32 Canadian Brigade Group

Last updated

32nd (Reserve) Brigade Group
32 Canadian Brigade Group
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Badge of 32 CBG [1]
Active19421946
1 April 1997–present
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
Branch Lesser badge of the Canadian Army.svg Primary Reserve
TypeHeadquarters
Part of 4th Canadian Division
Garrison/HQ LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury
Motto(s)"Steadfast"
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol [2]
32 CBG
NATO Map Symbol - Unit Size - Brigade Group or Brigade Combat Team.svg
4 Cdn Div
Military Symbol - Friendly Unit (Solid Light 1.5x1 Frame)- Infantry (NATO APP-6).svg

32 Canadian Brigade Group (32 CBG) of the Canadian Army is part of the 4th Canadian Division. It is centred on the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Niagara Region and Brantford. It is headquartered at LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents

Brigade Command

Colonel Frank Lamie, CD, is the Commander of 32 CBG, and Chief Warrant Officer Margaret Stawarz, CD, is the Brigade Sergeant Major. Brigade Headquarters has a staff of approximately 40 full-time and 20 part-time members, both military (Regular and Reserve) and civilian.

History

Second World War

32nd (Reserve) Brigade Group was created, within 2 Militia District, on 1 April 1942 when the reserve force in Canada was reorganized for the war. Like today, the formation consisted of part-time soldiers who paraded and trained on evenings and weekends. The brigade group was closed down on 30 January 1946 and the headquarters itself closed on 2 April 1946. [3] During its existence, the brigade group was headquartered in Toronto and held the following organization:

1997 to Present

32 CBG organization in 2020 32 CBG - 2020.svg
32 CBG organization in 2020

32 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) was recreated on 1 April 1997, with its headquarters located in Toronto, replacing the Toronto District Headquarters. Resulting from a major restructuring of the army, it was established as one of ten reserve brigade groups organized across Canada.

Although 32 CBG has a short history, this cannot be said of its units. Regiments like The 48th Highlanders of Canada, The Governor General's Horse Guards, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, The Queen's York Rangers, The Royal Regiment of Canada, The Lorne Scots, and The Lincoln and Welland Regiment were all founded before Confederation. Most units have served in almost all of the military campaigns involving Canadians: Fenian raids, Red River Expedition, North-West Rebellion, South African War, both World Wars and the Korean War. Since the 1980s, they have been contributing to UN and NATO missions around the world.

Many soldiers of 32 Canadian Brigade Group have served on operations around the world. Nearly 70 members of the brigade deployed to Afghanistan in August 2006 and more than 120 served in Kandahar during the winter of 2008–2009. The brigade has also played a big role in disaster relief at home, helping Canadians during the Manitoba floods and the January 1998 ice storm. It remains prepared to back up the emergency services of the Greater Toronto Area and Central Ontario whenever needed.

Role

The role of 32 CBG is to produce well-trained Reserve soldiers to enhance Canada's combat capability. Like all Reserve brigades and units, it trains part-time soldiers to serve as the basis of national mobilization, to respond to emergencies in Canada and to augment the Regular Force overseas, and to be the army's link to the community.

32 CBG comprises part-time soldiers plus a small cadre from the Regular Force who help plan and execute the training. Soldiers of the Army Reserve — traditionally, the Militia ― train an average of one night a week and one weekend a month. Many Reservists train full-time during the summer, because many of the younger soldiers are students.

Brigade composition

Overview

32 CBG is an infantry-heavy brigade with 2100 soldiers in 10 units based in Toronto, Aurora, Brantford, Scarborough, St. Catharines, Brampton, Oakville, Georgetown and Mississauga. It has two reconnaissance regiments, two field artillery regiments, a field engineer regiment and six infantry battalions. The brigade recently[ when? ] added two new, temporary armouries. The Queen's Own Rifles now have an infantry company in Scarborough, while the Toronto Scottish have established a company in Mississauga.

Units

Cities with 32 CBG units
32 Canadian Brigade Group
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30km
19miles
Toronto
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St. Catharines
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Simcoe
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Oakville
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Mississauga
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Georgetown
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Brantford
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Brampton
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Borden
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Aurora
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32 Canadian Brigade GroupBranchLocation
32 Canadian Brigade Group HeadquartersHeadquarters Toronto
The Governor General's Horse Guards ReconnaissanceToronto
The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) ReconnaissanceToronto and Aurora, Ontario
7th Toronto Regiment, RCA Artillery Toronto
56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA Artillery Brantford, St Catharines, and Simcoe
32 Combat Engineer Regiment EngineerToronto
32 Signal Regiment CommunicationsToronto and Borden
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Airborne InfantryToronto (Downtown & Scarborough)
The Royal Regiment of Canada InfantryToronto
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment InfantrySt. Catharines
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) Infantry Brampton, Oakville and Georgetown
48th Highlanders of Canada InfantryToronto
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Own) InfantryToronto and Mississauga
32 Service Battalion Combat Service Support Toronto
2 Intelligence CompanyCombat SupportToronto

Armouries

In the Canadian Forces, an armoury is a place where a reserve unit trains, meets, and parades.

SiteDate(s)DesignatedLocationDescriptionImage
Brampton Armoury
2 and 12 Chapel Street
1914–151991 Recognized – Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings Brampton, Ontario

Housing B Company, The Lorne Scots, this centrally located, mid-size, rectangular building has a low-pitched gable roof.

Denison Armoury
1 Yukon Lane
2003Canada's Register of Historic PlacesToronto, Ontario

Large centrally located building with a low-pitched gable roof houses 32 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters; The Governor General's Horse Guards; 2 Intelligence Company; 32 Combat Engineer Regiment; 32 Service Battalion; 32 Military Police Platoon; 2 Area Support Group Signal Squadron C Troop; ASU Toronto.

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Fort York Armoury
660 Fleet Street
1933–351991 Federal Heritage building; on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage BuildingsToronto, Ontario

Designed by architects Marani, Lawson and Morris in an industrial area of Toronto; this large, two-storey, drill hall with a concrete, vaulted roof is home to The Royal Regiment of Canada, Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment), 32 Signal Regiment and 32 Canadian Brigade Group Battle School.

Fort York Armoury Entrance.jpg
Captain Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson VC Armoury
70 Birmingham Street
2009Toronto, Ontario

The Captain Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson VC Armoury is a shared facility with the Toronto Police Service. The Armoury is considered a "Green Building" in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) Green Building Rating System. This armoury is home to The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own).

Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Beckett Armoury
7535 – 9th Line
12 May 2012 Mississauga, Ontario

The Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Beckett Armoury is a shared facility with the Mississauga Fire Department (Garry W. Morden Centre), Peel Regional Police Services and the Department of National Defence. The armoury is considered a "Green Building" in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) Green Building Rating System. This armoury is home to The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) 75th Mississauga Company.

Moss Park Armoury
130 Queen Street East
1965Canada's Register of Historic PlacesToronto, Ontario

Housing 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, 48th Highlanders of Canada, 25 Field Ambulance, this large centrally located building has a low-pitched gable roof.

Moss Park Armoury (9160028731).jpg
Oakville Armoury 1924Canada's Register of Historic Places Oakville, Ontario 1924

A centrally located building with a low-pitched gable roof; home of A Company, The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment).

Col J.R. Barber Armoury
91 Todd Road
1997Canada's Register of Historic Places Georgetown, Ontario

Centrally located structure with a low-pitched gable roof houses C Company, The Lorne Scots.

Dalton Armoury 2006Toronto, Ontario

Home of Buffs Company, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada.

Lake Street Armoury
81 Lake Street
1905Canada's Register of Historic Places St. Catharines, Ontario Home of A Company, Lincoln and Welland Regiment and 10th Battery, 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA

See also

References

  1. "Approval of a Badge". Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada. Official website of the Governor General. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  2. Canadian Forces (15 May 2000). B-GL-331-003/FP-001 Military Symbols for Land Operations. Department of National Defence. pp. 4, 24–25.
  3. "Reserve Brigades – Second World War". Canadian Soldiers.com. 24 February 2013.