I was reading the transcripts from the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology last March when Matthew Lombardi addressed the room on Parliament Hill.

“The old approach to procurement does not work at the speed of modern threats.”

Six meetings. Thirty-five witnesses. The report that followed laid bare a defence industry generating $9.6 billion in GDP and supporting 81,200 jobs across more than 620 firms. Exports flow 63 per cent to the United States. Regional clusters in aerospace, shipbuilding and advanced technologies sit deeply woven into allied supply chains.

Yet the testimony was blunt. Procurement delays stretch for months. Security clearances stall for 18 months. Banks hesitate on short-term contracts. Northern leaders described Arctic infrastructure, clean energy and cold-weather testing as dual-use lifelines for sovereignty and community resilience.

The committee issued 20 recommendations. Delegate authority for smaller purchases. Reform the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy to retain Canadian intellectual property. Create dedicated SME streams. Secure predictable capital access. Integrate micro-modular nuclear solutions in the North. Update the strategy as a living document with regular industry input.

Canada has pledged to reach 5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035. The blueprint is now in Ottawa’s hands. For every contractor, northern community and Canadian who needs the dollars to become actual readiness, this is the narrow window that will decide whether innovation finally reaches the battlefield in time.