Background

Prior to the establishment of Canada Command, responsibility for Canadian Forces routine operations in Canada and its approaches largely was delegated to the three services-the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Given its practical regional structures, the Army was granted the lead for most contingency operations within Canada and was the main regional point of contact for civil authorities. A small operations cell within National Defence Headquarters provided overall coordination and some longer term planning.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, and natural disasters like the Ice Storm (1998) and Hurricane Katrina (2005), focused attention on the need for more coherent defence structures in Canada and North America. The need for greater coordination with government departments and agencies, as well as cross-border coordination with the United States, also became apparent. To address the new security environment, and to facilitate coordination with law enforcement agencies and civil authorities, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff envisioned a single operational commander responsible for all domestic and continental Canadian Forces operations. Canada Command was the result.

Under Canada Command, Canada and continental North America are now a single theatre of operations for the Canadian Forces, offering a single point of contact for the spectrum of defence and security partners.