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6mo ago

Canadian Forces Exceed Recruiting Goal Again With 7,310 New Regulars

Officials credit pay hikes alongside faster screening for the rebound.

Members of Task Force Grizzly attend 'Operation Nanook-Nunalivut', an annual series of drills in Yellowknife in February.
Minister of National Defence David McGuinty holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, April 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces do maintenance on their tanks at the Adazi Military base in Adazi, Latvia, in August 2025.
Minister of National Defence David McGuinty holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Overview

  • Defence Minister David McGuinty said 7,310 people joined the regular force in the year ended March 31, topping a 6,957 goal.
  • The intake beat targets for a second straight year, with verified applications reaching the highest level in about 30 years, according to officials.
  • McGuinty said the regular force stands at 67,827, still short of the 71,500 level set in 2017.
  • Officials set a higher recruiting goal of 8,200 for the current fiscal year, while training space and an 8.5% attrition rate remain hurdles.
  • The government ties the gains to major pay raises and an $84 billion, five‑year defence boost that put 2025–26 spending near 2% of GDP for the first time in about 35 years.