Readers have their say on the Canada-U.S. trade war, the federal election and who will be buying the uniforms for Team Canada

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Re: Canada needs an Arctic empire no matter the cost — Geoff Russ, March 24; and NP View: A letter to our American friends — Editorial, March 23

Geoff Rush’s urging to “build an empire in the North” is more convincing than the Post’s recent editorial pleading for the goodwill of Americans to come visit and reconnect with their northern neighbour. Many of our American friends approve of Trump’s threats, and the prospects of re-establishing old relationships and once again having a reliable ally to protect us in the Arctic are dim.

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That’s why, in these uncertain times, Canada must chart its own course. Our historical precedent of “building it because you need it” — exemplified by the Canadian Pacific Railway — supports this can-do approach. Leaders like founding prime minister John A. Macdonald understood that national vision requires imagination and resolve. The maxim “where there’s a will, there’s a way” rings as true today as it did in our nation’s founding years. By investing in cutting-edge technological infrastructure and developing asymmetric strategic capabilities, Canada can secure its northern territories on its own terms.

Where railways once defined territorial integrity in the past, today’s sophisticated surveillance technologies offer Canada unprecedented means of controlling its Arctic territories. Modern monitoring systems utilizing satellite imagery, drones, AI-driven analytics and autonomous sensor networks provide the strategic depth and comprehensive coverage that physical infrastructure alone previously offered.

This is not mere speculation but a practical response to an increasingly unpredictable international environment. While boots on the ground to intervene, halt and repel ultimately matter, advanced detection and rapid-response technologies significantly disincentivize trespassing — provided our European allies honour their treaty commitments. Unfortunately, America’s new uncertain status as an ally is not reassuring.

The changing geopolitical landscape demands that we look beyond traditional dependencies and embrace a strategy of technological sovereignty. The ongoing war in Ukraine has vividly illustrated that military might alone does not guarantee territorial control — expensive Russian tanks were neutralized by relatively inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones. Ukraine’s rapid development of its domestic drone industry has effectively countered a traditionally superior military force, highlighting the power of innovation and adaptability.

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The erosion of traditional alliances demands innovative thinking. We cannot rely solely on the uncertain goodwill of external powers like America. Instead, Canada must develop its own robust mechanisms of territorial control and national resilience, ensuring a sovereign and secure future.

Canada will do it. Just watch us.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

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