Ottawa – “The Canadian Rangers are a unique and important sub-component of the Canadian Army. Over the past 75 years, their ability to deploy rapidly and operate self-sufficiently has made their communities, and the country, safer. The Year of the Canadian Rangers is a well-deserved recognition of the tangible difference they have made,” said Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis, Acting Commander Canadian Army.
On Sunday, the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon; Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Janet Austin, the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Anita Anand; and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Wayne Eyre, spoke at an event in Victoria, British Columbia, to celebrate the Canadian Rangers’ 75 years of service.
The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces are calling 2022 ‘The Year of the Canadian Rangers’ to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Canadian Rangers. Various events at the local, regional, and national levels are being held to mark the occasion.
Canadian Rangers will also be participating in this year’s National Sentry Program, which brings military personnel to Ottawa to stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial.
“For 75 years, the Canadian Rangers, a unique, versatile and expansive element of our armed forces, have provided invaluable services to their communities and to Canada. Today, and every day, we salute their important work as we recognize 2022 as the Year of the Canadian Rangers. During crises like natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, Rangers have been there to support remote, isolated, and coastal communities. I welcome this opportunity to raise awareness of those contributions and thank the Canadian Rangers for everything they do,” stated Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence.
Northern Ontario is home to Canadian Ranger Patrols in many communities. Through the pandemic and when there is need, Canadian Rangers are often called in to help make things happen. As part-time reservists in the Canadian Army, Rangers are increasingly through their training and skills demonstrating leadership in their home communities.
Quick Facts
- The Canadian Rangers have their origins in another organization, the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR), which was formed during the Second World War to guard Canada’s remote coastlines. The PCMR was stood down after the war.
- The Canadian Rangers were formed on May 23, 1947, as a response to new concerns over Canadian sovereignty that arose at the start of the Cold War.
- Today’s Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Army Reserve. Currently, about 5,000 Rangers serve in 194 Canadian Ranger Patrols, in more than 220 remote and coastal communities. Self-sufficient and agile, they are able to rapidly deploy and perform ground search and rescues, assist in natural disaster responses, and provide a Canadian Armed Forces presence in remote, isolated, and coastal regions.
- Canadian Rangers were an integral part of Operation LASER, the Canadian Armed Forces’ contribution to the federal government’s COVID-19 response. They performed vital tasks in remote communities, including food and medicine distribution, community wellness checks, and monitoring vital infrastructure such as water and septic systems.
