NEWS RELEASE

Parliament welcomes a NATO Parliamentary Assembly fact-finding mission on Arctic security in Ottawa and Iqaluit

From 13 to 17 July 2026, the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association will welcome a delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations (PCTR) to Canada. The multinational delegation of more than 30 parliamentarians from 15 Allied countries will receive briefings about Arctic security in Ottawa before undertaking a fact-finding mission to Iqaluit, Nunavut. This visit occurs less than a week after Allied leaders gathered for the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, at which NATO leaders reaffirmed NATO’s “360-degree approach to deterrence and defence.”

The NATO PA mission aims to inform the PCTR's report on the High North, which will issue policy recommendations to Allied parliaments grounded in Canada's operational experience and security vision in the Arctic. The Arctic is warming at more than three times the global average, and increased access to sea lanes in the Arctic will continue to have important consequences on the security of Canada and other NATO member states.

The Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and Head of the Canadian Delegation to the NATO PA is Julie Dzerowicz, MP. The Chair of the PCTR is Cheryl Gallant, MP. The rest of the host delegation is composed of Senators Andrew Cardozo, Claude Carignan, Donna Dasko, Katherine Hay and Rebecca Patterson, as well as Members of Parliament Scott Anderson, Ali Ehsassi, Darren Fisher, Lori Idlout, Marie-France Lalonde and Alex Ruff.

Canada’s Minister of National Defence, the Honourable David McGuinty, PC, MP, will meet with the delegation. Delegates will also hear from Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

The briefings with government officials, Indigenous leaders and academics – as well as the site visits in Iqaluit – will allow Canadian and other NATO parliamentarians to learn about the following themes:

• Canada’s approach to Arctic security;
• Canada’s 2024 defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence;
• ongoing enhancements to military infrastructure and capabilities in the Arctic;
• the role of NATO and NORAD in Arctic security;
• Canada’s partnerships with Indigenous governments and communities and the role of Indigenous peoples in Arctic governance and security;
• climate change, natural resources and environmental protection and their impact on Arctic security; and
• Canada’s perspectives on global challenges and support for Ukraine.

In Iqaluit, delegates will hear from representatives of the Government of Nunavut as well as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. They will also visit strategic defence-related infrastructure and interact with members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard who play a key role in Canada’s Arctic security. As well, delegates will be able to meet with Indigenous leaders and stakeholders.

The NATO PA is a vital institution for parliamentary diplomacy in relation to foreign affairs, security, and defence. It allows parliamentarians to build relationships with their counterparts, share experiences and insights, hear from top officials and leading experts, provide input on key issues on the NATO agenda, and bring these perspectives back to the Parliament of Canada and Canadians. Since its establishment in 1955, Canadians have been active participants in the work of the NATO PA, including by fulfilling roles in NATO PA committees and other bodies.

Quote from Julie Dzerowicz, MP, Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and Head of the Canadian Delegation to the NATO PA:

“The visit is well-timed. At the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is focused on “taking full responsibility for the security of our Arctic,” backed by more than $40 billion to defend, build and transform Canada’s Northern and Arctic regions. This mission lets Canada’s allies see that work where it is happening.

“The Arctic is no longer a distant frontier. It is becoming one of the defining security theatres of our time, and the decisions we make in the High North will shape the security of the entire Alliance. Canada is stepping up, with historic investments and a clear resolve to take responsibility for our North. Over these four days, our allies will see that resolve up close in Iqaluit, alongside the Canadian Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Northern and Indigenous partners who are the foundation of Arctic security. This is parliamentary diplomacy at its best: turning shared concern into common action.”

Quote from Cheryl Gallant, MP, Vice-Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and Chair of the NATO PA Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations:

Canadian Parliamentarians have played a leadership role in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly for more than 70 years. It is encouraging to see so many parliamentarians from Allied countries express an interest in Canada and Arctic security. This fact-finding mission to Canada will help strengthen the transatlantic relationship that unites Canadian parliamentarians and our Allies.

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For further information:

Julie Dzerowicz, MP
Chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association
Julie.Dzerowicz@parl.gc.ca

Michael MacPherson
Association Secretary
Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association
CANA@parl.gc.ca

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