85th Anniversary
2010 marks Commissionaires’ 85th anniversary of serving Canadians. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to many exciting years ahead.
The Past
After World War I, Canada’s Governor General proposed the establishment of Commissionaires Canada to provide transition back to civilian life for those who had served and fought in the Canadian military. However, it was not until 1925 that the first offices of Commissionaires were opened in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. It was clear from the start that the exemplary discipline, loyalty and dedication to service that veterans possessed could be put to excellent use in the business environment. Over the years Commissionaires offices opened across the country and by 1982 Commissionaires exceeded 10,000 members.
The Present
Today, Commissionaires employs over 20,000, operating from all ten provinces and three territories. We are a private, self-supporting, not-for-profit organization, continuing a proud tradition of service to Canadians. Our mandate, providing fair and meaningful employment opportunities to former members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP, is at the forefront of our operations. This mandate is more relevant today than it has been in several generations due to the unrelenting operational tempo imposed by the mission in Afghanistan and others. Our distinctive mix of veterans and non-veterans enables us to deliver a stability and experience to our clients that is unique in the industry.
The Future
In the dynamic and fast paced security industry, Commissionaires is focused on remaining agile and forward-leaning in order to exceed the needs of both our current and prospective clients. With the emergence of more sophisticated security related technology and more specialized, highly skilled staff, we will continue to expand our range of services to more clients across Canada. Exciting new service offerings include digital fingerprinting, security consulting and external training delivery.
As expressed recently by our National Board Chair, Bill Sutherland, “Commissionaires is a vibrant, relevant national institution at the service of all Canadians. We have a proud history and an even brighter future. It is indeed a very exciting time to be part of the security industry.”