Ontarians share a centuries-long tradition of defending our province, our country and the values we believe in, both at home and abroad.

Canada’s War Artists from Ontario

“From the beginning, Canadian painters who participated in the Canadian War Records lived and worked closely with the armed forces, spending a great deal of time close to the front lines. Wherever they found themselves, they were expected to produce accurate images of fighting men, machinery, and the landscape of war. This they did by sketching in the field and later developing the sketches in watercolour or pastel. Only when they returned to their headquarters in London, or, after the war, to Canada, did they compose their studio works - the oils on canvas.” From: ‘Canada’s War Artists’ Perspective’

Canadian War Artists in the virtual gallery of the National Archives of Canada brings together the portraits of eighteen Canadian war artists who painted during the Second World War. Many among them hailed from Ontario:

1. Thomas Harold Beament
2. Bruno Jacob Bobak
3. Leonard Brooks
4. Francis Michael Forster
5. Lawren Harris
6. Pegi Nicol MacLeod
7. Rowley Murphy
8. George Douglas Pepper
9. Thomas Charles Wood

 

Many of their works can be seen on Canvas of War, Masterpieces from the Canadian War Museum, on the War Museum website and on Canada’s War Artists’ Perspective.

Holocaust works from the Canadian War Museum by Canadian Jewish artist Aba Beyefsky may be viewed on the site.

Ontario's WWII Military Heritage:

Sites, Memorials, Plaques

For Heritage Week 2004, Ontario expanded on the national theme “Defending Canada: Our Military Heritage Sites and Buildings”, to showcase not only this province’s many military heritage sites, including our forts, battlefields, armouries and war memorials, but also to recognize the varied roles Ontario’s people have played in helping to defend our province, our country, and peace around the world. Adapted from the Ontario Ministry of Culture.

 

A directory and description of 232 Ontario War Memorials may be found at: Ontario’s War Memorials website.

The locations and text of 1,169 Ontario historical plaques related to military history may be found at the National Defence website.

Canadian Forces in Ontario Today

The Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces (DND/CF) employs more than 35,000 men and women in Ontario, including members of the Regular and Reserve Forces and civilian personnel.  Each year, DND/CF contributes approximately $4.5 billion* to the Ontario economy through salaries, capital investments and operating expenses. Almost anywhere in Ontario, even in the remotest northern communities, you may well find people working and training as part of Canada’s defence team.
Courtesy of The Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces
* For more information, please consult the National Defence Main Estimates.

Navy

Though the Navy fleet is based on the east and west coasts, the Navy has a presence in Ontario and in every other province. The Naval reserve is responsible for maritime defence responsibilities, including coastal operations, naval control of shipping and mine countermeasures. In Ontario, Naval Reserve Divisions are located in Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Windsor and Thunder Bay.

Location	Naval Reserve Division
Ottawa	HMCS Carleton
Kingston	HMCS Cataraqui
Toronto	HMCS York
Hamilton	HMCS Star
London	HMCS Prevost
Windsor	HMCS Hunter
Thunder Bay	HMCS Griffon

 

Army

Land Force Central Area (LFCA) is the term used to describe the Army presence in Ontario. LFCA includes 70 reserve and regular force units in 46 communities, including the area headquarters in Toronto. The Army provides training and training exercises to improve soldiers’ skills and prepare them for deployment. Domestically, the Army also provides the framework for mobilization in the event of national emergencies.

31 Canadian Brigade Group consists of reserve units located in London, Windsor, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Brantford, Guelph, Kitchener, St. Thomas, Sarnia, Simcoe, Stratford and Chatham. These Reserve Army units include Artillery, Armour, Infantry and Engineers, as well as Medical units and Service Battalions.

32 Canadian Brigade Group consists of reserve units including Artillery, Armour, Infantry and Engineers, as well as Medical units and Service Battalions. Its sub-units are located in Toronto, Aurora, Barrie, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville and Owen Sound.

33 Canadian Brigade Group is located in the National Capital Region, North Bay, Cobourg, Sault Ste. Marie, Belleville, Oshawa, Peterborough, Cornwall, Brockville and Kingston. This formation contains reserve Artillery, Armoured and Infantry Regiments, Artillery, Engineer and Medical units, and Service Battalions. The Ceremonial Guard, a traditional summer tourist draw in Ottawa, is also part of this formation.

 

Air Force

Canada’s Air Force has a large presence in Ontario. Major Wings are located in Trenton, Kingston, Borden, North Bay and Ottawa. Most Air Force Wings, squadrons and units are made up of both Regular and Reserve Force personnel.

Location	Formation	Squadrons
Trenton	8 Wing/CFB Trenton	8 Squadrons/Flights
Kingston	1 Wing/CFB Kingston	6 Squadrons
Borden	16 Wing/CFB Borden	4 Squadrons/Units
North Bay	22 Wing/NORAD	3 Squadrons
Ottawa	8 Wing	1 Squadron

8 Wing/CFB Trenton is one of the largest and busiest Air Force bases in Canada, and is involved in virtually every CF operation. It is also responsible for search and rescue in central Canada and home to the famous Skyhawks with the Canadian Parachute Centre.

22 Wing represents one of Canada’s major contributions to the North American Aerospace Defence (NORAD) agreement. From its underground complex at the Sector Air Operations Centre, technicians monitor Canada’s airspace 24 hours a day, using state-of-the-art sensors, computer and communications equipment.

 

The Communications Reserve

The Communications Reserve is an element of the Canadian Forces Reserve and is part of the Information Management Group of the National Defence Headquarters. Equipped with modern technical equipment such as digital radios, ground satellite terminals, fiber optics and computers, the Communications Reserve provides trained personnel for combat capable information technology and information management services. In Ontario, Communications Reserve units are located in Ottawa, Kingston, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Hamilton and at CFB Borden.

 

Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC)

In Ontario, JRCC Trenton directs and coordinates search and rescue over a large area of Canada and its offshore oceans. Air searches are conducted by Canadian Forces personnel and the Civilian Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), which is made up of volunteer pilots and observers. Police and the Coast Guard conduct ground and marine searches.

 

Canadian Rangers and Junior Canadian Rangers

The Canadian Rangers are part-time reservists who provide a military presence in remote, isolated, and coastal communities. Rangers are trained to provide early warning, territorial surveillance and reconnaissance for DND/CF.

Rangers also assist with local search and rescue and evacuation in natural emergencies such as forest fires and floods. In Ontario, Ranger patrols exist in 13 communities, including Attawapiskat, Bearskin Lake, English River, Fort Albany, Fort Severn, Moose Factory, Peawanuck, Sandy Lake and Sachigo Lake.

The Junior Canadian Rangers program promotes traditional cultures and lifestyles among young people aged 12 to 18 in remote, isolated communities. The program emphasizes healthy living and promotes leadership, public speaking, good citizenship and protection of the environment.

 

The Cadet Program

The Cadet program is the largest federally funded youth program in Canada. There are more than 50,000 Cadets in Canada, including approximately 15,000 in Ontario. Open to youth aged 12 to 18, this program promotes citizenship, leadership, physical fitness, public speaking and an understanding of DND/CF’s roles and missions.

Cadets perform many community services including environmental cleanup, fundraising for charities, and assistance at fairs and other events. They also reap the personal benefits of increased self-confidence, initiative-taking, decision-making and teamwork. There are Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets and Royal Canadian Air Cadets in communities of all sizes across Ontario. In many small Ontario communities, the local Cadet unit is the only DND/CF presence. Many Cadets go on to apply the leadership and citizenship skills they have learned by serving their communities as adults.

 

Education and Training

Ontario is home to a large component of the DND/CF education and training structure. Headquartered in Kingston, The Canadian Defence Academy is a military formation that promotes and enhances professional development for all CF members. Also located in Kingston, Royal Military College (RMC) is our military university. RMC trains officer candidates for all branches of the CF. Canadian Forces College is located at Armour Heights in Toronto. It offers a variety of courses designed to prepare officers for senior command and staff positions in the CF.

 

Recruiting

Historically, between 25 and 30 per cent of the CF’s total enrolment, Regular, Reserve and Cadet Instructor Cadre, comes from Ontario. The CF Recruiting Group has its headquarters at Borden. In Ontario, there are 12 permanent recruiting offices open, with two more planned for the near future.

 

National Defence Headquarters

Located in Ottawa, National Defence Headquarters is an integrated organization of both Canadian Forces members and Department of National Defence personnel. The National Capital Region is also home to a number of organizations that fall under the DND/CF umbrella.

The National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) coordinates all federal agencies involved in search and rescue, including DND/CF, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Parks Canada, Transport Canada and Environment Canada.

The Office of Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) is a civilian organization mandated to advance the effectiveness of emergency management and to enhance critical infrastructure protection. OCIPEP issues a series of alerts and advisories in order to provide information and instructions on protecting computer networks against cyber vulnerabilities and has produced an extensive series of emergency preparedness self-help brochures for distribution to the general public. OCIPEP provides training for fire, police and emergency service personnel through its Canadian Emergency Preparedness College, located in Ottawa.

Of the six Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) research centres situated throughout Canada, three are located in Ontario. DRDC Ottawa conducts research into advanced radar systems in cooperation with Canadian industry. DRDC Toronto studies human performance, including health and safety issues that affect pilots, astronauts and divers. The Operational Research Division in Ottawa is characterized by the practical application of advanced scientific and analytical methods to facilitate senior decision making and problem solving.

 

National Defence Public Affairs Office (NDPAO)—Ontario Region

NDPAO Ontario is here to familiarize Canadians with DND/CF's roles, responsibilities and contribution to Canadian security. As the local point of contact for DND/CF, it is the key resource tool for anyone interested in defence affairs.
NDPAO can:

1. Arrange for DND/CF speakers to discuss current defence issues with your association or academic institution
2. Assist academic, business and civic leaders to organize events that engage Canadians in defence issues
3. Organize familiarization trips to DND/CF installations in Canada and abroad
4. Keep you informed about current DND/CF policies, programs, initiatives and operations.

You can learn more at the National Defence and the Canadian Forces website.