By Canadian Press

Top commander warns Canadian military ‘stretched thin’ amid growing threats

Apr 14, 2022 | 11:41 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s top military commander says his force is “stretched thin” as demands for its assistance continue to grow at home and abroad.

Defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre says many Canadian Armed Forces members are exhausted from the unrelenting tempo of the past two years.

That includes supporting Canadians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as well as different natural disasters and numerous deployments overseas.

Eyre says the frequency and intensity of missions has grown exponentially as the number of Canadians in uniform has shrunk.

The defence chief says the pandemic has hurt recruitment and training, while the most frequent complaint he gets from troops is about their cost of living and finding affordable housing.  

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Eyre was speaking at an event hosted by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson shortly before Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the deployment of up to 150 Armed Forces members to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2022.

The Canadian Press