For decades, Canada was seen as a global laggard in defence funding, and just two years ago, recruitment was so dire that a former defence minister warned the armed forces were in a "death spiral".

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) achieved its highest Regular Force recruitment in over three decades, enrolling 7,310 members in 2025/26 and surpassing its target. Defence leaders credit pay increases ...

The spike in new members comes at a time of heightened focus on Canadian sovereignty, and as Prime Minister Mark Carney vows to rebuild the military.

One potential solution to the Canadian Armed Force’s recruitment issues is to simply pay people more, says former chief of the defence staff retired Gen. Tom Lawson. “Nobody complains about what the ...