4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group - History

4CRPG Rangers make plans while viewing a map.

The Canadian Rangers were initially formed on 23 May 1947, with an organizational base similar to that of the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers of World War II.

The primary role assigned to the original Rangers had been one of ensuring Canadian territorial security and had involved surveillance of the coastlines in sparsely settled areas of the country so as to detect, report and, if possible, prevent any penetration of Canadian territory by hostile elements.

As the atmosphere, emergency and threatened national security faded after World War II, so did interest in, and support for, a continued Ranger force. However, with the renewed interest in the protection of Canadian sovereignty which became manifest in the early 1970's, initiatives were taken, first by Mobile Command Headquarters, then, Northern Region Headquarters, and now by Maritime Command Headquarters to rejuvenate this Ranger force which already existed.

The Ranger force, possessing the required personal traits and practical skills, was already adapted to the environment and identified with the land.

The Rangers could also be classified as an 'officially constituted' element of the Canadian Forces and were thus a visible military presence in sparsely populated or isolated locations of Canada.