(Quebec) Jim Soto stops in front of a table full of assault rifles. His gaze lingers on one of the weapons, polished so that it glows in the light. “It’s a C7,” the soldier said. Have you ever handled a gun like this, would you like to hold it? »
Posted at 5:00 am.
The scene takes place at Place Fleur de Lys, a shopping center in Quebec. Here, in the empty premises of the former Quebec Gaming Hall, the Canadian Armed Forces held its “Military for a Day” campaign on September 16th.
This new way of recruiting was launched less than a year ago to offer an immersive style. Here you can handle rifles – unarmed of course -, try out rations or try your hand at the armed forces physical test.
Under a stand, two friendly soldiers in uniform will even show you how to make a “normal” bed. “Would you like to try it?” one of them asks a teenager accompanied by his parents. The teenager hesitates for a moment and then politely declines. The parents look at each other and smile.
Jim Soto isn’t afraid to make a bed. He is here to change his life. The 44-year-old father comes from Colombia. He came to Quebec a few years ago to train as a food technician. Mr. Soto expected to find a job quickly. But his studies were not recognized. “It’s very frustrating,” he said.
Not long ago, Jim Soto wouldn’t have had a chance to join the Canadian Army. He is not yet a citizen. But that changed in December 2022, when Ottawa announced that permanent residents could now apply. This was another measure to curb the recruitment crisis in the armed forces.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Jim Soto is of Colombian origin and does not hold Canadian citizenship. Nevertheless, he was able to join the army as a permanent resident.
When I saw this, I thought that the army could be an option for me and make my family’s life better. That’s why I’m here today.
Jim Soto
Opening up the armed forces to permanent residents had a huge impact. As of June 30, 12,899 of them had submitted their applications.
But this small revolution is only slowly bearing fruit. Only 16 of them were drafted.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Recruitment centers are overflowing with young people looking to apply for combat jobs. However, the technical positions remain advertised.
A certain image to break
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is currently short 8,100 regular military personnel. The FAC has an authorized strength of 71,150 members. They only employ 63,050 soldiers. If you include the reserve, almost 16,000 soldiers are wanted.
But the armed forces don’t have a problem attracting candidates, they have difficulty attracting competent candidates, Nuance Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada.
“Every year 50,000 to 60,000 people apply to the recruitment agencies and 5,000 are hired,” explains this recruitment specialist at the FAC.
It’s all about recruiting skilled workers, engineers, nurses, pharmacists, pilots, IT specialists… The problem is recruiting qualified, desirable people.
Christian Leuprecht, professor at the Royal Military College of Canada
Recruitment centers are overflowing with young people looking to apply for combat jobs. However, the technical positions remain advertised.
“I think it’s because it’s not well known. Let’s say through culture, for example through films, everyone knows about infantrymen or armored vehicles, says Major Michel Vandal, who heads the Quebec Recruitment Center. But we have many technical professions. We have refrigeration engineers in the armed forces, who knows? »
The impact of this staff shortage on the capacity of the FAC is difficult to assess. One thing is certain: the shortage increases the pressure on the existing staff.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Soldiers in uniform chat with curious onlookers as part of a recruitment drive at Place Fleur de Lys in Quebec.
To recruit these specialized candidates, the FAC does not hesitate to offer recruitment bonuses. These can reach $20,000 and more. Salaries are also competitive, ranging from nearly $60,000 per year for enlisted men to six-figure salaries for officers.
But certain realities of military careers deter qualified candidates.
“Relocation” of military personnel to bases across the country might work in the 1950s in the case of a soldier whose wife is a housewife. Is it still acceptable for military members whose spouses have a civilian job, sometimes even better paid?*
“An ambitious young couple who want to join the army will find it difficult to give up their whole life and live in a small town in another province, in a rural community they have never seen,” Andrea said recently . Lane, a scientist at Defense Research and Development Canada, to members of the Standing Committee on Defense in Ottawa.
That’s exactly what’s stopping Jim Soto from applying immediately on this September Saturday at Place Fleur de Lys. However, the man was seduced by what he saw, by his conversations with the soldiers.
“The problem is that I have a family, a wife and two children. If I were alone, I would leave. But my wife is afraid that we will have to move far away to Canada. She speaks French, she doesn’t speak English, neither do the children. You have to think about the children… It’s not easy. »
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESS
Corporal Raymond demonstrates a service weapon to a visitor at the Military for a Day event at Place Fleur de Lys in Quebec.
Beyond the white man
The defense has another unique problem: Its historic recruiting pool — young straight white men — is declining.
The latest figures show that 11.9% of CAF members are visible minorities. However, they make up 26.5% of Canadians. Only 16.5% of military personnel are women.
“The FAC has set itself the goal of achieving a proportion of women of 25% by 2026. “We are unlikely to get there,” explains Grazia Scoppio, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, who has been interested in the issue of diversity in the country’s military for almost 25 years.
“All cases of sexual misconduct have not contributed to the recruitment of women and LGBTQ members,” she said. Now there was Louise Arbor’s report and other very critical ones. There really is a reflection within the armed forces and I hope it will lead to a more open culture. »
In recent years, the armed forces have relaxed their dress code in the interest of inclusion. Beards are now allowed, as are dyed hair, nail polish is also allowed for men and uniforms are no longer gender-specific.
Certain voices on the right accuse the FAC of being “woke”. For researcher Grazia Scoppio it is a question of life and death.
“I don’t think this is a political statement. I don’t think the CAF wants to be “politically correct”. I think these developments are necessary to better reflect the Canadian reality and increase recruitment. »
PHOTO JEFF MCINTOSH, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
Canada is struggling to meet NATO’s target of spending 2% of GDP on defense
Image problems
All of these changes come as Canada’s allies continue to arm themselves. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reignited fires and fronts.
Canada is struggling to meet NATO’s goal of spending 2% of its GDP on defense. The Trudeau government recently announced budget cuts across all government departments. National Defense must achieve savings of 900 million within four years, FAC big boss Wayne Eyre told the Standing Committee on National Defense.
For Professor Christian Leuprecht, it is this underfunding that explains the FAC’s recruiting difficulties.
Last summer, CBC reported that Canadian soldiers stationed in Latvia had to buy their own helmets or raincoats.
“I don’t know if the government is doing this on purpose, but it gives the impression that the government doesn’t value this organization,” he says. So who will want to participate under these conditions? That’s a shame. »
*The reality of the moves only affects the regular troop. Reservists can remain assigned to their unit.
PHOTO NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVE
Even the United States. The world’s greatest military power cannot escape the recruiting crisis
A recruiting crisis affecting allies
The recruitment crisis in the armed forces also affects Canada’s allies. In Australia, the government pays a bonus of 50,000 Australian dollars (about 43,000 Canadian dollars) to soldiers who remain in military service for three years beyond their minimum service period. The opposition is even calling on the government to allow non-citizens to take office, especially citizens of small Pacific states or allied countries such as Japan.
The UK Armed Forces will see a 30% drop in recruitment in 2022. The crisis has been going on for years. In 2018, Britain even allowed Commonwealth citizens – including Canadians – to join the British army, even if they had never lived in the country.
Even the largest military power in the world is not immune to the crisis. The U.S. Army was short 15,000 recruits last year when it had originally targeted 60,000 despite signing bonuses of up to $50,000. A recent Gallup poll found that only 60 percent of Americans had confidence in the military. This is the lowest value in 25 years.