…
The Canadian army is growing at a pace not seen in decades, reaching its highest number of recruits in 30 years and potentially reversing the chronic personnel shortage that has plagued the country’s military.
…
Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute who researches Canada’s military culture, said that while there may be a “Trump effect” behind the recent rise in enlistment [referring to US President Donald Trump’s remarks to Canada as the “51st state”], military applications had already begun spiking in 2022, around the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
…
In March, he [Canada PM Mark Carney] announced that Canada had officially achieved the Nato target of spending 2% of its GDP on defence for the first time since the late 1980s, amounting to over C$63bn ($46bn; £34bn) in a single year. Carney also joined the Nato pledge to spending up to 5% of GDP on defence by 2035.
Canada reached that 2% milestone by increasing salaries, as well as pledging to buy new equipment, upgrade existing bases and build new infrastructure in the Arctic.
…
In late April, the Canadian military announced it had enrolled more than 7,000 new members in the last fiscal year - its highest number of new recruits in three decades.
That figure is a fraction of the total number of people who have expressed interest in joining the military. As of February, confirmed applications to the Canadian Armed Forces had nearly doubled year over year, rising from 21,700 to 40,116, according to figures shared with the BBC by Canada’s Department of National Defence.
Those numbers reflect applicants who submitted the required documents to confirm their eligibility. The total number of applications was far higher, reaching nearly 100,000 over the past year.
It is a big jump from 2019-20, when around 36,000 people had applied.
…
What percentage of that increase is due to Ontario gutting the student loan and grant program leaving most university applicants with no other option but the army for a degree?
Thanks, Trump!
while there may be a “Trump effect” behind the recent rise in enlistment, military applications had already begun spiking in 2022, around the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Arguably that’s still Trump just in a roundabout way
How would that ‘roundabout way’ have worked when military applications had already begun spiking in 2022, around the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Trump was president in 2021.
Oh, yeah, thanks for this. He handed over on January 20, 2021. That’s just another pseudo-intellectual garbage.
deleted by creator
who cares?
My husband was thinking of enlisting but I talked him out of it. Canada and the US are still too intertwined and there is no guarantee we won’t be dragged into their BS wars again.
An alternative can be getting your possession and acquisition license and then take a C-Tom’s course for tactical/high-stress medical training.
Stop the bleed courses an such provide essential knowledge in an emergency.
And learn how to fly a drone
deleted by creator
Well, easier to get a firearm than a drone capable of detonating remotely in Canada.
Baby steps, learn how to operate and handle a firearm in a safe environment first and even if you don’t take it up as a hobby that knowledge will at least stick with you in the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 🧟♂️
I said “and”
Learning to fly a drone is much easier access for people to learn. Get a controller and download a sim from Steam. That’s a good start. Also it’s not all about shooting and detonating stuff. Recon, flying supplies etc. Drones have so many uses and it doesn’t have to be defence either. They are used in surveying, farming, fire fighting, real estate you name it. It’s a great skill to develop with many uses.
Buying one start at about $200 so much cheaper than a PAL and a rifle. Let alone ammo to practice as well as most people would need range access too. That’s all quite pricey.
Also not everybody is into fire arms and defence often gets reduced to shoot up and detonating stuff. There is so much more to it. As you mentioned the first aid/medical knowledge would be critical too.
Fuck I’d be in if they’d take me. When I was 18 I failed the medical due to a wrist injury. Wonder if they’re quite as picky with that stuff now.
Couldn’t get past medical. I now consider myself an independant auxillary volunteer. Always on guard for thee.
if they do the volunteer recruiting as it was in the news a while ago I am up for it! I am learning how to fly a drone now and I can shoot. Always on guard for thee is right.
They are preparing to fight their former friends and allies, the ones that now threaten them and are killing/jailing/deporting/raping/defeding the rapists of their own people.
excellent
One thing no one is talking about it seems is the training facilities for new recruits. The place i used to work was only big enough to run 2 courses at a time. Now with all the changes they are running 4 courses at once with the same personel…it was one of the reasons i got out because of being over worked. Money just doesnt solve issues when you through it at a problem.
you got out because they were overworking you and throwing too much money at “the problem”?
i call bullshit
