Canadian Guards

The Canadian Guards
Cap Badge of The Canadian Guards
Active	16 October 1953 – 6 July 1970
Country	Canada
Branch	The Canadian Army
Type	Foot Guards
Size	Four battalions (1953-57) Two battalions (1957-68) One battalion (1968-70)
Part of	Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Garrison/HQ	Camp Petawawa (1st and 2nd Battalions) Camp Valcartier (3rd Battalion) Camp Ipperwash (4th Battalion) Camp Borden (Regimental Band) 1953–1957
Motto(s)	A mari usque ad mare (From Sea to Sea)
March	Quick: The Standard of St. George Slow: From Sea to Sea
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	HM The Queen
Colonel of the Regiment	Major General R. Rowley
Insignia
Plume	Red over White Left side of Bearskin cap
Tartan	Royal Stewart (pipes and drums)

The Canadian Guards was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 1953 by the redesignation of four separate battalions:

The regiment was created when it was decided that the composite 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalions that were created for the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade should not be given a specific territorial identity. The Guards would be able to recruit nationally, and the chief of staff of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant General Guy Simonds, said there was nothing wrong with infusing the standard of the Household Brigade into the Canadian Army.

A year later, a militia component was added, when the existing Governor General's Foot Guards and Canadian Grenadier Guards were designated the 5th and 6th Battalions.

Throughout their existence the regular components of The Canadian Guards maintained a regimental band as well as pipes and drums. In common with the pipes and drums of the Scots Guards in the British Army, pipers of The Canadian Guards were granted the privilege of wearing the British Royal Family's household tartan – the Royal Stuart tartan. The Canadian Guards wore a white-over-red plume on the left side of their bearskins. Ceremonial dress uniform was similar to that worn by The Canadian Grenadier Guards.

The 3rd and 4th Battalions were disbanded in 1957 to make way for the formation of Regular Army armoured regiments, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) and The Fort Garry Horse, leaving the 1st and 2nd Battalions and the Regimental Depot in the Regular Force.