Morrigan Johnson is an independent journalist in Calgary. The seventeenth annual Halifax International Security Forum (HISF) took place from November 21 to 23, 2025. It was co-hosted by the Canadian Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, and the forum’s theme was, perhaps ironically, on “democracy.” The choice in theme isn’t a generic catchphrase; it's meant as a direct sidelining of the USA. There was not much discussion, however, about whether the fanatical Liberal Party of Canada’s “elbows up” hysteria could get Canadians or our allies killed in World War 3. The usual slate of characters “CRINKs” were demonized as authoritarian arch evil “bad guys”; China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Peter Van Praagh, president of the Halifax Security Forum, also said, "We cannot meet those threats unless our democracies are working, and to be more specific, unless American democracy is working," taking aim at Canada’s ally. At the security forum, it is worth noting that the US leadership chose to boycott the event for what appears to be self-evident reasons..OLDCORN: ‘Singh Hortons’ has become a national disgrace, no longer ‘Canada’s coffee shop’.The Ukraine conflict was a central topic, especially in light of the US-backed "peace proposal" that foresees Ukraine ceding territory and restricts its path to NATO membership. The core of the discussion revolves around the fragility of the US-Canada relationship and the controversy surrounding a leaked "28-point peace plan" for Ukraine. Discussions of foreign policy in Canada were generally less aligned with Trump’s efforts to broker peace and stabilize the region. After the explosive clash between Zelensky and the White House earlier in the year, Trump has remarked “Zelensky hasn’t read” the peace proposal. Despite drastic increases in military spending and war preparations in Canada, which are not being discussed in a balanced or responsible way, the US seemed uninterested in Canada’s war hysteria. Despite a lack of official US government representation, not to be confused with the present administration, a bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) of nine bipartisan senators, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D), attended and engaged in discussions. .Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson has stated that the Pentagon would no longer participate in events that promote "the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States," originally directed at the Aspen Security Forum, in which the Halifax forum also appeared on a ban list originally obtained by Politico. Senator Shaheen and the CODEL discussed the US-Canadian defence relationship, continental defence, and Canada's increased defence spending with Minister McGuinty. Canadian officials directly addressed the CODEL, stating that the US has "walked away from them" and that trust is destroyed. Senator Shaheen and the CODEL did not reject this premise, instead focusing on reassuring allies of their commitments, saying "we're your friends.” .QUESNEL: Sacred or sinister? Rethinking religious defences in hate speech.US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard reportedly issued a NOFORN directive (No Foreign Dissemination), dated July 20, 2025, instructing the US intelligence community to halt the sharing of certain information with the Five Eyes alliance, including the cessation of intelligence sharing to Canada in certain contexts. The Alaska Summit and Peace Talks between the US and Russia took place in Anchorage around August 15, 2025, as part of a renewed attempt by the US to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow. Trump’s corollary amounts to the self-evident clarity that allies are “liabilities” wreaking havoc, or that some parts of the world like the Middle East should be seen as they are. America released its National Security Strategy in November 2025, stating clearly that Europe faces "civilizational erasure" due to migration and weak governance, while Canada is viewed as a "freeloader" invoking historical reference to the 202-year-old policy warning originally delivered to Europe known as the Monroe Doctrine. In a section that would be alarming to Ottawa, the NSS document calls for a "readjustment of our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere.” It is no longer just about defending with Canada, but potentially defending against threats located in Canada. How could anyone blame them? Morrigan Johnson is an independent journalist in Calgary.
