1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group

Joint Task Force North (JTFN)

Joint Task Force North (JTFN) is home to 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG) and encompasses Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Northern British Colombia.

Its headquarters are located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territory.

1 CRPG has over 1500 Rangers in 56 patrols and more than 1500 Junior Canadian Rangers in 35 communities.

1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group has an interesting composition in terms of demographics. With only three medium-sized cities to speak of, it oversees many small communities, some of which are only accessible by air or by ice in the winter. Many of the residents in 1 CRPG speak another language other than French or English as their primary language. And the land covered by CFNA is buried by snow and ice, and covered in darkness for many months each year.

When we think of Canadian Rangers this is the image most of us see… a person in a brightly decorated parka and mukluks with a fur-lined hood pulled up around his or her weather-beaten face. His head is bowed against the wind and he struggles to advance forward on his snowmobile or komatik (sled).

But the Canadian Rangers in 1 CRPG do so much more than this. Their contributions to the communities are experienced every day by the people who surround them. From helping to recover lost persons to representing the Canadian Forces to setting a positive example for the youth, Canadian Rangers in the north are always ready to participate.

Many Canadian Rangers in 1 CRPG are Inuit and speak Inuktitut as their first language. Others speak Dene or other native languages. In terms of Canadian Ranger tasks, they mount sovereignty patrols, conduct Northern Warning System inspections, and guide Canadian Forces members during land exercises.