Alberta Premier Smith pitching joint Canada-U.S. NORAD military base in Arctic

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to the media during the fall meetings of Canada's premiers hosted by Ontario in Toronto, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Smith is calling on her counterparts to consider a new joint Canada-U.S. NORAD base in northern Canada to bolster Arctic security. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling for a joint Canada-U.S. Norad military base in Northern Canada, expanding the organization's aerospace and maritime defence efforts.

In a Thursday statement, Smith said she pitched the idea at a meeting on Wednesday with fellow premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"To further bolster Canada-U.S. Arctic security, I asked my provincial and federal counterparts in the first ministers’ meeting to consider establishing a joint Canada-U.S. Norad region base in Northern Canada, similar to the Canadian Norad Region (CANR) headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba," she wrote.

Smith has been urging more collaboration with the U.S., as President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods starting Saturday.

“The U.S. has emphasized the need for immediate measures on border security, and l stressed the importance of Canada taking that demand seriously," said Smith of Wednesday's meeting.

She has called for Ottawa to immediately appoint a Canadian border czar to work with the U.S. on securing the shared border.

While Ottawa has pledged $1.3 billion for its border security plan, Smith's provincial government is putting $29 million into beefing up surveillance of its shared border with Montana.

Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce, told the U.S. Senate on Wednesday that he sees the tariffs as a way to get Canada to take action on border security, but they could be followed by other tariffs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press