AG says military behind on recruiting, members living in dilapidated quarters
Written by The Canadian Press on October 21, 2025
OTTAWA — Federal Auditor General Karen Hogan says many of the living spaces used by Canadian Armed Forces members across several bases are in “poor physical condition” and ripe for overcrowding.
In an audit released this morning, Hogan looks at living conditions on three Canadian Forces bases: Esquimalt in British Columbia., Gagetown in New Brunswick and Trenton in Ontario.
Hogan’s audit reports that aging living quarters are often in serious states of disrepair with deteriorating walls, a lack of drinking water and malfunctioning sewage systems.
The audit says the Canadian Forces Housing Agency does not have enough residential housing units for what the military needs posing a challenge as the Canadian Armed Forces looks to add more than 6,000 new members by April 2029.
In a separate report on recruitment, Hogan says the military is not bringing in enough recruits for its operational needs, and that National Defence does not always know why potential recruits ultimately abandon their applications.
She says over the past three years, only one out of every 13 Canadians who applied online to join the armed forces was successfully recruited.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2025.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press