Sea Cadet Motto
"A Mari usque ad Mare "
"From Sea to Sea"
The Early History
The Navy League of Canada was founded in 1895 in order to support the lobby to create the Canadian Navy.
Beginning in 1902, the League sponsored Canada's first Boys and Girls' Naval Brigades. The first official Sea Cadet Corps was #859 Winnipeg Boys Naval Brigade Cadet Corps formed in November 19, 1920 in Winnipeg. In 1942 all the remaining Sea Cadet Corps were transferred to Navy League and renumbered accordingly.
The World Wars
The Navy League authorized the creation of Girls Naval Brigades as early as World War One. The girls benefited from a training program providing, as much as possible, a parallel training to that of the boys.
The beginning of World War Two brought a renewed public interest in cadet training. An astounding amount of cadet corps were formed in high schools across the country. During the war, the Royal Canadian Navy began its partnership with the Navy League in sponsoring Sea Cadets and their officers were taken on the payroll to the Royal Canadian Navy.
The Post-War Years
In recognition of the significant contribution of former cadets to the war effort, His Majesty King George VI conferred the title royal to the cadet program, creating the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. It is estimated that nearly 230,000 former sea, army and air cadets served in His Majesty's forces during World War Two.
After World War Two, quotas were imposed reducing Canada's total cadet force to about 75,000 members. Many of the closed corps, those with membership restricted to boys in one particular school, were disbanded; some of them became open corps, training in militia armouries or in Legion halls; others, like many corps sponsored by the Navy League, acquired their own buildings.
The Korean War stimulated growth among open corps in the early 1950s. Many school corps moved to armouries and drill halls. After 1954, Korea veterans staffed the Area Cadet Offices that began to manage these corps and the summer camps that trained them.
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Following the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, a number of changes occurred in the Cadet world:
* Sea and Air Cadets came more fully under the control of the Canadian Forces in order to standardize the three Cadet organizations;
* A directorate of cadets was established in Ottawa to set policy and co-ordinate the activities of the Sea, Army and Air cadets;
* The Army Cadet League of Canada was formed in 1971 in order to give the Army cadets a civilian voice comparable to that of the Navy League and the Air Cadet League;
* Sea Cadet officers became commissioned members of the Canadian Forces. Before this date, sea cadet officers were created by means of a warrant from the Navy League of Canada; and
* The Cadet Services of Canada was superseded by the Cadet Instructor List, which was later redesigned the Cadet Instructor Cadre.
Girls in the Cadet Program
Girls have participated unofficially in cadet training almost from the beginning. Shortly after the Highland Cadet Corps was stood up at the Guelph Grammar School in 1882, a female cadet company called the Daughters of the Regiment, was also raised.
In 1950, the Navy League Wrennette Corps were established for girls aged 13 to 18 years, though some corps existed unofficially before that date. In 1975, the two programs were amalgamated, and girls were officially enrolled in Sea Cadets.
On the 30 July 1975, parliament amended the relevant legislation by changing the word boys to persons, therefore permitting girls to become members of the Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air Cadets. At long last, girls could finally do everything the boys had been doing for so many years. The biggest change was at the camp level. What had been for so many decades an exclusively male environment changed dramatically at Vernon, Ipperwash, Valcartier, Argonaut and Banff. In short time the girls adapted.
2005 - 100th Anniversary
The Navy League of Canada was founded in 1895 in order to support the lobby to create the Canadian Navy.
Beginning in 1902, the League sponsored Canada's first Boys and Girls' Naval Brigades. The first official Sea Cadet Corps was #859 Winnipeg Boys Naval Brigade Cadet Corps formed in November 19, 1920 in Winnipeg. In 1942 all the remaining Sea Cadet Corps were transferred to Navy League and renumbered accordingly.
The World Wars
The Navy League authorized the creation of Girls Naval Brigades as early as World War One. The girls benefited from a training program providing, as much as possible, a parallel training to that of the boys.
The beginning of World War Two brought a renewed public interest in cadet training. An astounding amount of cadet corps were formed in high schools across the country. During the war, the Royal Canadian Navy began its partnership with the Navy League in sponsoring Sea Cadets and their officers were taken on the payroll to the Royal Canadian Navy.
The Post-War Years
In recognition of the significant contribution of former cadets to the war effort, His Majesty King George VI conferred the title royal to the cadet program, creating the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. It is estimated that nearly 230,000 former sea, army and air cadets served in His Majesty's forces during World War Two.
After World War Two, quotas were imposed reducing Canada's total cadet force to about 75,000 members. Many of the closed corps, those with membership restricted to boys in one particular school, were disbanded; some of them became open corps, training in militia armouries or in Legion halls; others, like many corps sponsored by the Navy League, acquired their own buildings.
The Korean War stimulated growth among open corps in the early 1950s. Many school corps moved to armouries and drill halls. After 1954, Korea veterans staffed the Area Cadet Offices that began to manage these corps and the summer camps that trained them.
Unification of the Canadian Forces
Following the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, a number of changes occurred in the Cadet world:
* Sea and Air Cadets came more fully under the control of the Canadian Forces in order to standardize the three Cadet organizations;
* A directorate of cadets was established in Ottawa to set policy and co-ordinate the activities of the Sea, Army and Air cadets;
* The Army Cadet League of Canada was formed in 1971 in order to give the Army cadets a civilian voice comparable to that of the Navy League and the Air Cadet League;
* Sea Cadet officers became commissioned members of the Canadian Forces. Before this date, sea cadet officers were created by means of a warrant from the Navy League of Canada; and
* The Cadet Services of Canada was superseded by the Cadet Instructor List, which was later redesigned the Cadet Instructor Cadre.
Girls in the Cadet Program
Girls have participated unofficially in cadet training almost from the beginning. Shortly after the Highland Cadet Corps was stood up at the Guelph Grammar School in 1882, a female cadet company called the Daughters of the Regiment, was also raised.
In 1950, the Navy League Wrennette Corps were established for girls aged 13 to 18 years, though some corps existed unofficially before that date. In 1975, the two programs were amalgamated, and girls were officially enrolled in Sea Cadets.
On the 30 July 1975, parliament amended the relevant legislation by changing the word boys to persons, therefore permitting girls to become members of the Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air Cadets. At long last, girls could finally do everything the boys had been doing for so many years. The biggest change was at the camp level. What had been for so many decades an exclusively male environment changed dramatically at Vernon, Ipperwash, Valcartier, Argonaut and Banff. In short time the girls adapted.
2005 - 100th Anniversary
The Cadet Corps history throughout the country is still underdevelopment.
We need your help in finishing the history pages for each corps and squadron in the country. Please email your history to rcccshistory@gmail.com Thank you.