Navy League of Canada

Navy League of Canada
The Flag of the Navy League of Canada
Active	1895 - Present
Country	Canada
Type	Youth Organization
Part of	Navy League Cadet programme
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Navy League of Canada, (or known in French as - La Ligue navale du Canada) is a Non-For-Profit organization founded in 1895 and incorporated in 1918. Originally formed to promote maritime issues to Canadians, the Navy League is the non-governmental partner of the Department of National Defence in delivery of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets program. The Navy League is the sole sponsor of the Navy League Cadet programme for boys and girls between the ages of nine to twelve.

The latter half of the nineteenth century saw rapid expansion and development of the British Empire and, with it, the dependence on ocean shipping routes for its trade and defence. At the same time the German Empire was becoming increasingly aggressive, and competing step by step with Britain. Concern as to the adequacy of the Royal Navy of that day to defend the widely separated components of the Empire and their essential shipping gave rise to the formation in Britain in 1895 of a society with the primary aim of ensuring an adequate naval defence. This was the Navy League, organized with local branches in towns and cities and drawing its support from people of all walks of life, but interested in the problem of ocean trade and naval defence. The movement expanded rapidly and before the end of that year branches had established themselves abroad, including one in Toronto whose warrant, dated 16 December 1895, now hangs in the National Office in Ottawa.

From its earliest days, the Navy League has been an active organization. In October 1895 the group in Toronto in the course of forming the branch there, had already prepared a submission to the Canadian government on the subject of maritime defence and the need for a Naval Reserve training program. Continued efforts in support of improved naval defence, either as an imperial or national effort, helped the government when it was formulating Canada's naval policy and establishing the Canadian Naval Service, forerunner of the Canadian Navy, in 1910. In these early years, the branches in Canada supported informally a youth training programme aimed at encouraging young men towards a seafaring career, and providing basic training in citizenship and seamanship.

The First World War placed heavy commitments on the Navy League with its activities expanding into recruiting of Naval and Merchant Navy personnel, operation of hostels for seafaring personnel, provision of welfare services to the dependents of seamen and, in the final stages, the rehabilitation of Naval Veterans.