Canada – NAOC

Alliance Liability: Ramifications of Alleged Canadian NATO Spy

Is Canada an alliance liability? Zev Wood examines the arrest of an alleged Canadian spy at NATO, arguing that NATO’s decentralized vetting structure places greater importance on domestic security screenings, which increases the risk of Canada being perceived as a liability because of its structural vulnerabilities. Amid Canada’s renewed efforts to reaffirm its centrality within the alliance, Zev argues that the espionage case risks undoing meaningful strides made by the current government. To address this and protect NATO’s operational cohesion, Zev proposes institutional reforms to close gaps in Canada’s vetting architecture that allowed this case to occur.

NATO and Canada

The Sahel’s Security Imperative: How Resurgent Jihadist Violence Challenges Africa’s and the West’s Economic Potential

Terrorism is no longer at the top of NATO’s agenda. After decades of war supporting the United States in its fight against terror, the pendulum has swung back to Europe. The war in Ukraine carries very clear security implications for NATO’s European members, who are rightly concerned that the emboldenment of a victorious Russia will lead to expanded aggression. At the same time, China has become a strategic competitor with military capacities that cannot be overlooked. As the alliance seeks to defend Europe, navigate the shifting priorities of the United States, and position itself to the threat of China, terrorism has become a secondary concern.

NATO and Canada

Flags of Convenience: Russia’s Shadow Fleet and Canadian Maritime Security

Russia’s Shadow Fleet is more than a sanctions-enforcement issue. Despite the economic utility these intentionally ambiguous vessels present to Moscow, Jonah Moffatt argues its activities demonstrate how Russia has fused its economic, intelligence, and security interests into one overarching hybrid strategy. The increased prevalence of the shadow fleet in the Arctic requires Canada to not only recognize the security implications of this threat, but work towards a coordinated response strategy with its regional NATO allies.

NATO and Canada

Canada’s Pivot from Washington to Europe and What This Recalibration Means for NATO

Rachel Potter examines Canada’s accelerating defence integration with the European Union, arguing that the durability of instruments like SAFE and Canada’s bilateral agreements with countries like Poland and Sweden reveal a structural recalibration rather than opportunistic hedging, one that positions Europe as a genuine alternative to Canada’s reliance on Washington and raises deeper questions about whether NATO’s traditional U.S.-anchored architecture can remain.

Centre For Disinformation Studies

The Price of Shelter: How Canada’s Housing Crisis Fuels Disinformation

Canada’s housing crisis has made the public more susceptible to scapegoating and disinformation. Ji Young Kim examines how Russia’s Tenet Media operation exploited domestic culture wars, weakening societal resilience and undermining Canada’s reliability within NATO.

NATO and Canada

Behind the Northern Flank: Security Beyond Deterrence in the Canadian Arctic

The Arctic has become a key fixture of transatlantic security and Canada has taken significant steps to expand the securitization of the region. In his latest piece, Jonah Moffatt argues that security extends beyond deterrence in already vulnerable Northern communities, underscoring the necessity of investment with dual military and civilian outcomes. In doing so, Canada can lead NATO’s polar pivot by ensuring the homeland behind the flank benefits from the region’s growing strategic importance.

Centre For Disinformation Studies Environment, Climate Change, and Security

Weaponizing Climate Uncertainty: Climate Disinformation as a Hybrid Threat

While climate change is undoubtedly an urgent security challenge for NATO, its risks extend beyond physical and environmental consequences. This article examines climate disinformation as a hybrid threat that exploits uncertainty to delay climate action, divide allies, and undermine trust. Rather than attempting to convince populations to reject climate change entirely, climate disinformation can create enough doubt and disagreement to weaken collective action.

Environment, Climate Change, and Security

Good Fire, Better Defence: The Burning Need for Indigenous Fire Stewardship in Canada’s Wildfire Strategy

Ontario’s 2026 wildfire season is officially the worst on record, with over 7,250 square kilometers burned, and First Nations communities evacuating with little provincial support as emergency resources become increasingly strained. Prime Minister Carney has described it as one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history. The severity is no anomaly: Canada’s wildfires Read More…

NATO and Canada

What Kevin Hamilton’s Appointment to NATO Signals About Canada’s Diplomatic Influence and the Alliance’s Growing Focus on the Caucasus and Central Asia

Rachel Potter analyzes Kevin Hamilton’s appointment to NATO, arguing that it reflects Canada’s expanding institutional influence within the alliance while highlighting the growing strategic importance of the Caucasus and Central Asia as NATO deepens its engagement amid rising geopolitical instability.

Centre For Disinformation Studies

From Fringe to Threat: How Incel Disinformation Ecosystems Legitimize Violence

In this special report, Dorigen Gray examines how online incel communities function as self-reinforcing disinformation ecosystems that cultivate radicalization and legitimize violence. Drawing on an interview with extremism researcher Dr. Amarnath Amarasingam and an analysis of three Canadian cases of incel-motivated violence, she argues that the incel movement should be understood not simply as an online subculture, but as an evolving extremist ecosystem with implications for democratic resilience and national security. The report highlights the importance of addressing both the individual vulnerabilities that contribute to radicalization and the broader online environments that sustain it.