this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2025

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The military plans for a volunteer force to defend Canada (www.ctvnews.ca)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by bowreality@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca

18 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I will be signing up if they offer that. New skills are always good. Best case we never have to use them but worst case we are a bit more prepared.

“Those who join the civil defence corps would face less restrictive age limits and meet lower physical and fitness requirements. Their training would be limited to five days per year to ensure accessibility.

In that short period, volunteers would learn skills such as shooting, moving, communicating, driving a truck and flying a drone, according to the mobilization plan. Canada’s civilian force would get medical coverage during training, but not pensionable benefits.”

top 18 comments

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[–] cyborganism@piefed.ca 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I might be pessimistic, but I bet a lot of the alt-right scum is going to see this as another means to get training for guns and other things, like they're already doing with the army.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

Training isn’t an issue. Legal gun ownership isn’t the problem either.

[–] slykethephoxenix@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 days ago

Me too. Already do drone flying and going for my ham license, but doing volunteer work and being trained for this for free sounds awesome.

[–] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago

Service guarantees citizenship!

Would you like to know more?

[–] mrdown@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

I want nothing to do with the army before they become a canadian defense only force anf not one assisting illegal wars like it did in Afghanistan, iran, libya etc directly and indirectly

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

This feels like walking down the national focus tree as the world tension meter in HOI4 is ratcheting up.

[+] pedz@lemmy.ca -9 points 3 days ago (4 children)

You too can help defend our capitalist country where housing is unaffordable to most people and where natural resources are exploited to profit multinational corporations.

It's your choice. It's either defending neoliberalism by helping to kill other poor people also convinced they are defending their country by invading another, or their fascism.

Meanwhile the rich will watch the poor fight and kill each others with weapons that they sold them.

I seriously think individuals should be prepared for general catastrophic events, but I'm personally not willing to "defend" this land that is not mine in the first place.

Being a subject of capitalistic country A instead of capitalistic country Z is not worth helping an organization that has the goal of killing other humans. Even if it's just helping with driving a truck, or with the tech, it's indirectly assisting those that will do the killing.

[–] healthetank@lemmy.ca 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Arguing that were not better than the US or Russia (the two biggest neighbours and both much more aggressively imperialistic than Canada), is extremely disingenuous.

I think Canada has the potential to do better and I'm not about to give it up or roll over for another country to come in, particularly one like the US who has shown an incredible swing towards facism and aggression to LGBTQ and POC. Me defending this country, if they were to invade, would have direct benefits to those of my family who are LGBTQ and those of my friend group who are immigrants. Arguing that because Canada has a problem with wannabe monopolistic companies and a bleed over of American individualism its basically as bad as any other is a stance I disagree with.

The most likely deployment for these forces would be natural disasters and support - something I'm interested in doing anyway. If this does come out its something I'd explore and see if its a good fit.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago

Exactly. Sign me up!

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Or maybe the skills to defend your home and loved ones and community?

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I don't have a house and my apartment is owned by a billion dollar company. If I had a house, it wouldn't be mine and I would be defending the mortgage/property of the bank. Home is where the heart is. The rest is a piece of land owned by the system. I've already left my native region because I've been told to leave if I didn't like it there.

My loved ones are all conservatives and/or capitalists that would vote for the same shit Republicans are doing, while denying it. Last election, the country would have voted for Conservatives if it were not for the orange turd threatening us.

The Québecois were conquered centuries ago by the English and oppressed into submission so they would be forced into this country. And to this day, we still even can't have an agreement on the constitution. We are still into a constitutional impasse and the country risks imploding and threatens the other parts to either agree or be kicked out, every time we're talking about it, to the point that we're just ignoring it.

I don't think any of this is worth helping the military industrial complex into getting exactly what it's been wanting for the last decades.

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Move to the states then, or Russia cause that will be what happens. Get a head of it why not?

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Wow this is a very bad and entitled take. Canada is an amazing country. You know how much better off we are than probably most countries in the world right?! We have issues for sure and we for sure can do better. So does the whole world but Canada is more than worth defending!

Rolling over for a country like the USA or Russia would be the worst possible outcome not just for us but the world in general.

Can we do better? Sure and I am sure we will. We are a safe haven for LGBTQ and immigrants in this world and have good initiatives to protect the environment which is turning more fascist and capitalist by the minute. We can work the world with the right partners and make it a better place but only if we stay a sovereign county.

If that’s not worth defending you might as well leave.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca -3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

collapsed inline media

And no. I'm not leaving. I'm too poor and stuck here. You sound exactly like an American. So patriotic! So much to defend! Love it or leave it!

It's exactly what they both wanted. An increase in military spending, and paranoia.

[–] cv_octavio@piefed.ca 2 points 3 days ago

I can see why people are reacting to you the way they are. You've truly made your point; I don't think any of us who would volunteer for something like this would want you standing beside us either.

Hope stuff works out for you! Usually, after I reflect on my negative bullshittery, I'm able to figure out my issues and do better for myself. Good luck sorting out yours!

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

If I didn’t know better I’d call you a traitor and a Russian asset or bot.

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

Some of their comments are comically contrarian lol. This is really the Lemmy experience nowadays.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

J'imagine que mes ancêtres qui ont refusés la conscription se sont fait dire la même chose.