Well...
Canada’s released a new National Security Strategy.
It’s called The Plan for a Stronger Canada.
Which sounds nice.
Sounds like an economic plan, doesn’t it?
Jobs, bridges, maybe some affordable housing.
Nope.
It’s about climate change, terrorism, pandemics, cyberattacks... and the increasing possibility of a major war.
So... slightly more ambitious than fixing the potholes.
And the whole thing is just 13 pages long.
Thirteen.
My snowblower’s instruction manual is longer than that.
And this is Canada’s first national security strategy in more than 20 years.
The last one came out in 2004.
That’s the year Corner Gas premiered.
Back when Canada’s biggest concern was whether there was anything going on in Dog River.
Well, turns out, 22 years later, there’s a LOT going on.
We probably should’ve looked a little closer...
Baby, we were so wrong...
Because the new strategy warns about threats ranging from climate change, terrorism and pandemics to cyberattacks, cutting-edge artificial intelligence... and the increasing possibility of a major war.
A major war.
That’s quite a thing to drop on Canadians on a Thursday.
We’re not really used to this kind of language.
When Canadians talk about emergency preparedness, we’re usually talking about snow.
Do we have enough salt?
Where’s the shovel?
Did you get our roof rake back from the neighbours yet?
That’s our experience with being prepared.
But now we’re being asked to consider the possibility of a major international conflict.
And Canadian officials haven’t specified where that war might break out.
Although German military leaders have warned that Russia could have the capability to attack a NATO country by 2029.
2029!
That’s barely three years from now.
Now, that doesn’t mean Russia WILL attack a NATO country in 2029.
It means military officials believe they could have the ability to do so.
Which is still a fairly unsettling thing to hear when you’re just trying to figure out what to have for dinner.
The Neighbours Are Getting Weird
And then there’s our relationship with the United States.
Because while the government is talking about climate change, terrorism, pandemics and cyberattacks...
You get the distinct impression there’s another concern we’re trying very hard not to mention.
For years, we got along pretty well with our neighbours to the south.
We didn’t agree on everything.
Sometimes they were a little loud.
Occasionally they’d have a party that got out of hand.
But generally, nice people.
And then one day, you look over and they’re standing in their living room wearing a bathrobe, deep-frying a turkey...
And asking how much you’d take for your house.
And when you tell them it’s not for sale...
They start talking about how easily they could knock down the fence.
So yes, Canada’s preparing for climate change.
But we’re also buying a fire extinguisher because we’re getting a little concerned about what’s happening next door.
Is There Something We Should Know About?
And it’s not just Canada.
Last week, the British government launched a campaign encouraging people to prepare for emergencies by having enough food, water and essential supplies to last 72 hours.
Three days!
France, Ireland and the Netherlands have similar guidance.
And when you start seeing governments across Europe telling people to stock up on emergency supplies...
While Canada releases a national security strategy warning about the possibility of a major war...
You do start to wonder...
What’s going on?
Is there something we should know about?
Because this is starting to feel like when you walk into a room and everybody suddenly stops talking.
And when you ask what’s going on...
They say, “Nothing.”
Which, of course, is the least reassuring answer possible.
“Nothing? Really? Because everybody was talking until I walked in.”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Hey, what’s our non-perishables stockpile like currently?”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s going to convene a meeting with all the provincial and territorial premiers to discuss national security.
All of them.
A national security meeting.
That’s never a good sign.
It’s like when someone calls a house meeting on Big Brother Canada.
Nobody calls a house meeting to announce they’ve cleaned the kitchen.
Something’s happened.
Somebody’s upset.
You don’t know who’s responsible...
But you can almost guarantee it was Alberta or Quebec.
Prepared, Not Panicked
Now, before everybody starts getting worried...
It’s important to understand that these warnings don’t mean something terrible is definitely going to happen.
The British government’s advice about having three days’ worth of emergency supplies isn’t a prediction of war.
It’s about being prepared for things like storms, floods and power outages.
And that’s actually sensible.
Having emergency supplies doesn’t mean you know something bad is coming.
It just means you’ve thought about what you might need if something does happen.
Having a fire extinguisher doesn’t mean you’re expecting your house to catch fire.
Having insurance doesn’t mean you’re planning to drive your car into a tree.
And having three days’ worth of canned goods doesn’t mean World War Three is scheduled for Tuesday.
It just means you’re prepared.
And maybe that’s something we should all be thinking about a little more.
Because the world IS changing.
And Canada needs to change with it.
We’ve spent a long time assuming things would generally work themselves out.
And for the most part, they have.
But being prepared isn’t the same as being afraid.
It’s just recognizing that sometimes things happen that are beyond our control.
And taking a few reasonable precautions.
Make sure you’ve got some emergency supplies.
Know what to do if the power goes out.
Pay attention to what’s happening around you.
And if things get any weirder with the neighbours to the south...
Well...
We’re Canadian.
We’re not going to make a scene.
We’ll just plant some very tall hedges.
For privacy, obviously.
But we’ll leave a little gap.
Because we still want to know what they’re doing.
We’ve got a show!
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