The Canadian Rangers are a Reserve component of the Canadian Forces which provide a limited military presence in Canada's North. The main duty of this largely aboriginal part-time force is to conduct surveillance and sovreignty patrols; they are very sparsely equipped with such items as WWII-era rifles and snowmobiles. They are among the few resources available to the Canadian government to assert its territorial claims in the Arctic. The Canadian Forces (French: Forces canadiennes) are the combined armed forces of Canada. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII or World War Two), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the... A snowmobile tour at Yellowstone National Park, note the snowdust in the air (NPS Photo) A snowmobile (or snow scooter, often referred to by enthusiasts as a sled and in the Canadian north and Alaska as a snowmachine) is a land vehicle propelled by one or two rubber tracks, with...

The main weapon of the Canadian Rangers is the .303 British calibre Lee Enfield No 4 rifle. While the Lee Enfield No 4 rifle is an old WWII-era rifle, it has proved reliable in sub-zero Arctic conditions. Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1 with bayonet, scabbard attached The Lee-Enfield was the British armys standard bolt action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle from 1895 until 1956. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole. ...

There are currently 4,000 Canadian Rangers serving in 5 Canadian Ranger Patrol Groups (CRPG) in 165 communities, and they will reach a strength of 4,800 by 2008.

The patrols are:

Canadian Forces Northern Area (CFNA) – 1 CRPG, Northwest Territory, Yukon Territory, Nunavut, and northern British Columbia, Alberta.

Land Forces Quebec Area (LFQA) – 2 CRPG, Quebec.

Land Forces Central Area (LFCA) – 3 CRPG, Ontario.

Land Forces Western Area (LFWA) – 4 CRPG, British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta.

Land Forces Atlantic Area (LFAA) – 5 CRPG, Newfoundland and Labrador.

[1] The Junior Canadian Rangers consists of 3,000 members in 104 locations, and will expand to 3,800 members by 2008.

External links

• Canadian Rangers
• Junior Canadian Rangers