What is dual-use infrastructure?
By: Ryan Workman
Canada wants to build up its defence, but military technology, hardware and infrastructure are expensive. Those cost challenges have inspired innovation in Canada’s nation-building policy, taking a key lesson from savvy shoppers that “two-for-one” beats paying full price twice. In policy terms, that’s “dual-use” infrastructure and it’s become central to how Canada plans to strategically develop its Arctic.
What are the different uses of dual-use infrastructure?
In context, dual-use (or multi-use) infrastructure usually seeks to address the needs of military stakeholders as well as the needs of citizens and/or industry. This increases the value of projects for Canadian citizens and can facilitate the development of projects that would be economically unfeasible if they only served the needs of a single stakeholder group.
For example, an Arctic road may support the establishment of a coastal military base, enable year-round access to local communities, and facilitate the development of nearby critical minerals.
Why is dual-use infrastructure gaining interest?
The concept of dual-use infrastructure rose to greater prominence in 2026 for two main reasons.
First, Canada substantially increased its military spending, meeting its two per cent NATO obligations for the first time in over three decades.
Second, Arctic defence and Arctic development have become a national priority, and the concept of dual-use infrastructure is particularly relevant to the Arctic. At the time of writing, one of the most notable national applications of the term is in the Arctic Infrastructure Fund.
In more densely populated regions, dual-use infrastructure often comes naturally. A road that services the local community is also used by farmers. Industry and the military negotiate over space in major ports.
In a region like the Arctic, however, greater strategic thinking is required. Because of the scale of the Arctic, as well as unique challenges like melting permafrost, it is not feasible to build infrastructure that services the entire region in the same way that more densely populated regions are serviced. This is why so much emphasis has been placed recently on dual-use Arctic infrastructure, such as the federal government’s $1 billion Arctic Infrastructure Fund to support dual-use transportation projects.
The challenges posed by dual-use infrastructure
There are a few barriers to effectively implementing dual-use infrastructure. It inherently requires co-operation between different government departments and different levels of government, with communities and industry.
This is a perennial issue for project planning in general, but it can be particularly challenging due to friction between military and civilian institutions. Industry can expect or require decisions that are out of sync with military procurement timelines, military security clearance can become a bottleneck and barrier to co-operation and there is always the risk that community/industry engagement becomes a checkbox rather than a truly consultative process.
Examples of dual-use infrastructure
There are a few examples of proposed dual-use infrastructure in Canada.
The Arctic Economic and Security Corridor (AESC), one of the projects referred to the Major Projects Office (MPO) for development, would enable better Arctic access for the military and industry while providing crucial infrastructure for communities.
The Grays Bay Road and Port project, an approved MPO project interlinked with the AESC, is developing a deep water port that can serve as both a commercial centre and as a military hub for ships, airplanes and submarines.
Other opportunities include converting or adapting existing infrastructure for new purposes, such as Milne Port in Nunavut. The owner of the port, Baffinland Iron Mines, has indicated interest in coming to an agreement for military use of the already developed infrastructure.
Ryan Workman is a Policy Analyst with the Canada West Foundation.