About the Regiment

Read About What We Do.
Meet Our Command Team.
Meet Our Honoraries.
 

The Mission of the 7th Toronto Regiment RCA

7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery has strength of just under 200 part-time soldiers organized into three batteries: 130 Battery, as a headquarters and training battery, 9 Battery, as a gun battery, and 15 Battery as a Light Urban Search and Rescue task. The day to day operations of the regiment are supported by a full-time cadre that consists of approximately ten officers and non-commissioned members who include several members posted in from the Regular Force (the full-time Army). As full-time staff, they prepare training exercises, conduct the unit’s routine administration and ensure that the unit’s plans and orders conform to the larger needs of the Canadian Army.

The weapon of the artillery is the “projectile”, usually taking the form of a high explosive (HE) 105 millimetre shell. These shells, using the C3 howitzers, are capable of engaging targets over 12 kilometres away, with a damage radius of 50 metres. 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery has four, C3 howitzers that are capable of firing HE, Smoke, Illumination, and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) rounds to engage different forms of enemy and provide support to the infantry and armoured counterparts. [/one_half]

The Light Urban Search and Rescue (L-USAR) task sees soldiers trained in disaster relief skills that can support civilian agencies in response to domestic disasters.

Each soldier is equipped with the C7A2 service rifle, a 5.56 millimetre automatic rifle standard to the Canadian Armed Forces. 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery also possesses an array of light and medium machine guns along with a handful of portable anti-tank weapons. It is also equipped with lightweight combat radios and several transport trucks. Soldiers of the unit are issued operational uniforms and personal equipment in the Canadian Digital Pattern (CADPAT) camouflage.

Recent Operations

Soldiers of 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery augmented the Canadian Forces presence at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, as well as provided protection and security during the G20 and G8 summits, the same year. The unit has also deployed individual soldiers to Afghanistan to augment their Regular Force colleagues from 2002-2012.  More recently soldier’s have been deployed to the Middle East, Latvia and Ukraine on various NATO missions.  In 2020 and 2021 the Regiment has spent much effort in support of the Federal Government’s initiative to combat the spread of the Novel Coronavirus Covid19.  Our soldiers have deployed in support of civilian authority all over Ontario as part of Op Laser and Op Vector. 

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9 Field Battery

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15 L-USAR Battery

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130 HQ, Svc and Trg Battery

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The Band

Command Team of the 7th Toronto Regiment RCA

Lieutenant-Colonel John W. Dean, CD, AdeC.

LCol John Dean comes from a long line of gunners.  He was promoted to his current rank and appointed the Commanding Officer of 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA on 26 Sept 21.

Chief Warrant Officer Michael I. Bechmanis, CD

CWO Bechmanis was promoted to his current rank and appointed Regimental Sergeant’s Major on 26 Sept 2021.

Honoraries of the 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA

Honorary Colonel Mark Clearihue

Mark Clearihue was appointed Honorary Colonel of 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA on 11 May 2020 after serving in the capacity of Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel since October, 2016. The son of an RCAF WW2 veteran, HCol Clearihue was born in Owen Sound, ON.

Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Capt (Ret’d) Jeannette Chau

HLCol Jeannette Chau was appointed to this position by Ministerial Order  on 11 May 2020.

Jeannette Chau is a former serving officer of the 7th Toronto Regiment.  She joined when she was 17 years old and worked her way up to the rank of MBdr before becoming one of the first two female officers in the Regiment. Ms. Chau attained the rank of Captain, the highest a female officer could in a combat regiment at the time. After serving over 11 years she retired from the reserves to focus on her engineering career.