President’s Message

President’s Message

In 2025, the Air Cadet League of Canada is celebrating its 84th anniversary!

Over the past eight decades, the Air Cadet League has worked tirelessly to establish and support squadrons in communities across the country, from coast to coast. There are currently more than 444 squadrons and over 31,000 Air Cadets, representing 50% of the cadet population in the program.

The Air Cadet program promotes an interest in aviation, leadership, and citizenship, and to that end, the Air Cadet League of Canada encourages cadets by offering opportunities such as access to scholarships and continuing flight training grants, the opportunity to engage with the aviation industry, train with our fleet of gliders, and participate in public speaking, music, and biathlon competitions.  We seek to enable our youth to explore new skills and experiences that will provide them with a solid foundation for their future as they grow into engaged citizens and leaders in our global, diverse, and inclusive world.

The Air Cadet League is grateful to the nearly 5,000 volunteers across Canada, 46 donors, and 30 partners who, each year, give their time, expertise, and resources to ensure the continued vitality and growth of the League and enable cadets and their squadrons to achieve their goals.  In partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Air Cadet League looks forward to the continued success of the Air Cadet program.

The Air Cadet League Leadership Forum held on June 13 and 14, 2025, was a resounding success in Ottawa. The League is now better equipped to face tomorrow’s challenges in an ever-changing world. I would like to congratulate our volunteers who received various national honors and awards at a dinner on June 13, 2025, in Ottawa.

The public speaking competition, featuring representatives from each of the 11 provinces and territories, was of a high caliber with outstanding performances. I would like to congratulate all the participants in this competition and give a special shout-out to the gold, silver, and bronze medalists.

We recognize the cadets across the country who earned scholarships in 2025 and the Royal Canadian Legion Air Cadet of the Year from across our country. A virtual ceremony was held on June 28, 2025. Congratulations to all recipients. Another virtual ceremony will be held in the fall to recognize recipients of music and flying scholarships.

As a former Air Cadet and Cadet Instructor Cadre officer, it is an honor and a privilege for me to serve a ^second term as President of the Air Cadet League of Canada.

Marc Lacroix CD
President, Air Cadet League of Canada