Canadian Army Reserve

Overview

The Canadian Army Reserve (ARes) is an integrated part of the Canadian Army (CA) that contributes to the success of military operations at home and abroad.

Within Canada, the ARes is consistently part of every domestic operation when the Army is called upon to assist provincial governments with natural disasters such a floods or fires, as well as with other events where the Army is asked to help, such as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In international (expeditionary) operations, the role of the ARes is to augment, sustain and support deployed Regular Force members. This has proven successful around the world, most notably in Afghanistan over the last decade.

Equally important, the ARes provides an Army presence in over 100 communities across Canada, putting a familiar, local face on the Army for the Canadian public.

Who Serves and How

The majority of Reservists serve one evening a week, one weekend a month. Many also provide essential support for longer terms within the CA Regular Force.

Reservists come from all sorts of backgrounds – from young Canadians graduating in high school or entering universities or colleges, to civic-minded Canadians of all ages who have careers outside the ARes in a wide range of civilian occupations.

Simply put, training and employment within the ARes meets the needs of citizens willing to take on the Army challenge and contribute their varied skills and backgrounds that enrich and strengthen the Canadian Army.

To ensure the ARes can meet its full operational potential, the CA is increasing the size of the ARes, reducing the recruitment process to a matter of weeks, and fully integrating Reservists into the total Force with additional roles that provide full-time capability through part-time service, in accordance with the Government of Canada’s new Defence Policy: Strong, Secured, Engaged.

At present, there are over 18,500 Army Reservists across Canada who look forward to a great future of personal growth, training and missions. By 2020, it is expected that the Army Reserve will grow to over 21,000.

To join the Army Reserve, start by dropping by the local armoury in your community or region. If you are looking for a particular trade, you must join a unit that offers that type of work. Each unit’s page has a list of the trades they offer.

What We Do

Reservists have made substantial contributions to Canada's international and domestic operations. Since the year 2000, more than 4,000 Reservists from the Army, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force have been deployed in international expeditionary operations in:

• Africa;
• South-west Asia;
• the Middle East;
• the Caribbean, and
• many other parts of the world.

Reservists have participated in domestic operations in many ways in recent years. They have:

• assisted with flood relief efforts in Quebec and Manitoba;
• fought forest fires in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia;
• assisted with hurricane relief efforts in Newfoundland and Labrador;
• participated in recovery efforts following ice storms in eastern Canada; and
• supported the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

In addition, Reservists often help at or participate in cultural events, parades, festivals, and other public events in their own and neighbouring communities across Canada, including Remembrance Day ceremonies.