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The Civil Assistance Plan agreement signed in February between the United States and Canada may eventually allow militaries from each nation to cross the other's border during an emergency.

But exactly what does an emergency mean in terms of this agreement?

Should we be concerned?

Does it mean our sovereignty is being threatened by our neighbours to the south?

In a release issued from the U.S. Army's Northern Command in February, Gen. Gene Renuart described the document as a unique, bilateral military plan to align the respective national militaries so that they can respond quickly to the other nation's requests for military support of civil authorities.

"Unity of effort during bilateral support for civil support operations such as floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes and effects of a terrorist attack, in order to save lives, prevent human suffering and mitigate damage to property, is of the highest importance, and we need to be able to have forces that are flexible and adaptive to support rapid decision-making in a collaborative environment," Renuart said.

The agreement signed on Valentine's Day in Texas by Renuart and head of Canada Command Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais was not immediately announced by either the Canadian government or the Armed Forces.

Instead, news of it first came to light in Canada through the media.

Because of this, it has raised suspicions, especially on this side of the border.

The Council of Canadians says the plan is an initiative of the Bi-National Planning Group whose final report, issued in June 2006, called for the creation of a "Comprehensive Defence and Security Agreement," or a "continental approach" to Canada-U.S. defence and security.

The council says the Civil Assistance Plan appears to be a component of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which has as one goal - the establishment of a continental emergency response program focused on protecting infrastructure, pipelines and other economic assets the U.S. considers vital to its own national security.

Shortly after the two militaries signed on the dotted line, the council was encouraging people to write the prime minister and demand a full public and parliamentary debate with regard to civil assistance plan, and military integration, and the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) plan's broader goals of economic and security integration with the United States

"The extent of military integration called for by the BNP is unprecedented and has received absolutely no debate publicly or in the House of Commons," the council said.

Canada Command spokesman Cmdr. David Scanlon was quoted in news reports as saying the agreement simply set the stage for co-operation between the two nations and nothing more.

"It facilitates planning and co-ordination between the two militaries," said Scanlon.

"The 'allow' piece is entirely up to the two governments."

He said if U.S. Forces were to come into Canada, they would be under the tactical command of the Canadian Forces but would still remain under the control of the U.S.

Only time will tell if this agreement is good or bad news for Canada.

Traditionally, such arrangements have been viewed as bad news, a threat to Canadian sovereignty and have been fought against in the back rooms of military establishments.

Circumstances and views have apparently changed and that's why many observers were caught off guard when news of this broke in February.

On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than a plan by the militaries of the two countries to help each other out, if and when circumstances dictate it. Until full details are eventually released, it will have to be accepted for what it seems to be - a mutual aid agreement.

But the secrecy that initially surrounded it - with more information being available on the agreement from the Americans than from our own government - has left a bad taste in the mouths of many and can only be described as typical for the new reality we now live in.

Michael Staples covers the military for The Daily Gleaner. He can be reached at staples.michael@dailygleaner.com