Canada Military Yet to Present Mobilization Plans

The Canadian Armed Forces has not yet given the Liberal government its plans for a 300,000-member supplementary reserve force.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military Jobs

Canada Military Yet to Present Mobilization Plans

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Should Canada expand its military reserve force to 300,000 volunteers?

The Canadian military has not presented the Liberal government with its mobilization plans, which were previously expected by June 2026. The initiative would create a 300,000-strong supplementary reserve and expand the primary reserve to 100,000.

Why it matters

The proposal would draw on retired and inactive Canadian Forces members and volunteer federal and provincial public servants to bolster capacity in a national crisis or emergency. The delay leaves the scale and timing of that capacity undetermined for Canadians.

The proposed primary reserve expansion would grow the force from 23,561 to 100,000 members, while the supplementary pool would reach 300,000 against a current volunteer pool of 4,384. Officials have not finalized the timeline for a formal proposal.

The players

Gen. Jennie Carignan

Gen. Jennie Carignan is the Canadian Armed Forces leader who signed off on the initial mobilization plans and is finalizing recommendations for the new force.

Liberal government

The Liberal government is the federal administration in Ottawa that will receive the military's mobilization proposal for consideration.

The details

Gen. Jennie Carignan signed off on the initial plans, outlined in a May 2025 document first reported by the Ottawa Citizen in October 2025, which would have recruits train one week per year. Carignan told CBC News in May 2026 she was finalizing recommendations and expected options to reach government within about a month.

October 2025: The Ottawa Citizen first reports the mobilization initiative.
May 2025: The mobilization initiative document is produced.
May 2026: Carignan tells CBC News she is finalizing recommendations.
June 2026: Plans were originally expected to be presented to government.

Roadmap

The plan extends Canada's existing reserve structure by adding a large supplementary pool drawn from retired Canadian Forces members and public servants. It represents a shift toward a broader volunteer base for national emergencies rather than a larger full-time force.

Retired Canadian Forces members and public servants could be asked to return to duty or volunteer if the plan advances. Recruits would train one week per year under the proposed mobilization reserve.

The takeaway

The proposal would let Canada draw on a much larger pool of trained volunteers in a crisis, but the plans remain unpresented and their timing is still undetermined. Those interested in reserve service should watch for the formal proposal from the Department of National Defence.