Former Defence Chief Eyre Says Canada Can Still Count on U.S. Military Ties
Retired Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada's chief of the defence staff from 2021 to 2024, says he has seen no sign that Canada cannot trust its long-standing military relationship with Americans.
He made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with The Globe and Mail about his newly published memoir, Into the Breach. The book covers his more than 40 years of active military service. The interview was published Sept. 30, 2026.
In that interview, Eyre said the world is closer to global war than at any time since the end of the Cold War. He said Canada should add like-minded friends, partners and allies, without dropping existing alliances, as a kind of insurance against many possible futures. He said military leaders in Ottawa must keep direct ties with their U.S. counterparts to keep lines of communication open between the two countries.
He said a U.S. invasion is unlikely. He said he is more worried about disorder in a polarized United States spilling across the border into Canada. He said Canada cannot lose faith in the tens of millions of Americans who remain friendly to Canada.
The Globe and Mail has reported that Canada's military has modelled a hypothetical U.S. military invasion of Canada and the country's potential response. Eyre addressed that risk separately on CTV's Power Play. He described the probability of U.S. military action against Canada as small.
Eyre named two military priorities during his tenure: defending Canadian sovereignty and contributing credible forces to allied combat operations. Sovereignty here means Canada's control over its own land, waters and airspace. On capability, he has called for more defence spending tied to the Arctic, saying Canada needs a stronger underwater presence to track foreign activity. On deterrence, he said building a Canadian nuclear deterrent is not an immediate concern, but Canada should keep its options open.
His tenure covered a period of sustained strain between civilian leaders and the military. He served as Acting Chief of the Defence Staff from Feb. 24, 2021 to Nov. 25, 2021, then as Chief of the Defence Staff from Nov. 25, 2021 to July 18, 2024, when he handed over command of the Canadian Armed Forces to Gen. Carignan. He had become Commander of the Canadian Army on Aug. 20, 2019. The Chief of the Defence Staff heads the Canadian Armed Forces and is Canada's senior serving officer. Early in his time as chief, Eyre reminded Canadian Armed Forces leadership that they work for duly elected civilian officials.
Eyre has since said he considered quitting "several times" while in disputes with the Trudeau government over military misconduct and defence matters. He described the military's misconduct crisis as "soul crushing" in an interview with CBC's Murray Brewster.
The broader context here is the distinction Eyre draws between the political relationship and the service-to-service relationship. His advice is to keep U.S. links for joint operations and command while widening the circle of partners to prepare for different futures. That focus moves planning toward resilience at home, border management and continental coordination, for a force still rebuilding people and equipment credibility after the misconduct crisis.
