The Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve. Today, there are approximately 5000 Canadian Rangers living in over 200 communities. They are organized into five Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups (CRPGs) to provide a military presence in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada which cannot conveniently or economically be covered by other elements in the CAF. The CRPGs provide a total of 179 Canadian Ranger Patrols for national-security and public-safety missions in these locations.
There are currently 44 Rangers in The Arctic Bay Canadian Ranger Patrol. Under the leadership of Ranger Sergeant Samson Ejangiaq and Ranger Master Corporal Roland Taqtu, Canadian Rangers from the Arctic Bay patrol participate in tasks including sovereignty patrols and support to domestic northern operations. Each patrol under the command of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group conducts annual basic training in activities such as first aid, ground search and rescue, leadership, navigation, weapon handling and safety and special training as required.
While the Rangers do not provide a traditional defensive capability, they are relied upon to report unusual activities, collect data of significance to the Canadian Armed Forces, and conduct surveillance and sovereignty patrols as required. They also execute tasks such as assisting ground search and rescue, community evacuations, flood and fire watch, and survival training. In addition, the Rangers provide a valuable cultural component to our operations as they provide direct linkages to the communities we visit and the people we encounter.
As a visible demonstration of Canada’s dominion in the North, the Rangers are dedicated, knowledgeable members who provide self-sufficient, lightly equipped mobile forces in support of Canadian Armed Forces’ domestic and sovereignty operations.
