Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was back on the campaign trail this week, promising to beef up military presence in major cities to respond to emergencies.

"A large number of our cities have no military presence," Harper said while campaigning on Vancouver Island Tuesday.

If he's elected Jan. 23, Harper said, territorial battalions made up of 100 regular troops and 400 or more reservists would be stationed in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, the Toronto area and other major metropolitan areas.

Stephen Harper

"This is a full military presence," he added. "Obviously we would anticipate that its domestic need would be in case of disaster...but obviously they would be military forces that could be forward-deployed in the event of more serious military conflict elsewhere."

The Conservative leader said he would boost the military's presence in British Columbia and across Western Canada because the West Coast is vital to national sovereignty.

He said Canada currently does not have the capacity to respond to crises in its own back yard, especially in British Columbia.

"British Columbia is now the only region of the country without a regular army presence," he said.

Harper also announced he would:

• Increase Pacific navy personnel levels by about 500.
• Purchase a new replenishment ship and new transport ship and upgrade existing frigates and submarines.
• Restore a regular army presence in British Columbia with a new rapid reaction army battalion of 650 regular force personnel.

Harper has promised to increase defence spending by $5.3 billion more than is planned to be spent from 2006-2011.