The Canadian Rangers

Posted by Susanna McLeod Aug 12, 2007

With several countries laying claim to islands and waterways of the Arctic, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has taken steps on the road to protecting the sovereignty of Canada’s far north. He announced this week that the government will build a new deep-sea port off the northern tip of Baffin Island, and a new military training base in Resolute Bay, one of the most northern - and coldest - communities in the country. Prime Minister Harper intends to show the international community that Canada uses and has rights to the Northern Passage, its waters and its resources. But the area has not been dormant of activity. The Canadian Rangers guard the northern regions.

The Canadian Rangers are a volunteer force of Inuit, paid only when out on missions. Their mission is to observe and guard the North, patrolling the most remote and coldest parts of Canada's north. And they live there, too.

Established during WWII as the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers in 1942, the soldiers were tasked with surveillance of British Columbia and Yukon coastlines, watching for the threat of Japanese attack. There were, according to cbc.ca news, 15,000 members living in 138 communities. The duties of the PCMR ended on September 30, 1945 when the War was over.

On May 30, 1947, a new Ranger unit was established: the Canadian Rangers. The mostly-Inuit volunteers were given the mission of being the eyes and ears of Canada’s military, performing sovereignty patrols in the northern and Arctic regions. The men and women Rangers are respected for their ability, skill and knowledge of the farthest regions. Several Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups are spread across the country, including Junior Canadian Rangers, aged 12 – 18. There are 4,200 Rangers and 3,300 Junior Rangers.

The Canadian Rangers carry .303-calibre Lee Enfield rifles and their own 12-gauge shotguns. Designed in 1907 by James Paris Lee for British military use, the rifles are heavy, bolt-action guns that are known for accuracy and reliability in the frigid temperatures.

Duties of the Rangers are varied - watching for polar bear poachers, observing the rapidly-evolving environment from climate change, and participating in NORAD, the North American Air Defence system. Jose Kusugak, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami noted in a newspaper column that of 47 NORAD radar sites, 46 are within Inuit-claim boundaries.

A Canada Post commemorative stamp was issued in 2003, featuring the Canadian Rangers.

Hmm... doesn't sound like the Arctic is ignored any more. I’m glad to know that the northern areas are being patrolled and observed, and that the government is taking action to make our Canadian presence known. It would be a shame to lose sovereignty of a large, important portion of the country from disuse.

Canadian Rangers and Junior Canadian Rangers

Prime Minister Harper steps toward northern sovereignty