The Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC) was, from 1912 to 1968, Canada's university officer training programme, fashioned after the

University Officers' Training Corps The University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), also known as the Officers' Training Corps (OTC), are British Army reserve units, under the command of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which recruit exclusively from universities and focus on ...

(UOTC) in the United Kingdom. In World War Two the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

was able to produce quality officers due to the high standards of the COTC. The programme also existed in French-speaking universities, some technical and classical colleges, and was known as «Corps-écoles des officiers canadiens» (CÉOC). Early in the Second World War, the COTC/CÉOC became compulsory for students, except for those holding important positions in the war effort, and those excused for health reasons. Soon after the end of hostilities, the programme reverted to its peacetime volunteer basis. In 1968 it was abolished, primarily for budgetary reasons but also due to low interest on the part of students at the time, and was replaced by an alternate programme managed through local militia units. A 2010 documentary featured the history and benefits of the COTC, during a campaign aimed at bringing it, or a similar programme, back on Canadian campuses.

Complete list of COTC Units

* CÉOC de l'Université de Montréal * CÉOC de l'Université Laval * CÉOC de l'Université d'Ottawa * CÉOC de l'Université de Sherbrooke * CÉOC de l'Université Sainte-Anne * CÉOC de l'Université du Sacré-Coeur * CÉOC de l'Université Saint-Joseph * CÉOC du Collège Mont-Saint-Louis * CÉOC du Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf * Acadia University COTC * Bishop's College/University COTC * Carleton College/University COTC 1949 * Dalhousie University/King's College COTC * Loyola College COTC * Nova Scotia Technical College COTC * McGill University COTC 1912 * McMaster University COTC * Mount Allison University COTC * Ontario Agricultural College COTC * Ontario Veterinary College COTC * Queen's University COTC * Ryerson University COTC * Sir George Williams College/University COTC * St. Dunstan's College COTC * St. Francis Xavier University COTC * St. Mary's University COTC * St. Thomas College COTC * University of Alberta COTC * University of British Columbia COTC * University of Manitoba COTC 1914 * University of New Brunswick COTC * University of Saskatchewan COTC * University of Toronto COTC 1914 * University of Western Ontario COTC * Wilfrid Laurier University COTC

Notable members

Harry Crerar General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, (28 April 1888 – 1 April 1965) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's senior field commander in the Second World War as commander of the First Canadian Army in the campaign i ...

(1888 – 1965), General of the Canadian Army and field commander in World War II * W. G. Hardy (1895 – 1979), Professor, author, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation *

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...

(1919 - 2000), Lawyer, academic and prime minister of Canada *

Pierre Bourgault Pierre Bourgault (January 23, 1934 – June 16, 2003) was a politician and essayist, as well as an actor and journalist, from Quebec, Canada. He is most famous as a public speaker who advocated sovereignty for Quebec from Canada. Biography ...

(1934 - 2003), Québec politician and essayist, as well as actor and journalist * Jean-Paul L'Allier (1938 - 2016), Québec politician, Mayor of Québec City * Jacques Ferron (1921 - 1985), Canadian physician and author *

Jean Lesage Jean Lesage (; June 10, 1912 – December 12, 1980) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the 19th premier of Quebec from July 5, 1960, to June 16, 1966. Alongside Georges-Émile Lapalme, René Lévesque and others, he is often v ...

(1912 - 1980), Québec premier, Federal cabinet minister, lawyer *

Michel Chartrand Michel Chartrand (20 December 1916 – 12 April 2010) was a Canadian trade union leader from Quebec. Born in Outremont and trained as a typography and print worker, Chartrand became involved in union activism in the 1940s. During the '' Grand ...

(1916 - 2010), Canadian trade union leader from Québec, Trappist monk *

Jacques Godbout Jacques Godbout, OC, CQ (born November 27, 1933) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, children's writer, journalist, filmmaker and poet. By his own admission a bit of a dabbler (''touche-à-tout''), Godbout has become one of the most important wr ...

(1933 - ), Canadian novelist, essayist, children's writer, journalist, filmmaker and poet * Victor Goldbloom (1923 - 2016), Canadian pediatrician, lecturer, and politician *

Lewis MacKenzie Lewis Wharton MacKenzie Order of Canada, CM, Meritorious Service Cross, MSC, Order of Ontario, OOnt, Canadian Forces' Decoration, CD (born 30 April 1940) is a Canadian retired major general, author and media Pundit (expert), commentator. MacKen ...

(1940 - ), General in the Canadian Army * Charles Belzile (1933 - ), General in the Canadian Army * Peter C. Newman (1929 - ), Canadian journalist *

Ed Broadbent John Edward Broadbent (March 21, 1936 – January 11, 2024) was a Canadian social democracy, social-democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 1975 to 1989, and a Member of Parliament (Ca ...

(1936 - 2024 ), Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party *

Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian historian, writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular cultur ...

(1920–2004), Canadian journalist, writer and television personality * Don Wright (1908-2006), Canadian composer and philanthropist

References

Military education and training in Canada {{Canada-mil-stub