Canadian Forces Naval Reserve

The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, French: Réserve navale) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, including: domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the Navy's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.

Canada's modern Naval Reserve finds its origins with the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) created on 14 May 1914 under the provisions of Naval Service Act. Organised into Atlantic, Lake and Pacific subcommands, 8,000 Canadians enlisted for service in the RNCVS during WWI. Agreeing to serve in wartime with either the RCN or the British Royal Navy, members of the RNCVR crewed 160 vessels, patrolling the shores of Canada and conducting convoy escort duties. The RNCVR was extinguished four years later and its personnel demobilized following the end of the war in 1918.

In 1923, the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was stood up and under the command of Rear-Admiral Walter Hose who authorized the creation of NRDs in every major Canadian city. In 1941 Naval Reserve divisions were granted the designations ‘His or Her Majesty’s Canadian ships’ and received its own command and a seat on the Naval Board. The new naval reserve establishment formed a robust reserve force building popular support amongst Canadians for the fledgling Canadian Navy. During the Second World War, the RCNVR became the backbone of the Canadian Navy, recruiting officers and sailors for the Navy. By the end of the war, Canada possessed the third-largest navy in the world, with a complement of nearly 100,000. Most of these men and women were members of the RCNVR.

With the end of the Second World War, the Naval Reserve was formed in 1945 replacing the RCNVR. Expected to maintain the same level of skill as the Regular Force, training and pay for reservists was equalised. Focused on minesweeping, escort, and coastal patrol; each division mirrored its organisation, training and crew with all officer branches and non-commissioned trades across the fleet. Despite successfully expanding the University Naval Training Division (UNTD), forming a dedicated 'Commanding Officer, Naval Divisions' command in 1953 and attaching various tender craft to NRDs; the Naval Reserve experienced suffered a decline in skill due to focusing on generalist skills and lack of opportunities to sea-going ships leading up to the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968.

With the unification of the Canadian Forces, the Naval Reserve was renamed the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve and years of decline set in. With no combat capability, except the Naval Reserve Naval Control of Shipping (NCS) program, the Naval Reserve lost political advocacy and was left out of any formal role in the Canadian Forces defence structure. Left outside the Canadian Forces structure, the Naval Reserve would rely on new and unique ways of keeping relevant during the Cold War years. With the UNTD program shuttered, for example, NRDs worked to expand their recruiting numbers by employing students at local level, and force generating sailors initially trained at the unit level to serve on major warships. Years of decline was finally ended with Canada's 1987 White Paper on defence policy Challenge and Commitments.

With more integration of the Primary Reserve into the 'Total Force Concept' as outlined by the 1987 Defence White Paper, and then confirmed in the 1994 follow-up white paper, the NAVRES was tasked with providing niche capabilities to assist the Regular Force. One such task undertaken by the NAVRES was to spearhead enhancing RCN mine countermeasures operation capabilities and by crewing twelve new Kingston-class coastal defence vessels, that since their introduction in 1996, have significantly contributed to Canadian maritime security and allied commitments, both domestically and internationally. The NAVRES was additionally tasked with maintaining standing port inspection diver teams, supporting regional dive centres and supplying four non-standing port security units and four naval co-operation and guidance for shipping (the former NCS, now NCAGS) units.

The mission of the NAVRES is to generate trained individuals and teams for CAF operations, including domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the RCN's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.

The tasks of the NAVRES is to: