New Brunswick origins

October 11, 1770 is the date that the Sunbury County Militia was authorized in Sunbury County Nova Scotia (what is now all of western New Brunswick). In 1839 units of the New Brunswick Militia assisted regular British troops in the preparations to defend the province during what became known as, the bloodless, Aroostook War. In 1866 units of the New Brunswick Militia were deployed along the province’s border with the United States to counter the threat of the Fenian Raids. Confederation in 1867 brought an end to the New Brunswick Militia and a start to the new Canadian Militia.

Newfoundland origins

The early origins of the militia in Newfoundland are based in the existence of numerous local militia units raised in the colony in the eighteenth century. Prominent Newfoundland militias include Michael Gill's militia which was involved in the 1704 defence of Bonavista, the St. Mary's Militia that captured an American privateer during the American Revolution, and the 150 Newfoundland militiamen who served with the Royal Highland Emigrants during the Battle of Quebec.

During World War 1, 6,200 Newfoundlanders joined the land expeditionary component of Newfoundland’s wartime force known as the Newfoundland Regiment with 1300 of them losing their lives by the end of the war. At Beaumont-Hamel, during the battle of the Somme, on July 1, 1916, 800  members of the Newfoundland Regiment went into battle and only 68 were able to answer roll call the next day. In honour of their sacrifice, Newfoundlanders continue to observe July 1 as Memorial Day.

In September, 1939 a local defence militia unit was formed in Newfoundland as a response to the presence of the German Navy in Atlantic waters. It was divided into active and part-time components respectively designated the Newfoundland Militia and Newfoundland Auxiliary Militia or Home Guard. In March 1943 the active force was redesignated the Newfoundland Regiment, and the Home Guard became the Newfoundland Militia. The Newfoundland forces, which also included a Coastal Defence Battery on Bell Island, carried out guard duty at vulnerable points and acted as a training depot for volunteers for the two Royal Artillery Regiments.

Post Second World War

In 1946, Regular and Reserve land forces in the Maritime provinces became elements of the Canadian Army’s Eastern Command. By 1956, in the wake of Newfoundland’s 1949 confederation, Eastern Command comprised four Areas, one for each Atlantic province. Following the Canadian Armed Forces’ unification in 1968, Reserve forces became part of Atlantic Militia Area, comprising six Militia Districts. In 1991, these were again reorganized, along with Regular elements, into Land Force Atlantic Area. 37 Canadian Brigade Group as it exists today was created by merging the New Brunswick Militia District and the Newfoundland and Labrador Militia District on October 4, 1997.^[when?]

Early brigade history (1997 to 2002)

37 Canadian Brigade Group commenced operations on 4 October 1997. The brigade group consists of all the nine Militia units located in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Until that time, command of these units rested with the New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island District Headquarters and the Newfoundland District Headquarters. These two headquarters were officially disbanded with the standup of 37 CBG. Colonel E.P. Ring was the first commander of 37 CBG.

In its short history, this brigade sent Regular and Reserve soldiers to Ontario to provide assistance in the aftermath of the 1998 ice storm. Soldiers from this brigade assisted with the clean-up of a similar storm that struck the Saint John and Fundy coast of New Brunswick that same year. When Swissair Flight 111 crashed, soldiers from 37 CBG were sent to assist.