-coast-to-coast across the country, and defence supports jobs, regional economies, and long-term growth across the nation. In Ontario alone, there are nearly 50,000 members of the Department of National Defence, Canadian Armed Forces, and the Canadian Coast Guard living in Ontario, that making us one of the top five employers in the province. Direct national defence spending in the province reached more than $9.5 billion in 2024, and the Army is a major employer in cities such as Kingston, Petawawa, Barrie, Trenton, and Ottawa. Over a third of the Army’s 21,000 reservists across the country are here in Ontario, with reserve units in 43 communities across the province, and Canadian Ranger patrol groups in 26 communities in Northern Ontario. And here in the GTA, the 14 units of 32 Brigade account for over 3,300 soldiers. Now, these are not abstract numbers. They represent skilled jobs, strong communities, and industrial capacity.
Our Army modernization has three objectives. First, soldiers who are better protected, informed, and empowered to make decisions. Second, forces that can rapidly integrate technology, and adapt in real time. And third, an Army that can generate and sustain combat power at scale. Now, to achieve these objectives, the Army is restructuring from four regionally-based divisions to a mission-focused, effects-driven organization that can fight, survive, and persist on the modern battlefield. This September, we are moving to a structure where our Army headquarters will focus on strategy, and three divisions designed for task and purpose will ensure that our soldiers are ready for operations in Canada, and around the world.
The first Canadian division, headquartered in Edmonton, with forces in five provinces, including Ontario, will be our high readiness formation for expeditionary operations, such as the over 2,000 Canadian soldiers who serve on NATO’s eastern flank in Latvia, or the support that we provide to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It will also build up our capabilities to a level that is required not only by NATO, but to credibly detect and deter threats before they ever reach Canada.
The second Canadian division, headquartered in Montréal, and present in every province and territory, will be dedicated to the defence of Canada. It will lead the exercise and assertion of sovereignty in our North and Arctic. It will maintain strong linkages with federal, provincial, and territorial emergency management organizations to ensure that, if required, we are always ready to help Canadians in their time of need. And with a footprint in over 100 communities across the country, it provides the basis for future growth and mobilization.
Our support division, based in Kingston, with regional support groups across the country, will link the Army to Canada’s national supply chain, and provide institutional support for operations in Canada and around the world. And the divisions will be enabled by our Army Doctrine and Training Command, which will provide the education and training required to prepare our soldiers and their leaders for the realities of today, and the challenges of tomorrow.
This new structure institutionalizes persistent readiness, rapid regeneration, and scalable mobilization. This is how Canada fought in both world wars, and it is a baseline for credible deterrence, collective defence, and national autonomy. But modernization also depends on a strong professional culture built on trust, respect, accountability, and leaders with character and competence. Without that foundation, we cannot recruit, retain, or operate credibly with allies, and we risk losing the trust of the Canadians we serve. Discipline, cohesion, trust, mental and physical resilience are the foundations of combat effectiveness, and the keys to success of our modernization.
We’re building capabilities through an integrated program of over 50 major capital projects, which will form a survivability ecosystem. Low signature, highly mobile, deception enabled, air defended, and digitally connected. These capabilities will strengthen deterrence and protect our forces, and operate effectively both at home and abroad. Priorities include new vehicles for mobility and survivability in the Arctic, reintroducing ground-based air defence, and modernizing our direct and indirect fire systems and vehicles. Now, we’re also closely following the evolution of uncrewed ground and aerial systems in Ukraine, which can augment more expensive crude systems with surveillance, mass, and fire power. We are moving at pace to catch up—and I’ll speak more about our Minerva initiative in a few minutes.
But critical to our integrating all of those capabilities is an improved digital command and control backbone. Today’s soldiers have access to an unprecedented amount of data, and we need a secure, digitally secured network that can fight, sustain, and survive in complex environments, and give our soldiers the ability to see, understand, decide, and act faster than adversaries.
Now, our efforts are enabled by historic defence investments, the establishment of the Defence Investment Agency, and Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which represents a whole of government approach to transform Canada’s defence industry with the aim of streamlining procurement, and keeping more capabilities designed, built, and sustained in Canada. And the Army’s program positions us to be the action arm for the strategies, pillars of building in Canada, or partnering Canadian industry with other countries before buying equipment from abroad.
But modernization is not just about dollar figures, it’s about outcomes. Converting investment into capability and capability into national advantage by strengthening our sovereignty, while driving economic resilience, high tech, and advanced manufacturing jobs across the country. In many areas that require investment, our bases and ranges, logistic hubs, or transportation networks, strengthen both military and civilian readiness.
In Ontario, sectors that could benefit from this strategy include armoured vehicles and munitions, autonomous systems, critical minerals and energy, and digital cyber and AI technologies. And some of these investments are already visible on the ground, such as modernizing armored vehicle production at GDLSC in London, or the contract awarded to Colt Canada in Kitchener to produce 65,000 new rifles with delivery beginning later this year. Significant upgrades are also being made to major bases across the province. Over the next three years, defence infrastructure investment in Ontario is expected to reach almost 2.9 billion. And this is about more than defence. It’s about building sovereign industrial capacity, scaling Canadian innovation, and positioning Canadian firms in a rapidly expanding global defence market. When you look at it, defence spending is economic strategy, industrial strategy, and national security strategy all at once.
Industry is a key player in army modernization, and we’re moving from a transactional model to a relationship that is collaborative, iterative, and operationally grounded. And our Minerva initiative is an example of this. The war in Ukraine has shown us how small, affordable drones are transforming surveillance, logistics, and precision effects on the battlefield. Frontline soldiers are rapidly adapting commercial technology, and iterating tactics in real time. With the Minerva initiative, we’re putting drones directly into the hands of our soldiers using off-the-shelf systems so that they can train, experiment, and innovate. And we’re working closely with Canadian industry to deliver systems that are soldier-friendly, and can operate in any climate. Soldiers, engineers, and Canadian businesses collaborate early to test and mature prototypes.
Since its launch last fall, there have been several successful industry engagement sessions, including one that I attended with nearly 100 members of Canadian industry in Petawawa at the end of April for the launch of the first of 10 industry challenges that will be held this year. But in addition to Minerva, we’re working with industry to co-develop capabilities, including cloud-based C2 systems, and directly testing those technologies in operational environments, such as during a recent large-scale exercise in Québec, where over 20 companies worked alongside our soldiers to evaluate mobile command-and-control, edge computing, and signature management.
But modernizing the Canadian Army is not something government, the military, or industry can do alone. It’s a shared responsibility, and we need to move with a sense of purpose. Every additional requirement we write, every program we delay, and every system we feel too late affects our soldiers. We need practical and tangible action across society, and here are a few ideas as to how you can make a difference.
First, by enabling early technology collaboration, we need to engage with Canadian enterprises earlier to help shape solutions. Second, by strengthening the talent and ideas pipeline by building deeper connection between academia, innovators, and the Army through exchanges, research, partnerships, and engagement. Third, the Army depends on a strong reserve. Employers who directly support military leave, strengthen readiness, and surge capacity. Fourth, by supporting veterans transitioning into the workforce, they bring leadership, adaptability, and teamwork, which are qualities that strengthen any organization. And fifth, by standing behind our military families. Readiness depends on resilient families, and initiatives that support and reinforce the social contract between Canadians and those who serve.
So, modern defence requires a whole-of-society effort, and we have an opportunity to move faster, work differently, and build capability in Canada that strengthens our security and our prosperity. An Army that defends our sovereignty, an industrial base that powers our economy, and a country that rises to meet the moment together. Thank you very much for this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing the conversation this afternoon.
Saurabh Popat
Thank you, Lieutenant-General Wright. Fantastic remarks. I love the comment about a whole-of-Canada approach. I think that’s very appropriate. We’re all behind you in the Canadian Army, Canadian Armed Forces. We appreciate your leadership, and your clear vision for the future for our land forces. Now, Lieutenant General Wright and the rest of our panel will explore how the public and private sectors can work together to build the capacity our country needs. Guiding this conversation is Jody Thomas, Senior Advisor at Council of Public Affairs. She recently served as National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, and has more than 35 years of service in national security and defence.
Joining her is Bernie Derible, Ontario’s Agent General in Southeast Asia, and our province’s military and defence representative. He is a retired senior military officer and former Deputy Minister who has led complex nation-building initiatives around the globe. He understands exactly how to position our province as a strong partner in defence cooperation. And rounding out our panel is Patrick Kelly, the Director General for Land, Joint and Procurement Excellence at the Defence Investment Agency. Patrick leads major defence procurement and capability initiatives that modernize procurement for the digital age. He brings more than two decades of senior public sector leadership and is a strong advocate for faster, more collaborative procurement models that drive innovation and help to strengthen Canada’s defence capacity. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Jodi, Bernie, Patrick, and Lieutenant General Wright.
Jody Thomas, Senior Advisor at Council of Public Affairs
Thank you. It’s a real pleasure to be here today hosting this panel of such extraordinary experts. And I don’t want to take time away from the people you really want to hear from, but I want to say a few things to set the scene. First of all, for those of us who’ve lived in this ecosystem, have served, or were trying or are trying to make a difference today, we appreciate any opportunity to talk about Canada, and to talk about what it means to be a nation. Protecting our sovereignty and growing our country, they’re linked. And for the first time ever, I think everybody in Canada is understanding that. National security and national defence are inextricably tied to our economic security, and we have never talked about defence of this nation in that way, I don’t think maybe, since the days of C.D. Howe. And so re-equipping the Canadian Armed Forces, setting a vision for the world we live in and growing the Armed Forces cannot happen without strategic investment and strategic procurement.
And I think that this is an extraordinary gathering, and I’m really pleased to be here. I also want to point out that, based on this panel, Canada is the world’s smallest large country. I, of course, worked with General Wright, both at National Defence and the Privy Council Office. And I say this with honesty and emotion, that he is one of the most courageous leaders this country has ever known. And we are very lucky that he’s leading the Canadian Army. Bernie is the exact right choice to be doing this work for Ontario at this time. His military history is his civilian experience as a deputy minister. And his parents were amongst my parents’ closest friends. I’ve known him my entire life. And so, it was a pleasure to find out that we’d be on this panel together. And Patrick, there is absolutely no pressure on you at all: you just have to deliver the Army.
And so, I think that I’ll start with a couple of questions, and then we’ll open it up to the floor, if I can make this iPad work, which I think I can. So, I’m gonna start with Bernie, and then General Wright. How should middle powers like Canada think differently about societal resilience and deterrence?
Bernie Derible, Ontario’s Agent General in Southeast Asia
Jody, thank you. And I wanna thank everyone here, if I could, very quickly. More wishes from Premier Ford, who I report to. And I wanna thank all the sponsors, there’s so many of you here. And what I find interesting, we have the Commander of the Army here, many, many folks in uniform serving, probably many that have served, or reservists, and that kind of thing. And I would argue between the capital we have in the room, we have a bunch of folks that can build things, we have innovators, thought leaders, educators, we’ve got the whole team, sir. So, I think we should be able to deliver. But before I continue on, I—obviously veteran, but I would like to just acknowledge, we acknowledge so many things and I would like, if you could, those in uniform, those who have served, just quickly stand up because I think you need to have acknowledgement in these public spaces. So, if you could please stand up. Thank you. Thank you for your service. We don’t say that enough, folks. November 11th, we say it a lot, but we have to say it more often.
And I think to Jodi’s question, how do we play middle power? First of all, we have to define that. I think the Commander of the Army has to find it quite clearly, what his goals are, and what he’s looking for, what his combat forces are gonna be going forward. Very clear. You take that as a mission statement. How do we play, how do we look at this? The Prime Minister has given us a very, very clear goal. He’s put money against this, put probably his political, personal, professional career against this. And he’s got the political will. So, those of us who’ve been in the game, and I have my colleagues from the government here, Assistant Deputy Minister Suzanne Skinner, we all as Deputy Ministers and those in the, if you have political will and you have money, it’s up to us now. It’s up to those of us in this room to deliver. Don’t go bug the Prime Minister’s office. He’s been clear. He was clear at CANSEC about the money. And we just heard a very, very clear mission statement from our Commander of the Army.
So, as a middle power, as this vision starts unfolding, I don’t think there’s any gray area. And I would argue, and I had a good chat at my table with a colleague from McKinsey, I actually think our leadership has taken away some of that risk. Has kind of clearly said, you know, there’s legislation in for 3.5%. I’m pretty sure I heard Prime Minister Carney at CANSEC say there’s gonna be even more after the summer session. So, let’s not worry about that. Let’s not worry about the procurement. Patrick’s gonna solve all that. And Mr. Guzman is gonna solve all that. But I think we need to think about the sovereignty piece. I think that is the question. We need energy security. We need food security. We need medical security. We have those things here.
And I can just quickly, Ontario has this ecosystem. We are the industrial heartland. We’ve got some of the finest—just walk over to University Avenue, and go and see the advertising and some of the medical facilities. Some of the top in the world. We’ve got colleagues here from Sunnybrook. We’ve got colleagues here from ORNGE Medevac. Universities, I don’t wanna list them all, because I’ll forget some. We already have that ecosystem, quantum, cyber. Pretty sure AI was invented here. We have an ecosystem that second to none, 96,000 STEM graduates every year. I can go on and on and on. That is middle power prowess that I think a lot of folks don’t even realize we already have.
And so, I’d like to say, and I learned this from much more experienced military officers than me, reinforced success I think is what we need to do here. We need to collaborate. All the good words have been said here. We need to collaborate. And I’m telling you right now, I have a Premier who’s doubling down, anybody who was at CANSEC, first time a Premier of Ontario ever pitched up. I think it was the first time a Prime Minister ever showed up. And some of you may have read the Ontario Defence Industrial Strategy, which is not separate to the federal one. It actually nests nicely. I have a little bit of background in strategy writing, so we’ve tried to nest it in. That’s what middle powers do. And that’s what I think Ontario is ready to throw in the weight of the government, the weight of our political leaders to make sure that we support everything that the Commander has shared with you across that entire ecosystem to reinforce success. So, that’s what a middle power does. And I think we’re well poised to do that, sir.
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright
I think I can cover the deterrence part very quickly, because I spoke a lot about it. But it’s important to remember that it’s deterrence, whether it’s in the land domain, or any of the other domains, it requires not only the capability, but the intent. But I do think we have that intent from the highest levels of leadership within our government. So, maybe switching to societal resilience. We are far ahead of where we were when I was briefing you about awful things, either when you were Deputy Minister, or when you were the National Security and Intelligence Advisor. And I think we’ve already seen over the last couple years an awakening in Canadian society. I don’t expect us to become Finland, or any of the countries in NATO’s Eastern flank overnight. Because even when, last week, I was at a NATO Army Commanders Conference? And even those countries that are further, the further you are away from the Eastern flank, the less of the understanding of the imperative to move with a sense of urgency exists.
But I can say that it’s important for us to continue to educate. That’s why I really appreciate this opportunity. This morning I was speaking at the Canadian Forces College and Colonel Barry Pitcher, who’s seated right here, is gonna be going in to command one of our Reserve Brigades in the Atlantic region this summer. And he said to me, am I authorized to talk about what I said about Army modernization? I said, you’re not authorized, you’re expected to. Because this is the strength of the Army, with having ambassadors across the country. And in fact, we have Jane Klugman, who’s one of our honourees from the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada. And so, she as well has been given the products that we have, so that we can dispatch people across the country to talk about our vital national institution.
Jody Thomas
Yeah, I think that’s so important. And we need to be authorizing people, empowering people, and we need to have the discussion. You mentioned other domains. I see some Navy people over there, go Navy. It’s important to remember that we also have a Navy, and Air Force, and Special Forces Command that we’re also re-equipping. We’re just talking Army here today. So speaking of re-equipping, Patrick, you heard the challenge laid out by General Wright. We also hear repeatedly from Ottawa that Canada is on a wartime footing. I’m not sure it seems like that everywhere in this country, maybe not in this city, in particular. Toronto has often been absent those discussions in Ottawa. So, how does the new Defence Investment Agency help and meet that challenge? And could you speak to how you’re working with your counterparts in the DIA to the competing priorities within the Canadian Armed Forces to deliver options for the government?
Patrick Kelly, Director General for Land, Joint & Procurement Excellence, Defence Investment Agency
Yeah, so the DIA, where we have two real main objectives. It’s to ensure we get the capabilities in the hands of the Canadian Forces as fast as possible, and the second is to ensure that there’s the economic benefits in Canada. And this is like a new responsibility. It’s a procurement organization, but the Industrial Strategy is really a new add-on that’s extremely important. So, we’re gonna leverage procurement to do that. So, the way that we’re gonna get there, to get faster is we’re like, we have to focus on three things to speed things up. One, it’s decision-making. So, I would say that’s around simplified governance. Governance is quite complex right now as simplifying government significantly. Delegating authorities to take decisions, we’re hoping with our new legislation that we’re gonna get higher authorities, and not have to go back to central agencies for decisions.
And then the second thing is integrating teams. Creating this link, a very strong link, very early on in the capability development phase, when a capability’s in their mind. Getting early integration with DIA, procurement professionals, so we can have—the capabilities are developed in the same time as a procurement strategy, a procurement approach, and then we look at how is industry gonna respond? What’s gonna be the industrial strategy? Because the earlier we can get at that, it creates less pressure on schedule and so on.
And the third thing, which is gonna be probably the biggest challenge, and it’s one of my responsibilities, it’s gonna be, we feel like we know how to accelerate procurement. We’ve delivered at PSBC, I come from PSBC on infrastructure, major projects. We delivered the Champlain Bridge in Montréal in 18 months. We do the Canada Dental Care Plan in 12 months. You know, we did the high-speed rail, we did it just under two years. So, we know how to do it. But the question is how do you standardize those methods, and scale them up? Train everybody, make that the new culture of the organization.
So, those are, like, that’s basically how we feel. So, those are the challenges, and that’s how we think that we’re gonna help Canada speed up at least to meet these sort of, as you said, wartime, use these wartime powers.
Jody Thomas
So I’m just gonna pick up on one thing that you said, because there are a number of us who’ve been in this world, and in the procurement ecosystem for quite some time. And one of the fears within national defence is always that we are choosing equipment based on industrial benefits, rather than straight capacity. And so, how are you gonna avoid that trap going forward?
Patrick Kelly
I can’t say there’s never gonna be trade-offs, right? Like, I don’t, I can’t predict. But they’re, like our core responsibility, like our core is to get the equipment, the soldiers, the sailors, the aviators, the operators, that they need to do their job safely. So, it’s at the core of our decision-making process. But there’s considerations in industrial benefits, what we look at, like this new build partner buy strategy. So, we have to look at really, like there’s five things. We look at sovereignty, like how important sovereignty is gonna be. We look at the capabilities, like what are the capabilities, what do we need this to do, how mature is that in Canada, and so on and so forth. We have to look at, you know, schedule, like there’s some urgent requirements right now, like we have to get some. So, we have to consider schedule, we have to consider price. So, that’s kind of like, so we have to look at that framework and find a balance, and then we go through, we challenge each other, we go through governance, and we make the trade-offs if we have to make some, and we take the decisions that we’re all willing to live with. So, that’s kind of how we’re functioning, currently.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Jody Thomas
Okay. Thank you. I’m gonna take a question from the floor, and I think this is probably best directed to Bernie. With the release of Ontario’s Defence Industrial Strategy a week ago, are more investment signals from the Ontario government needed to help build a sovereign defence sector?
Bernie Derible
Don’t wanna write a cheque my buddy can’t cash. It’s a signal. I’ll tell you what the signal is. The signal is that Ontario is going to be an enabler. Those of you who have read it, you heard the commander say whole of society. We didn’t rehearse that. The baseline of that strategy, or the framework—there’s more to come, by the way—is whole of society. We looked at it through a sovereign lens. Sovereign means security, cybersecurity. That is a sovereign capability. Those of you who live here in Ontario recall, I think last year, I don’t know, 11 or 12 of our hospitals got hacked. A cyber attack, those kind of things. We have 18 CANDU reactors here. Pretty important, we want those to be secure. Our critical infrastructure needs a bit of a upgrade, I would suggest. I’ve got our friends here from OPG. They’re world leaders in that area. They need, you know, you can’t just say oh, by the way, OPG, you take care of it. That’s a sovereign capability.
So, the signal that we’ve shown through the premier is that we are going to enable, we have set up a very robust team that’s going to be working with force development, workforce development. Folks, to do all of this stuff, I don’t want to share with you the numbers of folks we need, not just to join the military, but to actually build this infrastructure. I’m sure our folks at EllisDon love to talk to their HR people, how hard it is to find people that want to maybe go and work in the Arctic, and build a new base, and build a new SMR, and all of these things that we have these capabilities for. So really, what we wanted to signal on that document was a whole of society’s sovereign approach. It includes force development, it includes nuclear, it includes critical minerals. And if we don’t work together to support the mission that we heard today—and then there’s obviously a broader Canadian Armed Forces mission—but that is what we are aiming to do.
I’m not going to sit here and commit any kind of money, or anything like that. But when you, those of you know Premier Doug Ford, once he decides to do something like this, it didn’t take him long to get out there, and go and make sure you all understood, and my team is here. They can talk to you about the engagements we’ve had, over 450 individual engagements with business industry across, I think I’ve spoken to almost every university, colleges, I think we’re doing an event tomorrow. They are going to be the critical pillars to move this forward. So, please don’t, as I like to say, don’t take that document as 1-800-call-Doug-Ford for more money, and that kind of thing. There’s a lot of opportunity here. We’re ready to, we have mayors of Barrie and Oshawa calling us saying we have 3,000 acres of land. We’re, get it permitted, no fees, no this. Let me tell you, we’ve got a lot of welcoming folks that want to enable the commander and his colleagues in the Air Force, Navy and the special operations world to achieve success. And I think that’s what that document signaled.
Jody Thomas
Thank you. So, you talk about human capital, and certainly, we need to increase the size of the Armed Forces. We’re talking about civilian defence forces. General Wright, how are you going to raise the human capacity to modernize the Canadian Army? And how are we effectively integrating new Canadians into the Army?
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright
Yeah, so you’re absolutely right. The Army needs to grow, but equally the Navy, the Air Force, emerging capabilities like cyber, and our new Joint Forces Command need to grow. I think what the Canadian Armed Forces writ large can offer is that there are so many ways to serve. Whether it is full time in the regular force, whether it is part time in the reserve force, and I’ll just give a couple of examples. A little bit embarrassing that it wasn’t until I came into this job that I knew about the power of the high school co-op program that we have in Ontario. So, we have over 400 students in high school co-op, where they will receive high school credits, and they will receive their basic military training. And I look at, my youngest son grew up playing football, and I just wish that I’d known about that, and had been able to go into the locker room of his football team and say, do you wanna stay involved in a team sport? Do you wanna stay fit? Here’s a fantastic opportunity for you.
It’s also—and this is the importance of the conversation that we are increasingly having with post-secondary institutions, because there are some pockets of excellence across the country. Fanshawe College is one of those pockets of excellence, where we’ve long worked with them to pair on the training. Not all training needs to be done within the Canadian Armed Forces. I was speaking to somebody yesterday who said, the Army doesn’t, or the Armed Forces doesn’t have its own law school, but we have our own lawyers. So, a great example is some, a program that we have with Nova Scotia Community College, where we’re actually sending our vehicle technicians through training at Nova Scotia Community College. That provides them with 80 to 85% of what they need, and then we can provide them with the 10 to 15%.
I think the biggest challenge is going to be though, how do we build and rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces with all of the other enablers that we’ll need across the country? And the last thing I will say, because Josh Major from our Military Personnel Command is here, we’ve seen some encouraging signs, but we cannot take our eye off the ball at all. We need to ensure that we are providing professional and responsive recruiting, so that when Canadians are coming, showing interest, that we’re doing everything we can to bring them in.
Jody Thomas
Thank you. I think it’s so important to talk about the role of reservists. You know, I spent 12 years in the reserves, and when I’m asked about my career, and how I prepared myself to advance through the public service, it’s because I was a reservist. Everything I learned about leadership, I learned in the reserves. And it is one of the most extraordinary youth employment programs in this country. And I don’t think it’s talked about enough, and I don’t think it’s well enough understood, nor do I think it’s well enough funded, but that’s a different question. So, for all three of you—and maybe, I’ll ask Bernie to start, and then we’ll go down the line—how do we ensure this moment translates into lasting momentum? There is so much talk right now out there in Pundit World that it’s gonna end as soon as Trump leaves office in three years, and that this is just a reaction to him, as opposed to a sovereign need for Canada. So, how do we ensure the latter is the message, not the former?
Bernie Derible
Those of you who’ve been in the room with Prime Minister Carney or heard him speak—I’m not gonna quote Davos, that’s been quoted too many times. Let’s just do what he tells us to do. Like, he’s leading this nation. Any leader who says defence and sovereignty is gonna be his top three economic pillars, that’s good enough for me. And I think this momentum—we do, though, collectively, need to show some early wins to the political folks. We need to show Canadians what’s in it for them. I think they’re excited about, they’d be excited to hear—any Canadian would be excited to hear the commander speak, but what’s in it for them? And I’ve learned a few things in politics, what’s in it for them. So, I think we need to deliver some wins. You’ve got some significant support from premiers across the land. You’ve got obviously the federal support. So, the moment is now. I would just recommend that somebody deliver something recognizable both for the Canadian Armed Forces, but also Canadians go, that’s what I expect for a sovereign nation.
Patrick Kelly
Yeah, well, from our perspective, it’s delivering on the Industrial Strategy. So, if we’re able to demonstrate that the Canadian companies are taking a good proportion of the work, if we’re able to like create jobs, create, you know, advanced manufacturing jobs, SMEs participating, exports through our agreements going up, that’s gonna be a sign. I think that’s what’s gonna keep the momentum going.
Jody Thomas
So, I’ve been told time’s up. So, General Wright, appropriately, last word is to you. It feels like this is the world’s best party that’s ending too soon.
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright
So, we are doing what’s expected of us as a G7 country, as a member of the Five Eyes, and as a member of NATO. We’re late, but we’re arriving. We’re arriving with clearer intent from the highest levels. And I just look at how Canadian society has changed over the past few years. I also look and not to show any favoritism by in naming companies, but I look at what’s happening in Kitchener. I look at what’s happening in Brampton. I look at what’s happening in London. And there are a lot of companies that believe that what is happening right now is what needs to happen, not only to keep the army strong, proud, and ready, but to make a Canada that is resilient.
Jody Thomas
That’s a perfect answer. Thank you. Thank you all.
Bernie Derible
Thank you, Jody.
Note of Appreciation and Concluding Remarks by Saurabh Popat
Thank you. Thank you so much to our panellists, Jody, Bernie, Patrick, and Lieutenant-General Wright. Very thoughtful and timely conversation. Defending our country is a complex, demanding and ever-evolving. And you helped us today better understand that complexity and the urgency behind it. Thank you. And thank you all again for joining us here today. I do apologize for the delay in the programming, there were some slight technical difficulties, but an incredible program here today.
I’d also like to take a moment to recognize the students and the young leaders joining us today. And their presence is made possible through the charitable arm, the Empire Club Foundation, and the generosity of our donors.
Now, as this is our last planned event before the summer season, as chair of the Empire Club, I would like to say, take a moment, excuse me, and say a few thank yous. When I started my chair role here at the beginning of this season, centered around our Building One Canada theme, I would have never imagined the pace, the calibre, and timeliness of our over 40 conversations this season. Although Canada has many challenges ahead, and headwinds to navigate, we are so very fortunate to have current and future leaders, communities, and organizations who all contribute to Canada’s success. I’d like to take a moment to thank all of our speakers, moderators, panellists, and all of you who have attended in person or online, and who have attended our conversations that matter.
I’d also like to take a moment to recognize the leadership of my board, who continually commit their time, expertise, and insights to elevate the governance and excellence of the Empire Club. And finally, these events are not flawlessly executed without tremendous commitment and expertise and certainly the tireless efforts of the Empire Club staff, and our amazing volunteers. So to Kent, Johan, Jessica, Elizabeth, Harsh, Maria, Reza, Muku, and all of our dedicated volunteers, thank you for your leadership and the success of our 122nd season. I’m truly looking forward to working with you all for another successful 123rd season ahead. And as a—[Applause] thank you, yeah, round of applause, please—as I often like to say, we have the best team in the business and that’s very, very true.
And as a quick sneak peek into the next season, in September, we welcome the Honourable Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, very timely, given today’s federal AI investment strategy announcement. And then in October, we’re pleased to welcome back the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, in conversation with Andrew Furey. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact the Empire Club and the staff for more information.
As always, and as a club of record, all Empire Clubs are available to watch and to listen to on our website, and the recording of today’s event will be available shortly. Thank you all for being part of this important conversation and I, alongside the Empire Club, wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer. Class is dismissed, and this meeting is now adjourned.
