By Les Mader, October 10, 2025
In The Globe and Mail article at the link below, Professor Franklyn Griffiths discusses Canada’s sovereignty, the Northwest Passage, global threats, and recommended actions by the Canadian government. During his discussion, he makes a number of points that I believe are consistent with the understandings of a large number of Canadians. These include:
- Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada “… presents us with a real-life threat that commands attention and planning without delay.”
- One motivation for this threat is “… to improve his prospects for continued and unconstitutional occupancy of the White House after the end of his second term …”
- Another, related motivation is “… to normalize and brighten the outlook for autocratic rule and the deconstruction of democracy in the United States.”
Personally, I have believed the basic gist of these ideas since Trump refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election and increased his authoritarian rhetoric; as Maya Angelou once said: "When people show you who they are, believe them."
Given this situation, I feel that everyone discussing future Canadian military plans, equipment procurement, training, and resource allocation must bear Trump’s threat firmly in mind. The United States is the only country which can realistically invade and conquer Canada. With Trump as president, we must assume that such an action is more than simply a puerile plot in a Tom Clancy-like novel and plan accordingly.
The Forum’s readership is urged to allow this reality to shape their thoughts and published comments.
Image: HMCS Ottawa moves into position alongside MV Asterix prior to conducting a concurrent Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with USS Rafael Peralta during Indo-Pacific Deployment in the South China Sea on 6 October 2023. Photo Credit: Aviator Gregory Cole, Canadian Armed Forces Photo
