Canadians are not totally against defense.
Maybe.
Two months ago, CBC reported two senior Raytheon employees skulking around the Happy Valley-Goose Bay area in Labrador.
… senior officials from the Raytheon Company travelled to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, on a scouting trip.
The Massachusetts-based corporation builds missiles for the American military and is a major player in the design of the North American ballistic missile defence shield.
One visitor was the principal mechanical engineer of national missile defence with Raytheon. The other was the manager of X-band sensor systems, a finely tuned type of imaging radar used in early-warning systems.
Although Raytheon officials refused an interview, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (possibly influenced by a couple of ice cold Molsons) confirmed Raytheon executives discussed power supply in the area—an important issue for an X-Band Radar. Raytheon’s interest in Goose Bay was odd: Canada had declined formal participation in the US Ballistic Missile Defense System just a few weeks before. (No BMD, eh? had the story at the time).
Raytheon is no longer the reluctant suitor. CBC reports Raytheon confirmed Goose Bay as the “preferred site” for an X Band radar.
David Pugliese of the Ottawa Citizen previously reported efforts by members of the Liberal government to site an X-Band Radar in Goose Bay for standard pork-barrel reasons.
Given the tepid response of Canadian Defense Minister Bill Graham—“We will see what happens.”—I suspect the Canada BMDS debate has a second act.
Good times.
(For more, check out No BMD, eh?)