Canada’s military reserves are now 25% below their target strength, despite over a billion dollars allocated by Parliament to boost recruitment and readiness, according to an internal Department of National Defence report.
Blacklock's Reporter says the report, which highlights poor management, reveals that a significant portion of the funds approved for the reserves were never spent, leaving the force far short of its goals.
“The lack of coherence of the policy environment has widespread repercussions on the organization and its members,” the report stated, emphasizing the critical need for a fully trained and sufficient number of reservists for national security.
The reserves are vital to Canada’s defence objectives, with the ability to rapidly respond in times of crisis. The military had set a target of 30,000 reservists, but last year’s average stood at just 22,578 — well below the minimum goal.
A key challenge noted in the evaluation is the competition with the part-time job sector, which offers more attractive options than the reserves can provide. Reservists are paid a starting rate of $127 per day, and many face issues with their compensation and benefits.
In 2019, cabinet allocated $3.2 billion to strengthen the Reserve Force under the defence policy "Strong, Secure, Engaged." However, most of the funds went unspent.
The report revealed that nearly 60% of the $3.18 billion set aside for the reserves was reallocated. Of that amount, $446 million was returned to the federal treasury, while $1.4 billion was refocused within the defence department. Only $1.3 billion was actually spent on the reserves.
“A greater contribution from the Reserve Force is needed to meet the Canadian Armed Forces’ operational needs,” the evaluation said.
It added that the Regular Force, already under pressure, is struggling to handle its assigned missions with its personnel numbers also well below the minimum target of 71,500.
A separate report shows the Regular Forces had fewer than 53,000 soldiers, sailors, and air crew as of September 26.
“People are at the core of everything the Canadian Armed Forces does,” stated the briefing note, acknowledging that ongoing staffing challenges, alongside shifting demographics and changing expectations, continue to undermine the force’s strength and readiness.
