National Strategies & Policies
National Strategies & Policies
National Strategy & Policy Documents
This section is a temporary repository of key national and international strategy documents relevant to critical infrastructure in Canada. While we provide summaries and access links to foundational materials, our long-term vision is to develop a comprehensive data lakehouse that supports dynamic, accurate, and evidence-based analysis. This system will enable stakeholders across the CI landscape to access timely intelligence and collaborate on forward-looking strategies.
| Document Title | Year | Summary | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure | 2009 | Establishes a collaborative approach among federal, provincial, territorial governments, and private sector partners to strengthen the resilience of Canada’s critical infrastructure. It emphasizes building partnerships, implementing an all-hazards risk management approach, and enhancing information sharing and protection. | Link |
| National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure **Update Required*** | TBD | TBD | |
| National Risk Profile | 2023 | Canada’s first strategic, national-level risk assessment, providing a foundation for understanding disaster risks from earthquakes, wildland fires, and floods. | Link |
| Economic-Based Threats to National Security | 2021 |
The NESL initiative is a government-led effort to identify and protect key assets that are vital to Canada’s national security. This framework is designed to guide policy, inform risk management strategies, and help public and private sectors mitigate economic and security threats.The NESL consists of three key lists: 1. Sensitive Technology List; 2. Sensitive Personal Information List; and 3. Critical Infrastructure List. | Link |
| Sensitive Technology List (STL) | 2025 |
The STL identifies eleven technology areas that the government considers sensitive due to their potential national security implications. Thise include: Advanced Digital Infrastructure (secure communications, AI-driven cybersecurity); Advanced Nuclear Generation Technology (including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)); Artificial Intelligence & Big Data (including Digital Twin technology!);Advanced Sensing & Surveillance (enhancing threat intelligence and infrastructure monitoring); Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) (potential tool for secure data-sharing between OGDs) and others. | Link |
| Sensitive Personal Information List | TBD |
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| Critical Infrastructure List | TBD |
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| National Cross Sector Forum 2021–2023 Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure | 2021 | Builds upon the National Strategy by outlining specific actions to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure across sectors. It focuses on adapting to evolving threats, improving risk management practices, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. | Link |
| Risk Management Guide for Critical Infrastructure Sectors | 2010 | Provides practical guidance for implementing a coordinated, all-hazards approach to risk management within critical infrastructure sectors. It aims to assist stakeholders in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to enhance resilience. | Link |
| Canadian Emergency Management: Listing of Legislative Relevance and Reference Documents | ? | Provides a comprehensive list of key Canadian emergency management legislation, standards, and frameworks across federal, provincial, and international levels. | Link |
| An Emergency Management Framework for Canada – Third Edition | 2017 | The 2017 Emergency Management Framework for Canada outlines a unified, all-hazards approach to emergency management, emphasizing collaboration among federal, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, and community partners. It focuses on four interdependent components—prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—guided by principles such as shared responsibility, risk-based planning, and whole-of-society engagement. The Framework also highlights the importance of adapting to evolving risks, including those posed by climate change, to enhance national resilience. | Link |
| Enhancing Canada’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience to Insider Risk | 2019 | Offers guidance to critical infrastructure organizations on understanding and mitigating insider risks. It outlines eight recommended security actions to strengthen organizational resilience against internal threats. | Link |
| Renewing Canada’s Approach to Critical Infrastructure Resilience: What We Heard Report | 2022 | Summarizes feedback from stakeholders on the renewal of the 2009 National Strategy. It highlights the need for updated approaches to address emerging threats and evolving risk landscapes. | Link |
| Canada–United States Action Plan for Critical Infrastructure | 2010 | Establishes a comprehensive cross-border approach to strengthen the safety, security, and resilience of critical infrastructure shared between Canada and the United States. It focuses on building partnerships, improving information sharing, and implementing joint risk management strategies. | Link |
| National Cyber Security Strategy | 2025 | Articulates Canada’s long-term plan to enhance cyber security, particularly concerning critical infrastructure. It emphasizes partnerships across government, industry, and academia to address cyber threats and protect essential services. | Link |
| Adapting to Evolving Threats: A Summary of Critical 5 Approaches to Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience | 2024 | This publication provides an update on the evolving risks facing critical infrastructure and discusses how Critical 5 nations, including Canada, have been modernizing their approaches to critical infrastructure protection. It identifies common methods to strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure domestically, while recognizing the need for a collaborative and coordinated international approach. | Link |
| Critical Five Joint Statement on Security and Resilience | 2024 | C5 joint statement on bolstering public-private cooperation and setting international priorities to enhance infrastructure resilience. | Link |
| Forging a Common Understanding for Critical Infrastructure | 2016 | Presents a shared narrative among the Critical 5 nations (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to articulate the meaning and importance of critical infrastructure and promote collaborative resilience efforts. | Link |
| OECD – Ensuring the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure | 2225 | Comparative analysis of governance models, risk assessment approaches, and resilience policy tools across OECD countries. | Link |
| Bill 25 – Modernizing the Emergency Management Act | 2025 | Modernizes Ontario’s emergency management framework, strengthening coordination, preparedness, and governance—highly relevant to defence support to civil authorities and protection of critical infrastructure. | Link |
| United States National Security Strategy | 2025 | Sets out U.S. national security priorities, including protection of critical infrastructure, resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, supply chain security, climate impacts, and whole-of-government approaches to systemic risk—useful for comparative analysis and allied alignment within CANVAS | Link |
| Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence | 2024 | Canada’s updated defence policy emphasizing Arctic sovereignty, national defence, deterrence, continental defence partnerships (including NORAD modernization), and CAF readiness to defend Canada and North America. It builds on the 2017 Strong, Secure, Engaged policy and foregrounds Arctic and northern security concerns. | Link |
| Canada’s NORAD Modernization Plan (Annex C – Our North, Strong and Free) | 2024 | A detailed plan within the Our North, Strong and Free defence policy specifically focused on updating and modernizing NORAD, enhancing aerospace warning, domain awareness, and continental defence infrastructure particularly in the North. | Link |
| Departmental Plan 2025-2026 (DND) | 2025 | Canada’s Department of National Defence planning document outlining capability investments and priorities for Arctic and continental defence, including NORAD modernization, capability development, and Arctic region security. | Link |
| Canadian Arctic Maritime Infrastructure Assessment | 2025 | Assesses the state of Arctic maritime infrastructure in Canada, including ports, harbours, navigation support, logistics, and governance gaps. Highlights implications for sovereignty, defence, emergency response, supply chains, and critical infrastructure resilience in the Arctic. | Link |