June 5, 2024                                    Gatineau, Quebec                          Parks Canada

After Confederation in 1867, Britain began to withdraw its military forces from Canada and defence became a federal responsibility. The resulting creation of a permanent military force in Canada ended more than a century of dependence on Britain and represented the beginnings of military professionalization in the country.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of the Creation of Canada’s Permanent Military Force (1871–1883) as an event of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

For more than one hundred years following the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), the British Army and Royal Navy continued to defend British North America with support from local militias and in partnership with First Nations allies. The Canadian government assumed it could continue to rely on Britain after Confederation, even as the number of British troops in Canada fell from roughly 15,700 in 1867 to 4,000 in 1869. By 1871, Britain had withdrawn all its forces, except for garrisons at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Esquimalt, British Columbia.

Though there was little popular or political support for the creation of a standing army at the time, Canada put in place the elements that would be the basis of a permanent force for the country. Garrisons were established at Fort Henry in Kingston and at the Québec Citadel to help train officers and men and take charge of the fortifications, magazines, armaments, artillery, and stores left behind by the British. In 1876, the Royal Military College of Canada was established, and the passage of the Militia Act of 1883 expanded the permanent force and authorized the formation of new cavalry, artillery, and infantry schools.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationwide. For more information on how to nominate a person, place or event of historic importance, please visit Parks Canada’s website: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application.

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