Taken together, the size of our country and our small population pose unique challenges for defence planners. Our territory spans nearly 10 million square kilometres - fully 7% of the world's landmass. We are bordered by three oceans which touch upon over 240,000 kilometres of coastline. We are charged with the control of our airspace as well as the aerial approaches to Canadian territory. Beyond our coasts, Canada seeks to maintain political sovereignty and economic jurisdiction over 10 million square kilometres of ocean in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic.
Our geography is not merely vast; it is also diverse and extremely demanding. It imposes significant burdens on our military personnel, their training, and their equipment. Canada's territory encompasses mountainous terrain, fjords, vast plains, rainforests, desert conditions, and the unique ecology of the Arctic. Our climate is harsh. Indeed, the economic livelihood of many Canadians is found in remote, difficult environments including three oceans, the North, and distant mines and forests.
Canadians treasure their country, which is rich in both natural beauty and natural resources. They have made it clear to successive governments that they are firmly committed to the protection of both. They are concerned about environmental well-being in general, as well as the management of specific resources, such as the forests and fisheries, which have become urgent issues over the past several years and which will require renewed vigilance and enhanced management.
PROVIDING FOR THE DEFENCE OF CANADA AND CANADIAN SOVEREIGNTY
Sovereignty is a vital attribute of a nation-state. For Canada, sovereignty means ensuring that, within our area of jurisdiction, Canadian law is respected and enforced. The Government is determined to see that this is so.
Some have argued that the recent dramatic changes abroad have eroded the traditional rationale for the role that the Canadian Forces play in the defence of Canada. It would be a grave mistake, however, to dismantle the capacity to defend our country. Canada should never find itself in a position where, as a consequence of past decisions, the defence of our national territory has become the responsibility of others.
Aid of the Civil Power
Throughout Canadian history, provinces have been able to call upon the armed forces to maintain or restore law and order where it is beyond the power of civil authorities to do so. Section 275 of the National Defence Act states that the Canadian Forces: are liable to be called out for service in aid of the civil power in any case in which a riot or disturbance of the peace, beyond the powers of the civil authorities to suppress is, in the opinion of an attorney general, considered as likely to occur.
The role of the Canadian Forces in this context is very precisely defined. When a riot or disturbance of the peace occurs or is likely to occur that is beyond the powers of the civil authorities to control, a provincial attorney general may require the Canadian Forces to be called out in Aid of the Civil Power. In this situation, the Chief of the Defence Staff determines the nature of the response. The Canadian Forces do not replace the civil power; they assist it in the maintenance of law and order.
In recent times, the use of the Canadian Forces in this role has been comparatively infrequent. Nevertheless, the crisis at Oka in 1990 served to remind us that such situations can arise. The Forces played a crucial role in defusing the crisis. They demonstrated that the ability to call upon disciplined, well-trained, and well-commanded military personnel is invaluable in providing government with an effective means to deal with potentially explosive situations.
The Canadian Forces may be called upon to assist civil authorities in situations other than Aid of the Civil Power. The Forces might, for example, be called on to counter acts of terrorism that exceed the capabilities of police forces. In addition to other military resources, the Canadian Forces maintain a special task force that provides an enhanced capability to respond to any such act immediately and effectively.
Providing Peacetime Surveillance and Control
The provision of surveillance and control is an integral part of the Forces' activities in Canada. Even at a time when there is no direct military threat to Canada, the Forces must maintain and exercise the basic navy, army, and air force skills to ensure effective control over our territory, airspace, and maritime approaches. In and of itself, maintaining the capability to field a presence anywhere where Canada maintains sovereign jurisdiction sends a clear signal that Canadians will not have their sovereignty compromised.
Responsibility for many of the Government's activities in the surveillance and control of Canadian territory, airspace, and maritime areas of jurisdiction lies with civilian agencies such as the Department of Transport. The Canadian Forces, however, make a valuable contribution to this demanding task, which often requires capabilities of greater readiness and reach than those available to civilian agencies. The capability to deploy highly trained Canadian Forces personnel and their specialized equipment anywhere in Canada at short notice also contributes to the attainment of national objectives in such areas as environmental protection, search and rescue, disaster relief, drug interdiction, and fisheries protection.
Securing Our Borders Against Illegal Activities
Canadians face an increasing challenge from those who would exploit the vast size and resources of our country for illegal activities. This applies to the illegal trade in narcotics and other contraband substances, as well as the smuggling of illegal immigrants into Canada. In supporting the activities of other government agencies, the Canadian Forces play a significant role in countering such activities.
During the renewal of the North American Aerospace Defence (NORAD) Agreement in 1991, Canada and the United States agreed to give NORAD a role in counter-narcotic monitoring and surveillance. This is an ancillary mission to which the capabilities of our maritime and land forces have also been applied, and illustrates how existing structures and capabilities can be adapted to address new problems.
Fisheries Protection
Canadians have made clear their wish to protect Canada's fisheries from illegal and highly damaging exploitation. With the dwindling of major fish stocks, the issue has become more urgent. The Canadian Forces have made an important contribution to fisheries patrols for more than 40 years. The Department of National Defence and the Department of Transport now participate in a comprehensive federal effort, led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The Canadian Forces will devote a significant number of flying hours and ship days to fishery patrols. This arrangement is a good example of interdepartmental cooperation yielding an efficient use of government resources.
One of the most pressing issues in the current East Coast fishery crisis is that of predatory foreign fishing on Canada's continental shelf outside of our 200-mile exclusive fishing zone. Such fishing imperils the future of the fishery and contradicts the spirit of internationally agreed conservation measures. The Government has begun to take action against such activities. While it is the Government's policy to avoid engaging in enforcement action beyond 200 miles unless absolutely necessary to protect a vital natural resource, the Canadian Forces must be capable of taking such action.
Interdepartmental cooperation has been markedly enhanced in response to the recommendations of the Osbaldeston Report and the 1990 report of the Standing Committee on National Defence on maritime sovereignty. Secure communications have been installed, standard operating procedures have been developed, and acquisition policies are addressing the potential benefits of having common and interoperable equipment.
Environmental Surveillance
The Government has identified environmental protection as a major priority. It has emphasized the prevention of pollution and the promotion of "green" practices in its day-to-day operations. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces have been at the forefront of efforts to meet these goals. Indeed, all planning and operations (and this includes allied activity in Canada) are now designed with environmental stewardship firmly in mind.
Beyond this, the Department of National Defence has concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Department of the Environment with respect to the use of the Canadian Forces in environmental surveillance and clean-up. The agreement sets out the role of the Department and the Forces in assisting the Department of the Environment in the event of a serious environmental incident. In addition, as the Forces carry out their routine surveillance missions, they will seek to identify and report potential and actual environmental problems.
PROTECTING CANADIANS
Disaster Relief
The Canadian Forces play a key role in responding to natural and man-made disasters. Not only is the Minister of National Defence also the Minister Responsible for Emergency Preparedness, but, as part of a broader initiative to reduce the size of government, the administration of emergency preparedness planning - once carried out by a separate agency - has been absorbed by the Department of National Defence. Memoranda of understanding between the Department and other government agencies govern the coordination of resources in response to emergencies, and the Department will make an immediate and effective contribution to disaster relief.
Search and Rescue
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces make a vital contribution to the maintenance and operation of Canada's search and rescue capability. While elements of this capability are provided by other federal and provincial organizations, the Canadian Forces:
are responsible for air search and rescue;
provide significant resources to assist the Coast Guard in marine search and rescue;
assist local authorities in land search and rescue; and,
operate three Rescue Coordination Centres which respond to thousands of distress signals every year.
Search and rescue represents a significant challenge for Canadian Forces personnel and their equipment. The distances involved can be enormous and the operating conditions very difficult. Nevertheless, for Canadians, safeguarding human life remains an absolute priority, and the Canadian Forces will continue to play a major role in this vital area.
OBJECTIVES
The decline in the direct military threat to Canadian territory has not eliminated an on-going role for the Canadian Forces at home. We will maintain a level of military capability sufficient to play an appropriate role in the defence of Canada. The Forces will honour the statutory requirement to respond to requests for Aid of the Civil Power. Through the assistance they provide to civil authorities, the Canadian Forces will help protect Canadian sovereignty, and carry out a wide variety of secondary roles.
The Forces will be capable of mounting effective responses to emerging situations in our maritime areas of jurisdiction, our airspace, or within our territory, including the North. Specifically, the Canadian Forces will:
demonstrate, on a regular basis, the capability to monitor and control activity within Canada's territory, airspace, and maritime areas of jurisdiction;
assist, on a routine basis, other government departments in achieving various other national goals in such areas as fisheries protection, drug interdiction, and environmental protection;
be prepared to contribute to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief within 24 hours, and sustain this effort for as long as necessary;
maintain a national search and rescue capability;
maintain a capability to assist in mounting, at all times, an immediate and effective response to terrorist incidents; and,
respond to requests for Aid of the Civil Power and sustain this response for as long as necessary.
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