Senior military leader: Canadians 'overly comfortable' as global security shifts

Looking ahead to 2024, the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command said he thinks the pressure will continue to mount, and Canadians are "overly comfortable" about their safety as the world changes.

It's Bob Auchterlonie's job to be ready for the next crisis, whether that's a wildfire, a flood, a hurricane or war on another continent. 

As the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, the vice admiral has had an extraordinary year that included co-ordinating airlifts of Canadians from Sudan and Israel, planning possible evacuations from Lebanon and Haiti, and managing the growing demands for help at home. 

Looking ahead to 2024, Auchterlonie said he thinks the pressure will continue to mount, and Canadians are "overly comfortable" about their safety as the world changes. 

In a recent year-end interview, he rattled off a list of international issues he's keeping a close eye on, from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israel's war on Hamas, to a string of recent coups in African nations, friction in the Balkans and challenges in South American countries like Venezuela that are fuelling mass migration.

"We are in the middle of this and I'm not sure everybody understands that the security and defence situation globally has deteriorated significantly," he said. 

Canadians have always felt relatively safe because we are surrounded by three oceans and the United States, Auchterlonie said, but it's his responsibility to be aware of what may be coming and he's not optimistic.

"I'm very happy Canadians feel safe and secure. I also think it's very naive," he said.