Brebner’s North Atlantic Triangle at 80: A (Second) Retrospective Look at a Retrospective Book

Does Brebner’s classic study of Canadian grand strategy penned during the period of the Second World War continue to possess any ongoing policy meaning for Canada? This article argues the perhaps counterintuitive proposition that not only is Brebnerian imagery of continued relevance to Canadian strategic culture, but its importance has also increased in recent years. This is because the postulated alternative regional foci that were mooted in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War’s ending have, for reasons discussed in this article, turned out to deliver fewer ontological and material ‘payoffs’ than initially anticipated.