For decades, Canada operated as a military 'freeloader,' consistently falling behind on NATO obligations and allowing its armed forces to wither into what a former defense minister described as a 'death spiral.' Now, faced with a volatile geopolitical landscape and persistent pressure from the United States, Ottawa is finally attempting to reverse course.
The country has recorded its highest number of military recruits in 30 years, enrolling over 7,000 new members in the last fiscal year. This shift comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney commits to finally meeting the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defense, a milestone long overdue.
The recruitment spike is driven by a combination of factors, including increased global instability, a rise in nationalistic sentiment, and a struggling domestic economy that has left youth unemployment high.
To bolster these numbers, the government has been forced to slash bureaucratic red tape and open enlistment to permanent residents, who now account for roughly 20% of new recruits. While officials celebrate these gains, analysts warn that Canada remains significantly behind its allies in terms of deployable capacity.
With a military currently capable of deploying only a few thousand soldiers, experts suggest it will take years of sustained investment to move beyond the current state of neglect and restore meaningful defense capabilities.
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