History – Canadian Rangers

The Pacific Coast Militia Rangers were initially formed in 1942 following the shelling of British Columbia by a Japanese submarine. The role of these Rangers was coastal surveillance and immediate local defence in an emergency situation, pending the deployment of Regular Force troops.

Following the end of World War II, their role was expanded to include other remote and coastal parts of Canada and they were renamed the Canadian Rangers in 1947. The primary role of the newly formed Canadian Rangers was to conduct surveillance of the coastlines in sparsely settled areas of the country.

In the 1970’s a renewed interest in protecting Canada’s sovereignty rejuvenated the Canadian Rangers program and resulted in an increased focus on Canadian Ranger activity in the North. The Canadian Rangers were subsequently firmly entrenched as a vital part of the Canadian Forces operations in remote, isolated and coastal communities.

In 1996 the Minister of National Defence announced the implementation of a youth program called the Junior Canadian Rangers. The Canadian Rangers are closely affiliated with the Junior Canadian Ranger Programme and many of them serve as instructors, leaders and role models for these youth in remote and isolated communities. 

In January 2000 the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) authorized a thorough review of the Canadian Rangers organization and the Junior Canadian Ranger Programme. CAN RAN 2000 reviews the successes and challenges to date, and outlines plans for the future, including a significant expansion of these two organizations. The Honourable Art Eggleton, Minister of National Defence, subsequently endorsed the recommendations in CAN RAN 2000 on January 27, 2000.

Motto – Canadian Rangers

The motto of the Canadian Rangers is "Vigilans".
In English this means “the watchers.”