Defence Minister David McGuinty was the keynote speaker at the SpaceBound conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
The following transcript has been edited-for-clarity.
Defence Minister David McGuinty keynote
Bonjour.
It is great to be back at the Museum of Nature. When my kids were younger, I spent a lot of time in this building. It was one of the places I came to drop them off and go away for a coffee for a couple of hours. With four of them under six years old, it was a busy time.
Thank you, Dan (Goldberg), for that genuine introduction. My wife would say, “Thank you for telling all those lies about me.” But also, thank you for setting the bar so high in terms of your leadership and vision for the organization going forward. It is very much appreciated.
I would also like to thank Brian Gallant and the entire Space Canada team for hosting this fantastic event and for bringing together so many leaders and innovators who are shaping Canada’s future in space.
It is an honor to be here. (Is that picture still up above my head? It looks like my younger brother—I’ve got five of them.)
To be frank, it is a bit overwhelming to be in front of you. You are distinguished scientists, engineers, industry leaders, and dedicated women and men of the Royal Canadian Air Force, 3 Canadian Space Division, and other members of the Defense Team.
From positioning, navigation, and timing systems to Earth observation sensors, technology is essential to our daily life and our national defense. In fact, it is transforming both of them. These technologies tie us together as a nation. They are vital to this country’s economic engine, and they help keep Canadians safe from Campbell River to Cape Spear, and Point Pelee to Pangnirtung.
As we think about the path ahead—on Earth and above our heads—it is worth reflecting on where we have been, where we are, and where we are going in space.
Our uniquely Canadian journey began more than six decades ago. Some of you might remember that in 1962, Canada became the third country in the world—after the U.S. and the Soviets—to design and build our own satellite, Alouette I. It was a milestone for our early space program and for our national identity—proof that Canadian ingenuity could reach far beyond our borders.
Since then, we have built a proud record of innovation and partnership: the Canadarm, the RADARSAT program, and generations of astronauts who have inspired us to look higher—from Dr. Roberta Bondar to Chris Hadfield.
And now, we think of Colonel Jeremy Hansen, soon to become the first Canadian to fly around the moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission. We also think of Dr. Jenni Gibbons, who is ready to fly as Jeremy’s backup at a moment’s notice, and Colonel Joshua Kutryk, who is training for his mission next year on the International Space Station.
What an incredible group of Canadians. From Alouette to Artemis, we have shown that a country of our size can make contributions of global impact when we work together and when we think boldly.
My mother used to say to her ten children at the dinner table—that’s right, ten children, one father, and my saintly mother—she said, “You have a choice to make. If you pull apart, you’ll feel like you’re five. But if you pull together, you will feel like you’re twenty.”
This is about pulling together. I think that is the pioneering spirit guiding us through this new era where space is ever more essential to daily life and national defense.
It turns out space is also a pretty busy place. It is congested, it is competitive, and let me assure you, it is contested. Thousands of satellites orbit our planet; most are for peaceful purposes, while some are designed to disrupt the systems our way of life depends on.
That is why, since 2017, Canada has viewed space as a fully recognized operational defense domain, alongside air, land, sea, and cyber. Three years ago, we stood up the 3 Canadian Space Division within the RCAF to bring even greater focus and agility to our space operations. They are building space power that supports Canada’s military operations, strengthens our command and control systems, and protects the satellites we depend on.
A key part of that work is Sapphire, Canada’s first dedicated military space surveillance satellite. Since its 2013 launch, Sapphire has provided precise tracking data, making Canada the only U.S. ally to operate its own space surveillance satellite. We are not just watching the skies; we are helping keep them safe.
Collaboration remains at the heart of everything we do. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with our closest partners through NORAD, the Five Eyes, Operation Olympic Defender, the Combined Space Operations Initiative, and NATO. We do this to keep space open, secure, and stable.
In last year’s budget, for example, we announced the new National Space Council, involving more than 20 government departments and agencies. The council is coordinating federal efforts so that Canadian know-how in this domain serves our national interests, from defense and science to industry and innovation.
We are also modernizing how we deliver capabilities. As Dan alluded to, the new Defense Investment Agency launched last month will help cut procurement delays and deliver new technologies—including space systems—faster and more efficiently.
Let me illustrate how quickly we are moving.
When the Prime Minister asked me to take on this assignment, I gladly said yes. Then I went home and said, “What the hell did I get myself into?” My wife said, “Shut up and go to work.”
The first thing we decided was to achieve the 2% NATO target five full years ahead of schedule. This was a very big, auspicious commitment.
The second thing we decided was to invest in our people. We can’t do anything without good people. So, we made a decision to authorize a major salary and remuneration increase for members of the Canadian Forces, which was delivered into their bank accounts as of last Friday, retroactive to April 1st.
We went to the Treasury Board and said, “We’d like to accomplish this in short order.” They said, “Well, that’s good, sir. That should take us about two years.” We said, “We don’t have two years.” “Then we’ll get it down to 18 months.” I said, “Appreciate that.” I took some notes, finished the meeting, turned to the folks at the Treasury Board, and said, “You have exactly 100 days. If you can’t get it done, we’ll get somebody else to get it done.”
100 days later, the entire package was delivered. It only took us a little longer in the department to actually put the money in people’s bank accounts because we are contending with three different pay systems—which we are also fixing.
We are moving at speed. Five companies responded to an RFI for submarines. The normal process is to take two years to go from five down to two. After three, maybe four months, we made a decision. Now we are moving very quickly in negotiations through this new agency to procure submarines.
We are guided by Our North, Strong and Free, Canada’s 2024 renewed defense policy. It recognizes space as both an opportunity and a field of competition that demands real investment.
For example, we are investing $222 million for new Arctic satellite ground station infrastructure and more than $5 billion for a global satellite communication system connecting CAF operations worldwide. Long overdue, these investments will build a more connected, resilient, and capable military—one that can operate seamlessly from the Atlantic to the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific.
In Budget 2025, we are going further by investing $182.6 million to establish a sovereign space launch capability, giving us access to domestic spaceports. And to spark innovation and a little bit of competition, DRDC’s IDEaS program will soon be launching a space rocketry R&D challenge to push our innovators and entrepreneurs to conquer the next frontier.
As we modernize and add to our capabilities, we hold fast to our Canadian values. At the same time, we continue to champion the responsible use of space and promote responsible behavior among nations and industry alike. These days, that is not an easy task.
We will defend our assets and protect our interests to keep our people, our prosperity, and our allies safe, connected, and close. We will do so in a way that preserves access to and the sustainability of the space domain. Because the future of space isn’t about who gets there first; it is about how we get there and what we choose to do once we arrive.
We are also using space to better understand and protect this finite planet we all share. It is interesting that we are here in the Museum of Nature, because from orbit, astronauts have seen the unmistakable signs of climate change: shrinking Arctic ice, shifting forests and oceans, and the ravages of drought and wildfire.
There were over a thousand wildfires in Canada alone this past season. A thousand. Canada faces the reality of wildfires every year. Imagine a future where satellites can detect the spark of a wildfire after a lightning strike and dispatch water bombers to the exact location—except those water bombers will be drones, carrying 500 kilos of fluid each. This is coming.
As natural disasters increase, satellites give us the data we need to respond more effectively. They have been helping us protect the ozone layer, conserve biodiversity—what I call “natural capital”—and safeguard the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. Every image and signal from space reminds us that progress isn’t just about reaching farther; it is about caring more deeply for the only home we have: Planet Earth.
As I have said before, and I will keep saying as Minister of National Defense: our natural security is national security. We need to move to integrate both.
So friends, as we prepare for this full day of engaging speakers and presentations, I am reminded that Canada’s story in space is still being written. From Alouette to Artemis, from the high Arctic to the Moon, this journey has always been defined by partnership, responsibility, and imagination.
Let me thank you for your research. Thank you for your commitment, your passion, your risk-taking, and your entrepreneurship, because we are building something here that we can win at.
We will bring the same values that guide us here on Earth as we do this work: cooperation, peace, and curiosity. This must continue to guide us among the stars. We explore not because we want to conquer, but because we want to connect. We defend not because we want to divide, but to protect the things we cherish, including the planet.
Understanding where we’ve been, appreciating where we are, and continuing to shape where we are going.
Ad Astra. Thank you very much
