Amid ongoing tensions in U.S.-Canada trade relations, reports have surfaced that U.S. President Donald Trump is re-examining military cooperation with Canada, including the future of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
According to a report in The New York Times, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick informed former Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc that Trump was considering ending several bilateral agreements, including intelligence-sharing through the Five Eyes alliance and military collaboration under NORAD. The bi-national organization, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., Winnipeg, Man., and North Bay, Ont., is responsible for aerospace warning, control, and maritime warning for North America.
The report, citing unnamed sources, stated that Trump viewed the U.S.-Canada relationship as governed by treaties and agreements that could be easily abandoned.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly sought to reassure Canadian officials that military cooperation would not be scrapped.
In North Bay, one of NORAD’s two Canadian headquarters cities, Mayor Peter Chirico dismissed concerns about the alliance ending.
“I believe that it’s something that there is a continued investment for, that we will see support from our Canadian government, we will see support from the American government, and we’ll see from all of our NATO partners and NORAD partners,” Chirico said speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
The Department of National Defence declined to comment on the reports, stating in an email to CTV News that it does not address hypothetical situations.
The potential review of NORAD comes as Canada and the U.S. face ongoing political friction. Earlier this year, Trump threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods, a move that drew sharp criticism from Canadian leaders, including then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and now-re-elected Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Despite the political tensions, military officials have emphasized the importance of maintaining strong bilateral defence ties.
Speaking with CTV News earlier this year, Col. Joe Oldford, Commander of 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay, highlighted the unique nature of the Canada-U.S. military relationship.
“It’s a binational command that exists nowhere else in the free world,” Oldford said during an interview in January.
Oldford noted that 23 U.S. Air Force members were stationed in North Bay, with 156 U.S. military personnel deployed across Canada and stressed the importance of keeping politics separate from the military’s mission.
“Our mission is integrated,” he said.
NORAD, established in 1958, has long been a cornerstone of North American defence. Recent upgrades to its equipment and infrastructure underscore its continued relevance amid growing global threats.
As reports of a potential review of U.S.-Canada military alliances circulate, Canadian officials remain cautious even with Rubio’s assurances, the uncertainty has left many in Canada deeply concerned about the future.
For now, the fate of NORAD and broader U.S.-Canada military cooperation remains unclear, as both nations navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Eric Taschner
