By Gazette Staff
March 17th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
Amid a more complex and unpredictable security environment, Canada is taking decisive actions to strengthen its security and sovereignty and to reinforce the resilience and long-term strength of the country.
David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, announced an historic $200 million investment in core infrastructure for a Canadian-owned spaceport, along with other major new space-related capabilities and initiatives. This marks a significant step forward in Canada’s sovereign space program as outlined in Security, Sovereignty, Prosperity: Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
Canadian-owned spaceport
Demand for timely and resilient launch options are at historic highs worldwide and sovereign access to space has become a critical capability underpinning national security, economic competitiveness, and reliable access to essential space‑based services.
The investment is a 10‑year, $200‑million agreement to lease a dedicated space‑launch pad that will serve as the central foundation for a multi-user spaceport near Canso, Nova Scotia. Operated by Maritime Launch Services, this spaceport will support the operational needs of the Department of National Defence (DND), the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and the wider Government of Canada, while also offering ad hoc access to allies and partners.
Launch the North
Minister McGuinty also announced was the selection of innovators for the first round of the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program’s Launch the North contest. This contest is providing $105 million in multi-year grants to support the development and demonstration of breakthrough technologies to advance Canada’s sovereign space launch capabilities. The goal of this challenge is to enable the launch of Canadian payloads from Canadian soil, achieving an initial light lift operational capability by 2028. For the first round of this contest, the following three highly ranked applicants have each been conditionally approved for $8.3 million in funding:
Rahul Goel, a University of Toronto who designed and built the rocket that will be used in testing the launch facility in Newfoundland.
NordSpace – NordSpace Tundra Canadian Responsive Scalable Launch
The launch site is located on the Burin Peninsula in Newfoundland
Location: Near the old Middle Head Lighthouse, just outside St. Lawrence, NL.
Facility Name: Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX), operated by NordSpace.
Geography: Selected for its southern position on the island of Newfoundland, allowing for safe over-water flights into the Atlantic Ocean.
Purpose: Developed for both suborbital (Taiga) and future orbital (Tundra) rocket launches.
Rendering of the site that is under construction.
The site features two main areas: SLC-02 for suborbital flights and smaller vehicles, and SLC-01 for larger, orbital rockets.
Canada’s contribution to the Space Race. The Canada Arm is used on most of the space flights.
Owned and operated by NordSpace in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX) is aiming to be the first operational Canadian orbital spaceport, and make Canadian history as the nation’s gateway to space. The spaceport is being designed and built for NordSpace’s workhorse orbital launch vehicles, Tundra and Titan, for year-round launches. Situated at a mid-Atlantic latitude of approximately 46° the spaceport balances orbital efficiency with geographic flexibility.
This is really exciting stuff. Canadians created the CanadaArm, which has been used on every space mission. The east coast locations have advantages the Americans don’t have.
The Gazette will follow up later in the week on the other two space companies involved in the competition.
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I am puzzled that we need two space ports when we already have one in Newfoundland in a prime location why would Canada needs another in Niva Scotia ..we cannot afford this
Editor’s note: The federal government wanted to get the best ideas out there and they turned to the innovative start up community with some experience. Competition is what pulls the best out of people. See it as a smart approach on the part of the government.
Nice but I believe we need more pipelines for both oil and gas to both coasts.This war with Iran demonstrates how valuable Canada can be as a reliable provider to both Asia and Europe.