Armed forces contingent leaves Edmonton for ongoing NATO mission in Latvia

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces board a plane for Latvia on June 15, 2025, at the Edmonton International Airport.

Several members of the Canadian Armed Forces left Edmonton on Sunday for Latvia to join its major ongoing mission in Europe.

The soldiers will be used in Operation Reassurance, the armed forces’ largest overseas mission, for which it supports North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defensive measures in central and eastern Europe.

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Under the NATO operation, the Canadian Armed Forces have deployed a task forces for maritime, air and land efforts.

In Latvia, located in Europe’s Baltic region, Canadian forces expect to have a full complement of up to 2,200 personnel by 2026. There are currently 1,900 Canadian armed forces members there.

NATO’s presence in Latvia began in 2017 with a Canadian-led contingent.