Minister Lightbound highlights support for Canadian innovation and skills development during visit to CANSEC

OTTAWA, ON, May 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, participated in CANSEC 2026, Canada's leading defence and security trade show.

As Canada meets its NATO 2% defence spending commitment, the focus is now on delivery. At CANSEC, Minister Lightbound emphasized that the priority is no longer only investment, but execution: faster procurement timelines, stronger industrial capacity at home and a defence system that can keep pace with operational needs.

The Minister advanced work under the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and the Defence Investment Agency, both designed to modernize how Canada buys, builds and sustains military capabilities. The goal is clear: reduce delays, strengthen supply chains and ensure Canadian industry is positioned not just to participate in procurement, but to anchor it.

A major focus of the visit was Canada's shipbuilding capacity under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Minister Lightbound met with key partners, including Irving Shipbuilding, Chantier Davie Canada Inc. and Seaspan.

Since 2012, NSS contracts awarded through the end of 2025 are estimated to have contributed approximately $47.9 billion to Canada's gross domestic product and supported or maintained more than 25,000 jobs annually. Over the same period, the strategy has generated more than $11 billion in supplier development opportunities for Canadian firms, including over $2.3 billion for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). These results reflect a deliberate choice to rebuild Canada's shipbuilding capacity after decades of underinvestment and to ensure long-term sovereignty over critical naval and Canadian Coast Guard capabilities.

The Minister also engaged with major aerospace and defence firms, including CAE, L3Harris Technologies Canada and Bombardier, as well as innovative SMEs working across advanced manufacturing, robotics and marine systems. Across all discussions, industry delivered a consistent message: predictability and speed in procurement are now just as important as delivery itself.

Minister Lightbound's participation reflects a broader shift in Canada's defence posture: building a procurement system that's not only better funded, but more disciplined, more industrially grounded and more capable of delivering for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) on time and at scale.

Quotes

"CANSEC is where Canada's defence ambitions meet industrial reality, and where we showcase the full strength of our country's industrial base. From aerospace to shipbuilding to advanced manufacturing, Canada has the talent and the capability to deliver. As Canada meets its NATO commitments, we are focused on faster delivery for the Canadian Armed Forces while strengthening our domestic capacity through the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the Defence Industrial Strategy. This is about Canadian workers, Canadian innovation and Canadian industry competing and succeeding on the world stage."

The Honourable Joël Lightbound
Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant

Quick facts

• CANSEC is Canada's largest defence and security trade show, held annually in Ottawa.
• The event brings together Canadian and international companies, government officials and military representatives.
• Public Services and Procurement Canada works in partnership with other federal departments to deliver defence-related goods and services, including those outlined in Canada's defence policy. Recent events have reinforced the ongoing need for a modern military capability to protect and defend our sovereignty and values, both domestically and abroad.
• Canada's DIS is a multi-billion-dollar roadmap that treats national security and economic security as inseparable. It aims to rebuild the CAF while positioning domestic defence and aerospace sectors as key drivers of national prosperity.
• Our North, Strong and Free outlines the Government of Canada's vision to modernize defence procurement, strengthen the defence industrial base and enhance operational readiness.

Associated links

• CANSEC
• Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada's Defence
• Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy –Canada.ca

Follow us on X (Twitter)
Follow us on Facebook

SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

Contacts: Laurent de Casanove, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Joël Lightbound, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]