32 Signal Regiment (Amalgamated from former 709 Communication Regiment and 700 Communication Squadron) is a

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases acr ...

primary reserve unit, part of the

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS or RC Sigs; french: links=no, Corps des transmissions royal du Canada, CTRC) is a component within the Canadian Armed Forces' Communications and Electronics Branch, consisting of all members of that perso ...

. It is the dedicated signals unit within 32 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment exercised its

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

in 2017.

History

The regiment was established in Toronto in 1907 as the 2nd Signalling Company of the—then newly established—Signalling Corps. It employed

semaphore flags Flag semaphore (from the Ancient Greek () 'sign' and - (-) '-bearer') is a semaphore system conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Inform ...

lamps Lamp, Lamps or LAMP may refer to: Lighting * Oil lamp, using an oil-based fuel source * Kerosene lamp, using kerosene as a fuel * Electric lamp, or light bulb, a replaceable component that produces light from electricity * Light fixture, or ligh ...

, and heliographs.

Telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

was still under the purview of the

Canadian Engineers Engineers Canada (French: ') is the national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada. Engineers Canada serves these associations, which are its sole members, by delivering n ...

at the time, and as a result the 2nd Signalling Company had a detachment that paraded with the 2nd Engineer Company which was also based in Toronto. After the advent of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, thirty six signallers and officers were sent to Valcartier to join the 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company. Wartime communications were made up of

telephones A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

, runners, telegraphy, and

carrier pigeons The homing pigeon, also called the mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, is a variety of domestic pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'') derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long dist ...

Radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

use at the time was limited. In 1919, all of the units comprising the Canadian Corps Signal Service were disbanded in Toronto.

Squadrons

32 Signal Regiment is broken up into three squadrons. The regiment is divided between a detachment at Toronto's Fort York Armoury and at

CFB Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CF ...

, with support elements in both locations. * Headquarters and Support Squadron * 1 Squadron (Operational) * 2 Squadron (Training)

Training

The unit parades on Tuesdays between 7:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., year round. Military and occupational training occurs primarily in the summer, however some courses are done on a weekend basis. Enrollment in the Reserve Forces guarantees Full Time Summer Employment (FTSE) from May to August for the first four years of service.

References

{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command Canadian Armed Forces Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Reserve forces of Canada