The Canadian Army is undergoing its largest reorganization in decades as it transitions away from regional command structures toward duty-specific divisions dedicated to future conflict operations at home and abroad. The Department of National Defence announced the change Thursday as it introduced three new divisions, each focused separately on large-scale combat and crisis response, domestic defence and infrastructure support. The announcement coincided with a ceremony in Edmonton, where the 1st Canadian Division—also known as the Manoeuvre Division—was introduced as the army’s new primary fighting force. The division brings together multiple capabilities under one command, including infantry, armour, artillery and engineers. The division, which historically dates back to 1915 and helped to capture Vimy Ridge during the First World War, will command three mechanized brigade groups in Edmonton, Petawawa, Ont., and at CFB Valcartier in Quebec, officials said. It will also oversee the 3rd Light Infantry Regiment, the Canadian Artillery Brigade, 6 Canadian Combat Support Brigade and 1 Canadian Sustainment Brigade. ‘Credibility at stake’ The 2nd Canadian Division, based in Montreal and known as the Defence of Canada Division, will be responsible for domestic territorial defence, and will command Canada’s reserve brigades and the Canadian Rangers. A third division, the Canadian Army Support Division, based in Kingston, Ont., will be responsible for administrative and institutional support. Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright, the commander of the Canadian Army, says the shift away from geographic divisions was a long time coming “because, frankly, our relevance and our credibility was at stake.” Wright, who announced his plan to modernize the army last year, told CTV News the effort will allow the army to rapidly deploy and sustain high-intensity conflict with multi-domain capabilities organized under a single headquarters. The restructuring enables the army to mobilize large-scale combat forces for NATO operations in Europe, he said, while simultaneously prioritizing domestic territorial defence at home. “What we have done is to make sure that we are reorganizing the Canadian Army to be able to defend Canada, to be able to contribute to those alliances and partnerships, and also to ensure that we’re providing agile, scalable, high-readiness forces,” Wright said in an interview. The transformation represents largest restructuring of the Canadian Army since at least the end of the Cold War, possibly since the Second World War, he added. Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the 1st Canadian Division, said the move will shape the future of the Canadian Army. “This is the beginning of delivering to Canada a true warfighting capability at the divisional level,” Rutland said in a statement. “We’re not just organizing brigades under a new headquarters. We’re building the army our country needs and our allies expect.”
