Cadets in Langley

On November 11 you’ll see them at Langley’s cenotaphs: rows of young people in air force blue, navy and army green, standing very still in the cold. Those are cadets, and there are more of them in Langley than most people realise.

The Canadian Cadet Program is run by National Defence together with three civilian leagues, one each for Air, Sea and Army. It’s open to young people in Canada aged 12 to 18. Cadets learn leadership, citizenship and fitness, plus the focus of their element: flying and gliding for Air Cadets, sailing and the sea for Sea Cadets, and leadership, self-reliance and physical fitness for Army Cadets. One thing worth knowing if you’re a parent on the fence: cadets are not part of the Canadian Armed Forces, and there’s no expectation that anyone joins the military afterwards.

The units, at a glance

Unit	Element	Where	Parade night
746 Lightning Hawk Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron	Air	Hangar 5, Langley Regional Airport, 5333 216 Street	Thursdays, about 6:30 to 9:30 pm
169 Columbia Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps	Sea	3900 272 Street, Aldergrove	Tuesdays, 6:45 to 9:30 pm
125 Columbia Navy League Cadet Corps (ages 9 to 12)	Navy League	3900 272 Street, Aldergrove	Mondays, 6:30 to 9 pm
1922 Royal Westminster Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps	Army	3900 block 272 Street, Aldergrove	Wednesdays, 6:30 to 9 pm

Parade nights come from the units and the Government of Canada’s parade-location listing. They can change from year to year, so check with the unit before you go.

Air Cadets: 746 Lightning Hawk

Langley’s air cadet squadron lives at the airport, which is about as good a home as an air cadet squadron can have. It started in Cloverdale in 1964, moved around for decades, and settled into Hangar 5 at Langley Regional Airport, the same airport as the Canadian Museum of Flight. It has close to 140 cadets. They go gliding two to four times a year and fly in powered aircraft two to five times a year, and the top seniors can earn glider or private pilot scholarships.

It’s popular enough that entry is by lottery: this year’s intake is full and the lottery list reopens in January. The 746 Lightning Hawk page has the whole story.

Sea Cadets and Navy League Cadets in Aldergrove

169 Columbia is Langley’s sea cadet corps, parading on Tuesday nights in Aldergrove and supported by the Navy League’s Central Fraser Valley Branch. The Navy League describes Sea Cadets as a free program for 12- to 18-year-olds, with families pitching in on fundraising for the extras. Contact: [email protected].

Curious what else happens on the military land north of Aldergrove? See what the Canadian Armed Forces do in Aldergrove.

For younger kids, 125 Columbia Navy League Cadet Corps meets on Monday nights at the same Aldergrove address. Navy League Cadets is for ages 9 to 12, and it’s run by the Navy League itself rather than National Defence, so it works a little differently: the cost varies by corps, families fundraise, and uniforms come from the Navy League. Sailing, camping, swimming, music, first aid and trips are all on the list. Contact: [email protected].

Army Cadets

1922 Royal Westminster Regiment Army Cadet Corps parades on Wednesday nights in Aldergrove and takes its name from the Royal Westminster Regiment. We couldn’t find a website for it; the national directory is the way in.

You may also hear about 2277 Seaforth Highlanders Army Cadet Corps, which opened in Langley in 2010 and used to parade in the H.D. Stafford Middle School gym. The latest Government of Canada listing shows it parading on Tuesday nights at 17567 57 Avenue in Cloverdale, with a Langley mailing address. If you’re interested, confirm the current location through the national directory first.

A short drive away

If the Langley units are full or the night doesn’t work:

• 907 Black Knights Air Cadets, 17029 16 Avenue (listed as White Rock): Wednesdays
• 861 Silverfox Air Cadets, Abbotsford: Wednesdays
• 583 Legion Coronation Air Cadets, Maple Ridge: Thursdays
• 307 Mariner Sea Cadets, 1284 184 Street, Surrey: Mondays
• 2812 Seaforth Highlanders Army Cadets, Shannon Hall, Cloverdale: Tuesdays

How to join

1. Pick Air, Sea or Army and find the unit in the Cadet Corps and Squadron Directory.
2. Register with the online registration tool. Have the cadet’s health card and parents’ contact details ready.
3. The unit will be in touch to check ID and get you started.

Summer training at one of the 24 Cadet Training Centres across Canada is a big part of the program, and Sea Cadet summer training is free.

Cadets and Remembrance

Remembrance Day is part of the job. 746 Squadron lists its Battle of Britain and Remembrance Day parades as mandatory, and this year its cadets are helping Legion Branch 265’s poppy campaign at stores in Walnut Grove and Murrayville. If you see them out there with a poppy tray, say hello. See our Remembrance Day page for this year’s ceremonies.

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