Engage Canada Answering Canada's Call
A Modern, Voluntary National Youth Service Initiative for Canadians Aged 18 to 25
What is Engage Canada?
Engage Canada is a non-partisan initiative advancing a modern, voluntary national youth service program for young Canadians aged 18 to 25.
Canada is entering a period that will demand more from all of us. We face rising geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related disruptions, workforce and skills shortages, declining productivity, growing pressure on communities, and major nation-building requirements at home.
Clearer pathways into adult life for young Canadians.
-
Practical experience that builds real-world readiness.
-
Stronger sense of direction and personal purpose.
-
Meaningful opportunities to contribute to something larger.
-
Preparing more people to contribute, respond, build, and lead.
-
Structured, voluntary service opportunities for young Canadians.
-
Practical skills development through real experience.
-
Appropriate compensation for participation.
-
Stronger sense of purpose and civic contribution.
-
A nation-building investment in people, not just a youth program.
What is National Service?
A modern national youth service program would provide structured, voluntary opportunities for Canadians aged 18 to 25 to serve through formal training and approved placements.
It would be designed to be practical, measurable, and meaningful.
Participants would build skills, confidence, experience, and readiness. They would also receive appropriate compensation for their service. Canada would benefit from stronger communities, greater resilience, and a deeper bench of people prepared to contribute where the country needs them most.
Key Elements of a Modern National Youth Service Program
-
National in scope, locally delivered.
-
Voluntary, structured, and selective.
-
Multiple service streams aligned with national needs.
-
Formal training and meaningful placements.
-
Appropriate compensation for participants.
-
Partnerships with communities, institutions, and employers.
-
Clear benefits for participants and for Canada.
Proposed Service Streams
These are proposed service streams intended to illustrate what a modern national youth service program could include. They are subject to further development, consultation, and change.
Community and Social Service
Placements that support seniors, newcomers, youth mentorship, public health supports, and other essential community needs.
Climate and Environmental Resilience
Wildfire prevention, flood mitigation, conservation, preparedness, and restoration projects that strengthen communities and protect the country.
Civilian Emergency Response Support
Training and deployments that expand surge capacity before, during, and after emergencies.
Military Service Pathway
A dedicated pathway for participants who wish to serve in uniform, developed in partnership with the appropriate authorities and aligned with Canada’s defence needs.
Nation-Building and Skilled Trades Support
Workforce-aligned placements that support housing, infrastructure, and strategic national projects while building practical skills and career pathways.
Northern and Arctic Service
Opportunities for young Canadians to contribute to Northern and Arctic communities through placements that support local capacity, infrastructure, community services, environmental stewardship, and national presence. This stream could also help strengthen understanding of Northern Canada, build practical experience in remote and challenging environments, and deepen the connection between young Canadians and a region that is central to the country’s future.
Building Canada’s Human Capacity
-
Canada is facing multiple growing pressures that are outpacing national response capacity.
-
Rising global instability and uncertainty are increasing national demands.
-
More frequent climate-related disasters require stronger preparedness.
-
Workforce and skills shortages are affecting key sectors.
-
Growing infrastructure and housing demands need greater human capacity.
-
Civic connection and public confidence are under increasing strain.
-
Infrastructure spending alone is not enough to meet this moment.
-
Canada must also invest in people and long-term capability.
-
The need is both national and generational.
-
Many young Canadians are seeking direction, practical experience, and a clearer path into adult life.
-
Young people want opportunities to build useful skills and contribute meaningfully.
-
A modern national youth service program can strengthen the country while building purpose, confidence, and capability for the next generation.
-
It helps create a stronger foundation for future careers and civic contributions.
Why National Service, and Why Now?
Readiness and Resilience
A modern national youth service program would create a larger pipeline of trained young Canadians who can contribute to communities, support national resilience, and step forward when the country needs them.
Nation-Building at Scale
Canada has major projects to build, from housing and critical infrastructure to emergency preparedness and strategic initiatives. Those ambitions will require more than capital. They will require people with the skills, experience, and readiness to help deliver them.
Workforce Development and Opportunity
National service would provide participants with practical experience, formal training, and pathways into careers in skilled trades, emergency management, public service, community leadership, and other essential sectors.
Purpose, Confidence, and Belonging
Shared service can help young Canadians build a stronger sense of direction, contribution, and self-belief. It can also strengthen ties across regions, backgrounds, and communities, creating a deeper sense of belonging and common purpose.
An Investment in People
Canada invests heavily in physical infrastructure. We should also invest in the people who build, maintain, protect, and strengthen the country.
A modern national youth service program would help expand capacity, develop practical skills, strengthen readiness, and support communities across Canada, while helping young people prepare for bigger futures of their own.
Who Is Behind Engage Canada?
Engage Canada is being advanced by a working group of Canadians from across business, public policy, academia, Indigenous leadership, defence, and civil society.
The group is united by a non-partisan belief that Canada should build a modern, voluntary national youth service program for Canadians aged 18 to 25 that strengthens readiness, develops people, and serves the country’s long-term interests.
Michael Burns, Chair
Executive Chair, Canada’s Valour Games.
Alice Aiken
Professor and former Vice-President of Research, Dalhousie University.
Casey Antolak
President and Global Managing Partner, Keishi Mori Capital / Keishi Kawa Advisory; former Scotiabank executive.
Brett Boudreau
Owner and Principal Consultant, Veritas Strategic Communications.
Ian Brodie
Political Scientist, University of Calgary; former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada.
Christy Clark
Former Premier of British Columbia.
Cecile Chung
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Samuel, Son & Co.
Don Cranston
Senior Investment Counsellor, Fiera Capital.
Colin Dickinson
Co-founder and President, Evea Ventures.
Dan Donovan
Founder and Publisher, Ottawa Life Magazine.
Patrick Gladney
Founder and President, Collective Motion.
Marc Kealey
Chief Advocate, Kealey and Associates.
Chief J. Willie Littlechild
Former Grand Chief, Treaty Six; former Member of Parliament.
Greg MacKenzie
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, 407 International Inc. / 407 ETR.
Stay Connected
This is a build-and-prepare moment for Canada.
Engage Canada is working to help shape a modern, voluntary national youth service program for Canadians aged 18 to 25 that can strengthen the country’s readiness, expand opportunity, and build the human capacity Canada will need in the years ahead.
To receive updates on our progress, including new materials, pilot development, and opportunities to support the initiative, sign up below.
Contact the Team
Engage Canada is focused on developing a practical, voluntary service model that reflects Canada’s current and future needs. Input from across the country will help refine and strengthen this initiative. We welcome continued engagement as the concept evolves into action.
Get Updates
Sign up to receive occasional updates. Your information will not be shared.
"*" indicates required fields