History of the Naming of our Military Forces & Police Forces

On April 1, 1924, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was officially established as a distinct military element. Almost 250,000 Canadians served with the RCAF during the Second World War. Their contributions and sacrifices were key to Allied victory.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was officially established on May 4, 1910, with the passing of the Naval Service Act. Originally named the "Naval Service of Canada," it was formed to provide for Canada's maritime defense, later receiving the "Royal" designation in 1911. The move represented a significant step toward Canadian autonomy, moving
away from total reliance on the British Royal Navy.

The Canadian Army has never officially been named the "Royal Canadian Army." While individual corps and regiments (such as the Royal Canadian Regiment or the Royal 22e Régiment) were granted the "Royal" title, the army as a whole has always been termed the Canadian Army or Land Force Command. The Canadian Army traces its roots to the Militia Act of 1855, passed by the Province of Canada, which established a paid, "Active Militia" of 5,000 men. This legislation marked the transition from mostly untrained sedentary militias to volunteer, organized companies that form the lineage of
many current Canadian units.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was established as the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) on May 23, 1873, by Parliament to police the newly acquired Northwest Territories and enforce Canadian authority. The NorthWest Mounted Police merged with the Dominion Police to become the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1920. The Dominion Police was Canada's first federal police force, established on May 22, 1868, primarily to protect federal buildings and dignitaries in Ottawa following the assassination of Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Thomas D'Arcy McGee, a
Father of Canadian Confederation, was assassinated in the early hours of April 7, 1868, in Ottawa. He was shot in the back of the head/neck with a handgun while entering his boarding house on Sparks Street after a late-night parliamentary debate.