Ombudsman disappointed in lack of progress on Canadian Rangers and Reserve Force recommendations

Message from the Ombudsman | 25 October 2022

Today, I am publishing progress updates on my office’s recommendations for improvements to the Canadian Rangers and the Reserve Force.

I am disappointed in the lack of concrete steps taken by the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to improve the well-being and fair-treatment of Canadian Rangers and the Reserve Force. Both are integral components of the CAF.

Since 2015, my office has studied the Canadian Rangers and the Reserve Force in three investigations and one study. The three investigations made nine recommendations to the DND and the CAF. (The study had no recommendations.)

Despite progress on some recommendations, none of the recommendations have been fully implemented.

I invite you to review the progress reports themselves for more information:

• Report: Canadian Rangers: A Systemic Investigation of the Factors That Impact Healthcare Entitlements and Related Benefits of the Rangers (2017)
• Report: A Systemic Review of Compensation Options for Ill and Injured Reservists (2016)
• Report: Part-time Soldiers with Full-time Injuries: A Systemic Review of Canada's Primary Reserve Force and Operational Stress Injuries (2016)
• Study: The Feasibility of Providing Periodic Health Assessments to all Primary Reservists (2015)

It is clear that the DND and the CAF must do more to ensure long lasting improvements for Canada’s Reserve Force. While reconstitution is a high priority for the CAF and the Government of Canada, further concrete progress on our recommendations will build a better foundation for these efforts to succeed. We are currently investigating mental health resources and access to these resources for Reserve Force members.

We will continue to monitor the progress the DND and the CAF make on our recommendations. We seek to ensure the fair treatment of our constituents in gaining access to the programs, services, and resources which contribute to their well-being.

I will communicate about the progress updates of other published reports in the months ahead once they are finalized.

Gregory A. Lick
Ombudsman