Canada’s Long-Term Strategic Situation, Past and Present
A talk by John Keess, Royal Military College of Canada
Sponsored by the Bill Graham Centre
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Cost: Free
Time: 4 pm-6 pm, Toronto time
Location: Room 108, North House, Munk School, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, M5S 3K7
In 1962, Dr. Robert James Sutherland, a defence scientist and strategic advisor with the Defence Research Board (DRB), presented a paper at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA) in Toronto. His talk, “Canada’s Long-Term Strategic Situation,” which explored the likely shape of Canadian strategic choice out to the end of the century, went far better than he might have expected. Not only did CIIA president John Holmes ask him for a copy of his notes, but he also urged Sutherland to publish an article based on the talk in the International Journal. Much to his surprise, Sutherland achieved minor celebrity status. The work was serialised in the Globe and Mail, satirised by humour columnists, mentioned in the House of Commons, and still receives academic attention today. Yet the text itself is lightly footnoted, contains little theory, and deals largely with issues specific to the early 1960s. Clearly, there is something in Sutherland’s way of thinking that has an enduring relevance to the discussion of Canadian strategic choice.
Sutherland’s biographer, Dr. John Keess from the Royal Military College of Canada, will offer a brief discussion of Sutherland’s background, then present a refreshed version of Sutherland’s original talk and article. He will then offer some perspective on whether the original analysis holds, given the extent of how current strategic circumstances in 2025 differ from those of 1962.
About the Speaker
John Keess is a Lecturer in the History Department at the Royal Military College of Canada, where he completed his PhD in War Studies. He also holds an MA in History from the University of New Brunswick and has published on topics such as military organisation, strategic theory, and military history. He has deployed with the Canadian Armed forces to Afghanistan, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.