No. There is no membership fee to join the Air Cadet Program. Cadets are provided all uniform free of charge and all mandatory training costs are covered by DND and the Local Sponsor. 

Cadets will be expected to purchase shoe polish, males will have to maintain regular haircuts and females will need to purchase hair accessories to maintain hair standards. All these items are low cost and arrangements can be made if a cadet cannot afford to purchase these items.   

We meet on a weekly basis on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at CFS St. John's, 115 The Boulevard St. John's NL.

A: Also known as Canadian Cadet Organizations which includes the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the Cadet Program is one of the largest federally-sponsored youth programs in Canada. Youth choose to join either the Sea, Army or Air Cadets.

It is a national program for all young Canadians aged 12 to 18 who are interested in participating in a variety of fun, challenging and rewarding activities whose purpose is to develop in youth the attributes of leadership, engaged and active citizenship and physical fitness, all within an environment that stimulates an interest in the Sea, Army and Air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.

A:  You have to be at least 12 years old and under 19.  If you are 19 or older you can join as a Civilian Volunteer, Civilian Instructor or become a Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) officer.

A: Cadets are youth who take part in activities at a Cadet Corps or Squadron within their local community. These fun activities are designed to help youth become more self-confident, to develop leadership skills, to improve their physical fitness and communication skills, and to teach self-discipline through challenging training.

A: No, the Cadet Program is not new. In fact, Cadets is one of Canada’s oldest youth programs. The origins of the program can be traced back to 1862. By 1879, Army Cadets was formed, followed by Sea Cadets in 1895. Air Cadets was introduced in 1941. In 1975, girls were first allowed to join Cadets. Today, girls represent more than thirty percent of all Cadets in Canada. If you would like to learn more about the history of the Cadet Program please click on the Cadet Overview section of this Website.

A: Currently, there are 52, 890 Cadets across Canada.

Some other interesting statistics about the Cadet Program are as follows:

• Total Number of Sea Cadets in Canada: 8, 490
• Total Number of Army Cadets in Canada: 18, 920
• Total Number of Air Cadets in Canada: 25, 890
• Total Number of Sea Cadet Corps in Canada: 235
• Total Number of Army Cadet Corps in Canada: 429
• Total Number of Air Cadet Squadrons in Canada: 453
• Total Number of Cadets in British Columbia: 6, 777
• Total Number of Cadets in the Prairie Provinces and the three Territories: 8, 737
• Total Number of Cadets in Quebec (including Air Cadets in the Ottawa Valley): 11, 765
• Total Number of Cadets in Ontario (excluding Air Cadets in the Ottawa Valley): 16, 951
• Total Number of Cadets in the Atlantic Provinces: 8, 660

A: Cadets are not members of the Canadian Armed Forces, nor are they expected to join the military. While they are introduced to Sea, Army and/or Air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces and certain traditions, they are also introduced to many other respectable career choices that are available to them.

A: Cadets offer challenges, friendship and adventure! It’s an opportunity to expand your own horizons, contribute to your community and make friends for life. Many former Cadets credit their participation in the program with giving them a head-start toward their successful careers.

Did you know that Canadian Astronauts Chris Hadfield, Marc Garneau and Jeremy Hansen are all former Cadets? Many other prominent community leaders, athletes and celebrities are former Cadets as well. To read more about our Cadet Alumni, please visit the Cadet Alumni section of this Website!

The above information has been drawn from www.cadets.ca