Canada is making a generational investment in defence. That’s not an exaggeration; it’s just where things are headed. And Newfoundland and Labrador is positioned to be part of it if we make the case well and do so now. That’s why Wedgwood is a founding supporter of Ready at the Edge, a coalition of NL business leaders, operators, engineers, and innovators working to make sure our province gets its share.
Why is an Insurance Broker Backing a Defence Coalition?
I’ll be upfront about something. Wedgwood doesn’t operate in defence, marine, or aerospace. We’re an insurance brokerage. So why put our name and our financial support behind this?
Because we’ve spent decades in the Atlantic business community, and we know how this works. When a sector this size grows here, it doesn’t stay contained to the companies doing the contracting. It shows up in local hiring, in supply chains, in real estate, in every business that depends on a healthy regional economy, including ours. Some of our clients are directly in the path of this investment: shipyards, fabricators, marine suppliers, tech firms. Many more aren’t, but they’ll feel the ripple effects all the same. A stronger NL economy is good for every business here.
The case for Newfoundland and Labrador
The case for why Canada should build this capacity here isn’t a pitch about potential. It’s a statement of what already exists:
- 5 Wing Goose Bay is a NORAD-aligned forward operating location, ready today for rapid Arctic and North Atlantic air defence.
- More than 60 active deep-water, largely ice-free ports give year-round access for naval logistics, ship repair, and the marine industry, without the seasonal closures that slow down operations almost everywhere else in the country.
- Two NATO DIANA test centers place this province at the forefront of real-world testing for ocean, ice, and wave technologies.
- Bull Arm is Atlantic Canada’s largest fabrication site, built for large-scale marine and industrial work.
- An established ship repair and refit ecosystem already supports government, commercial, offshore energy, and defence fleets.
- NL defence firms are already embedded in the supply chains of CAF, NORAD, and NATO.
None of this is a proposal for something that could exist someday. It’s infrastructure, expertise, and industrial capacity that exist right now. The real question is whether Canada builds on what’s already here or spends time and money looking elsewhere. Ready at the Edge exists to make sure the answer is right here.
What This Means for You
Wedgwood has always believed that a business does best when the community around it does well, too. Ready at the Edge is a chance to grow that community in a way that will matter for a generation. Whether your business touches defence, marine, industrial supply, or advanced technology directly, or whether you’ll simply benefit from a stronger provincial economy, this is worth paying attention to.
Visit Ready at the Edge
If you want more than my take on this, go straight to the source. ReadyAtTheEdge.com lays out the case in full: the capabilities already in place, the history behind them, and the coalition of NL businesses backing this push.
Take a look for yourself and let us know what you think. Does this change how you see NL’s role in Canada’s defence future?
