The subsequent section will highlight the overall military budget, and what that means for the Canadian Rangers. Also, the possibility of full-time Rangers as source of employment.
Costs
Recently, Canada’s spending on military is less than 1% of our GDP (World Bank, 2016). In the most recent budget Trudeau’s government is investing in programs to help veterans and families (Department of Finance, 2017). It is unclear if any will go towards the Canadian Rangers. In the beginning of Prime Minister Harper’s government an additional $12 million was invested towards the $17 million Canadian Rangers budget (Lackenbauer, et al., 2013). As recent ombudsmen reports, this was insufficient in providing adequate health care services and timely reimbursements for damaged and loss equipment. Relative to the spending for the Canadian Armed Forces of $19 billion, the Canadian Rangers' budget is minimal, receiving less than 0.5% (Cook, 2017). The money spent can have a positive influence on the people living in the North. I propose an increase in funding for the Canadian Rangers to be active, and effective in their communities.
Employment
In Quebec, the total Aboriginal identity population employment rate was 64.1% in 2011 (Statistics Canada, 2016). This is compared to the non-Aboriginal identity population of 74.6% (Statistics Canada, 2016). The growing population means there is a need for jobs. The Canadian Rangers can contribute in recruiting and employing for the ever-changing landscape. Majority of Canadian Rangers are volunteers. It the federal government invests in the Rangers, then more people can be employed and support the efforts for a sustainable North. This begins with training. The training to become a Canadian Ranger is a ten day orientation (Canadian Military, 2016). There is at minimum one annual training for Rangers as a refresher, to learn new skills, or increase qualifications. These programs range from a few hours to weeks. The training is provided by Rangers and Armed Forces. Unfortunately, there is a lack of instructors to provide these training programs (Lackenbauer, et al., 2013). Consequently, the increase in employment can be for more Rangers, and the instructors to train them.
Video of Canadian Rangers Basic Military Indoctrination pilot-course (Canadian Army, 2016)
