Canadian Military to Change Recruitment After Report Details Mental Health, Cultural Issues

Canadian Military to Change Recruitment After Report Details Mental Health, Cultural Issues
Canadian Forces Chief of Military Personnel and Commander of Military Personnel Command Lt-Gen. Erick Simoneau responds to a question during a briefing about recruitment efforts in Ottawa on April 20, 2026. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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The Canadian Armed Forces says it is changing its recruitment policies after a report raised concerns about challenges linked to an easing of recruitment standards, including a rise in mental health cases, language barriers, and cultural infighting.
The concerns appeared in a report prepared in January by Lieutenant-Colonel M.R. Kieley, commandant of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruitment School (CFLRS) in Quebec. The report, which included a series of recommendations to boost the quality of applicants, was leaked to the media and first covered by Juno News on April 28.