Kakabeka Legion

Issued: March 3, 2003

Without the Canadian Rangers, it would be difficult - in some cases, impossible - for our military personnel to defend and provide humanitarian assistance to Canadians in many parts of our country. They are the "eyes and ears" of the community, and vital members of the Canadian Forces. Canada Post salutes the Canadian Rangers with a single domestic rate stamp ($0.48).

The Pacific Coast Militia Rangers
Formed on March 3, 1942 in response to the threat of Japanese attack, the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR) patrolled and watched the coasts from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the U.S. border, and were prepared to provide immediate local defence in an emergency situation. The Rangers grew in size to eventually become almost 15,000 men in 115 companies. On May 23, 1947, the Canadian Rangers were formally established as a Corps of the Reserve Militia, expanding to include other remote and coastal parts of Canada. These heirs of the PCMR currently number over 3,800 men and women in 160 Ranger Patrols in five groups from the Pacific to the Atlantic and into the far north.

Junior Canadian Rangers
On April 30, 1998, the Ministry of National Defence authorized the Junior Canadian Rangers program. The aim of this program is "to promote traditional cultures and lifestyles by offering a variety of structured activities to young people (ages 12 to 18) living in remote and isolated communities of Canada." Currently, there are more than 2,300 Junior Canadian Rangers in 87 communities across Canada.

Training and Duties
All Canadian Rangers receive basic training that spans basic drill, rifle training, general military knowledge, navigation, first aid, and communications. This training enables the Canadian Rangers to carry out myriad duties, including monitoring and reporting suspicious activity, collecting local data, and conducting surveillance/sovereignty patrols. They also assist in search and rescue operations and report unidentified vessels withinCanadian waters in order to counter illegal immigration.

About the Stamp's Design
The Canadian Rangers stamp was designed by Oliver Hill and Dennis Page of Page & Wood Inc. in Halifax. Design elements include a close-up image of a red-capped Ranger looking through binoculars, and snow-capped peaks reflected in the lenses. The design, Page explains, is intended to convey "a strong visual statement that communicates the Canadian Rangers' motto: Vigilans", which translates as "The Watchers." As Page sees it, "Canada has many remote areas to watch over and protect, and the northern wilderness reflected in the binocular lenses helps identify the important role the Canadian Rangers play in protecting our North." Dennis Page's previous design work for Canada Post includes the 1999 two-stamp Naval Vessels set and the Millennium Collection's Killam stamp.