Hub Podcasts Alberta's strategic advantage in Canada's new defence plan
Feb 26, 2026
Cole Rosentreter, retired infantry sergeant and founder/CEO of Pegasus, builds Arctic-ready autonomous aviation and sensor tech. He discusses Alberta’s extreme-weather aviation innovations, how local industrial skills transfer to defence, the strategic importance of the Northwest Passage, and procurement hurdles that will shape Canada’s Arctic role.
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Canada Already Makes High-Value Aerospace Components
- Canada has meaningful aerospace capabilities like advanced composites and long-standing participation in programs such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
- Boeing's Manitoba composites work and Canada's embedded role in the F-35 program show high-value manufacturing and existing industry links despite scale limits.
Match Procurement Goals To Real Capability And Timelines
- Be realistic about procurement ambitions: build-in-Canada goals and 70% domestic procurement are complex and must match capability and timelines.
- Rosentreter warns against turning the strategy into mere reshuffling or favouring incumbents without clear execution plans.
Built In Alberta Because The Weather Forced It
- Pegasus developed its de-icing and autonomous-avionics work in Alberta because local extreme weather forced continuous year-round testing.
- Cole says icing was the number one limiter — they had to solve Arctic-style icing to have a viable autonomous aviation company.