History Browser

It would take two defence Ministers, Paul Hellyer and Leo Cadieux, and the Forces Chief of Staff, General Jean V. Allard, to give the impetus to real change in Canada's armed forces. While advances have been made in instruction and training, and the number of francophone units; the problem of integrating two official languages in military operations has yet to be solved.

Further reviews looking at the unification of Canada's armed forces concentrated on making things work, rather than an assessment of whether it was the right path to take. The process has been controversial, but has been overtaken by the issues of funding and equipment renewal.

A shift of sorts has occurred since the times of the colonial French and British regimes. While Canadian society still depends on major allies to defend itself, relations have changed from one of subservience to the colonial regimes to an alliance with the United States. While attempting to assert a more obvious Canadian stance within these alliances, Canada has yet to take the final step to full independence with a robust fully funded independent military.

A vital factor throughout Canadian military history has been the role of the militia or reserves. While there has been a shift from a small professional core of soldiers supporting a larger militia, to a small militia supporting a larger regular force; society has seen the necessity of funding both groups.

Using a variety of Web-based resources, students will produce a news magazine–style program on peacemaking challenges in the 1990s.

The 1987 White Paper envisaged a new role for the reserves within the new NATO plan for fighting conflicts in Europe. The regular force and the militia were to be integrated into a total force, with militia members serving as individual augmenters to the regular forces. This role has seen thousands of militia members serve in the Middle East, the Balkans and elsewhere with the regular forces.

The Korean War and the foundation of NATO were boom times for Canada's armed forces, benefiting from new equipment, increased manpower, new systems and new roles to play in the North American and European theatres. However, resources committed to the forces became an 'accordion process', with budgets and recruiting increases and cuts dependent on the political currents of the day.

The 1995 Dickson commission made a number of recommendations related to Canada's armed forces, including unit rationalization, guaranteed individual training days, equal pension rights with the regular force, and job protection when reservists are on call-outs. Many of the proposed reforms had only had a cosmetic effect without affecting the deepest problem – how do the reserves and regular forces integrate their missions.

Canada's military has always been subordinate to political control, even when it has not served the society or the military well. The military has adapted to the changing face of war by embracing new technologies and tactics. Canadians going off to fight in foreign lands has evolved from going to war, to making peace.