When former CSIS Director Richard Fadden speaks about national security, those in policy circles listen carefully. At yesterday’s Halifax Security Forum satellite event in Ottawa, Fadden delivered an unambiguous message: Canada’s independence depends on the strength of its international alliances.
“Canada simply cannot survive as a sovereign nation without meaningful global partnerships,” Fadden told the packed conference room. “And friendship isn’t free. It requires investment, reciprocity, and sometimes difficult compromises.”
The straight-talking former spy chief, who served under both Conservative and Liberal governments, emphasized that Canada faces unprecedented challenges from authoritarian regimes seeking to undermine democratic institutions through economic coercion, cyber attacks, and information warfare.
I examined transcripts from Fadden’s presentation alongside briefing documents provided to attendees. What emerged was a portrait of a nation at a crossroads – one where Canada’s traditional security framework may no longer provide adequate protection without significant reforms.
“We’re seeing sophisticated intrusion attempts targeting our critical infrastructure weekly,” confirmed Stephanie Carvin, Associate Professor at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. “These aren’t random hackers – they’re state-backed actors with strategic objectives.”
Fadden highlighted three alliance structures he believes are essential to Canadian security: Five Eyes intelligence sharing (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and US), NATO military cooperation, and emerging Indo-Pacific partnerships to counter Chinese regional dominance.
The former intelligence chief specifically called out Canada’s defense spending, which remains below NATO’s target of 2% of GDP despite recent increases announced by the Trudeau government. Defense Minister Bill Blair, who spoke later in the program, acknowledged this shortfall but pointed to Canada’s recent defense policy update that promises to reach 1.76% by 2030.
“The math doesn’t add up,” said Wesley Wark, senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, when I spoke with him after the event. “Our allies see these promises as insufficient given the threat environment we’re all facing.”
Documents obtained through Access to Information requests show Canadian intelligence agencies tracked over 200 significant foreign interference operations targeting Canadian institutions last year – a 40% increase from 2023. These operations ranged from political influence campaigns to intellectual property theft at research universities.
Fadden’s warnings come at a critical moment. The recently published Foreign Interference Commission’s preliminary report highlighted systematic gaps in Canada’s counter-intelligence capabilities. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s findings revealed how foreign agents have operated with relative impunity due to jurisdictional confusion and resource limitations within Canada’s security apparatus.
“The commission hearings made clear that our agencies lack both the authorities and resources to properly protect our democratic processes,” said Leah West, a national security law expert at Carleton University. “Our allies have modernized their legal frameworks while we’ve fallen behind.”
Fadden reserved his sharpest criticism for Canada’s approach to economic security. He pointed to gaps in the Investment Canada Act that still allow concerning acquisitions of strategic assets and technologies by entities linked to authoritarian regimes.
“We’re essentially allowing the transfer of taxpayer-funded research to competitors who don’t play by the same rules,” Fadden said. “This harms our long-term economic security and disappoints allies who expect us to protect shared innovations.”
The audience, composed primarily of security professionals, former diplomats, and policy experts, responded with knowing nods. Many have privately expressed similar concerns about Canada’s preparedness for emerging threats.
The Halifax Security Forum, normally held in Nova Scotia each November, has expanded its reach with smaller regional events focusing on specific security challenges. Yesterday’s Ottawa session concentrated on alliance resilience in an era of renewed great power competition.
“What makes Fadden’s comments particularly noteworthy is that they echo what we’re hearing
