About Sea Cadets
For those who have chanced upon this site and are not familiar with what this is all about, the Sea Cadets are a federally-sponsored organization for youths between the ages of 12 and 18 which strives to teach valuable life and work skills such as teamwork, leadership and citizenship in a setting based on naval traditions and practices. There are approximately eight thousand young men and women currently enrolled in over 240 cadet corps across Canada, with a further three thousand participating in the younger (9 to 13) Navy League Cadets in more than 100 corps. Most Navy League Cadets move on to Sea Cadets and many continue with the Canadian military as adults, either in the regular forces, the reserves or as cadet officers.
The cadets began life as the Boys’ Naval Brigade during the First World War through the efforts of the Navy League of Canada. In 1923 the name was changed to the Navy League Sea Cadets to be more in line with the national cadet programs run by the Department of Militia. The Second World War resulted in massive expansion of the Navy and the cadet membership with it. In 1942 when King George VI accepted the role as Admiral of the Navy League Sea Cadets, the name was changed to Royal Canadian Sea Cadets. The Royal patronage continues – His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was appointed Admiral in 1953; His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York now holds the post.
In 1948, the Navy League began the Navy League Cadets for younger boys. In 1950 it established the Navy League Wrenette program for young women 13 to 18 years. In the mid-1970s the Department of National Defence allowed females into the cadet program and most Wrenettes became Sea Cadets. The Wrenette program was then revised for girls aged 11 to 13 to parallel the Navy League Cadet program for boys. These were later merged into a single cadet program during the 1980s and 1990s.
The Sea Rangers were actually a program run by the Girl Guides of Canada, but were more akin to Cadets and Wrenettes in uniforms and activities than to the scouting movement. Queen Elizabeth was a Sea Ranger in England in the early 1940s.
If you or someone you know might have an interest in Navy League Cadets or Sea Cadets, please click the badges below or click the Related Links button at left for a number of other helpful resources.
Sea Cadets in Action
Navy League of Canada
Navy League Cadets
in Action
in Action