Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper

  • Military Family Appreciation Day, held every Sept 18, recognizes the families and loved ones who support Canadian Armed Forces members throughout their service.
  • Established in 2019 following a unanimous House of Commons motion, the day recognizes spouses, partners, parents, children, siblings and chosen family alike.

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Every Sept 18, Canadians mark Military Family Appreciation Day to recognize the families who stand alongside their loved ones in uniform.  

Behind nearly every member in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces is a family who have made that service possible. These people have supported our military members in pursuing service; packed and unpacked for a posting; maintained a household through a deployment; and so much more. Though uniforms, expectations, and demands continue to change for those who serve, the steady support of family has never changed.  

An RCN sailor reunites with a loved one during the HMCS Glace Bay homecoming at CFB Halifax in Oct 2024. Photo: Cpl Morgan LeBlanc, Formation Imaging

Military Family Appreciation Day was established in 2019 following an unanimously passed motion introduced by the House of Commons. Family, as the day recognizes it, takes many forms: spouses and partners; parents; children; siblings; and close friends who’ve taken on the role of chosen family. 

For military families, the ordinary parts of civilian life, childcare, a doctor’s appointment, buying a home, often come with extra layers of difficulty that most Canadians never have to think about. Deployments, frequent moves, and long stretches of separation can be part of the rhythm of life for a military family. 

To every Canadian military family, past, present, and future, thank you.