Various regiments were on display during a military recruitment open house at the Prince Albert Armoury Nov. 21 - 22. (Teena Monteleone/paNOW)

By Teena Monteleone

Canadian Armed Forces

North Sask Regiment seeks 30 new soldiers amid plans for national Reserve Force expansion

Nov 24, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Wyatt Charters is considering a future career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

The 15-year-old student wandered through the Prince Albert Armoury on Saturday chatting with recruiters and learning more about the various regiments, including infantry and signals corps.

“I feel it could be a good opportunity for someone if they wanted to do something aside from regular jobs,” he said.

The North Saskatchewan Regiment held an open house on the weekend. It’s one of many recruitment efforts taking place across the 38 Canadian Brigade Group – the Canadian Army Reserve formation with units spread across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

While infantry is mostly associated with the Canadian Armed Forces, there are 107 different trades within the military as well, including engineering and mechanics. (Teena Monteleone/paNOW)

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The Reserve Force is a part-time component of the CAF that augments the Regular Force. Primary Reservists typically hold full-time civilian jobs in their communities, or they are students. They are expected to attend training to maintain soldier skills and participate in public events like parades, but they can also assist the Regular Force on overseas operations to Latvia, for example, support soldiers training in Ukraine, or help preserve Arctic sovereignty. Supplementary Reservists are inactive or retired members of the CAF and individuals with special skills who are willing to be called for active service when needed. The Regular Force is a full-time career option; and its members are posted to bases across Canada and internationally.

“A lot of people think of the military, especially the army, as something like the infantry, but they don’t learn or don’t understand that we do have things like mechanics, medics, signallers, truck drivers, or even cooks,” said Sgt. Trevor Christopherson, a senior recruiter for CAF Regular Forces. “There are over 107 different trades within the military.”

Regina’s Declan Clayards followed in the footsteps of other family members and joined the CAF. He’s a part-time signal operator while attending university to obtain a degree in kinesiology. Eventually, he’d like to go to medical school – perhaps at the Royal Military College where his tuition would be paid for. In exchange, he would have to serve in the CAF for a period of obligatory service after graduation.

“I want to help this country. I wasn’t born here but I grew up here and I’ve learned a lot from this country and what it’s given me,” said Clayards, who spent the weekend sharing his personal experience with potential recruits.

Regina’s Declan Clayards is a part-time signal operator. (Teena Monteleone/paNOW)

The North Saskatchewan Regiment currently has 132 members between Prince Albert and Saskatoon; 21 officers, 14 senior Non-Commissioned Officers, and 97 corporals.

“We’ve had 23 new recruits since April 1st and we want to get at least another platoon – so 30 more soldiers and at least one or two more officers to come and join the regiment, whether in Prince Albert or Saskatoon,” said Major Ramsay Bellisle, infantry company commander.

Recruitment efforts in the North Saskatchewan Regiment coincide with a bigger push by the Canadian military to increase its Primary Reserve from approximately 23,500 to 100,000 members. The Ottawa Citizen first reported on the ‘Defence Mobilization Plan’ after it obtained a leaked document from the Department of National Defence which also outlined plans to expand the Supplementary Reserve to 300,000.

In an email to paNOW, CAF public affairs officer Lieutenant-Commander Lisa Tubb wrote, “Initial planning has begun to explore how the CAF could contribute to greater national resilience, including leveraging increased readiness from an expanded Reserve Force for defence purposes, in times of crisis, or for natural disasters for example. Participation in an expanded Reserve Force would be entirely voluntary. As this is in the early stages of planning, no precise details have been finalized.”

The mobilization plan comes on the heels of the largest federal budget defence investment in decades at nearly $82 billion over five years. It also follows a report on CAF recruitment by Auditor General Karen Hogan who found the CAF has challenges attracting and training enough highly skilled recruits.

From left: Sgt. Trevor Christopherson, a senior recruiter for the CAF Regular Force and Major Ramsay Bellisle, North Saskatchewan Regiment infantry company commander. (Teena Monteleone/paNOW)

While he admits there are challenges, Christopherson said recent political events across the world are leading to an increased desire to join the CAF.

“They’re seeing more from recent events, especially this past year, more of a need to have a military presence within our country. Whereas in the past, going back three to four years ago, people didn’t see that there was any kind of military need and that would kind of reflect the numbers that we saw as a decline.”

Christopherson added since the CAF started accepting permanent residents a couple years ago, he has seen an uptick in applications.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com