The Honourable Tony Wakeham, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the launch of Built for Defence, a new website showcasing the province’s strategic role in advancing Canada’s defence, security, and Arctic priorities.
Built for Defence serves as a comprehensive directory outlining Newfoundland and Labrador’s extraordinary defence capabilities that have supported Canada’s national interests for generations and are ready to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s realities. The website provides vital geographical, infrastructure, and workforce information focused on modern security readiness and resilience and includes a dynamic video highlighting how the province is ready to support Canada’s New Defence Industrial Strategy.
Newfoundland and Labrador is ideally situated to support national priorities. Built for Defence profiles the province’s vast capabilities, highlighting its strategic geography, ports, airfields, communications, energy systems, and transportation infrastructure designed to support military operations while improving economic opportunity, public services, and quality of life. The website also highlights the province’s world-class research and development capacity, skilled workforce, and growing industrial base that position Newfoundland and Labrador to support Canada’s long-term defence objectives.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique combination of assets are being highlighted at this week’s Maritime Arctic Security and Safety Conference, held in St. John’s. The conference has brought together military leaders, security experts, industry partners, and researchers to learn more about the province’s role in advancing defence and security objectives.
Topics of discussion at the conference have included how the province’s location on the edge of the North Atlantic positions it directly along NATO’s northern flank. Being the closest Canadian province to Greenland also makes the waters off the province’s coast the gateway between North America and the Arctic, giving it a strategic advantage few jurisdictions can match. Similarly, 5 Wing Goose Bay supports NORAD operations over the northern and northeastern coasts of Canada, offering accessibility to the sea during summer months and proximity to the Arctic, making it essential for Canadian and allied defence activities.
The province’s Northern regions and Indigenous communities are also well positioned to contribute to Canada’s evolving defence sector through partnerships that strengthen northern security while creating economic opportunities in Labrador and across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador has an operational readiness that cannot be replicated elsewhere. During this week’s conference, Premier Wakeham took the opportunity to highlight new sector development in defence, including advancing plans for a floating dry dock at Bull Arm. This practical, strategic addition to Canada’s marine industrial capacity will strengthen the province’s ability to service, repair, and sustain large vessels closer to the waters where they are most needed. Investments in strategic infrastructure also create lasting benefits for communities by supporting transportation, economic development, and long-term regional resilience.
With deepwater ports, world-class marine expertise, advanced aerospace capabilities, leading research and innovation, a highly skilled workforce, and one of Atlantic Canada’s strongest technology sectors, Newfoundland and Labrador is uniquely positioned to strengthen Canada’s defence capabilities while supporting economic growth and Arctic sovereignty. Newfoundland and Labrador is, and always has been, Built for Defence.
The new website, Built for Defence, can be found at: www.builtfordefence.ca/.
Quotes
“As geopolitical realities shift and Canada’s Arctic and North Atlantic responsibilities continue to grow, Newfoundland and Labrador is exceptionally positioned to contribute in meaningful ways. By aligning defence capability with community resilience and regional development, we have never been more ready to help Canada build a stronger, more enduring northern presence that advances both sovereignty and prosperity. This includes creating opportunities for Indigenous communities, industry, researchers, and workers to help shape Canada’s defence future. Newfoundland and Labrador is critical to this path forward and our strategic importance has never been greater.”
The Honourable Tony Wakeham
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat
“Newfoundland and Labrador is building an economy that creates opportunity, attracts investment, and strengthens Canada’s defence and security interests. We are home to world-class research and development capacity that is helping shape the technologies of tomorrow. Our highly skilled tradespeople and technical professionals are ready to build and sustain critical defence assets. Combined with our marine and aerospace expertise, proven ability to operate in some of the world’s harshest environments, and strategic location at the intersection of Arctic, Atlantic, and North American defence interests, Newfoundland and Labrador is uniquely positioned to support Canada’s defence future.”
The Honourable Lin Paddock
Minister of Jobs, Growth and Rural Development
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