The Algonquin Regiment The Algonquin Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces comprising two companies . A Coy ( Alpha Company ) is located in North Bay , Ontario and B Coy ( Bravo Company ) is located in Timmins , Ontario . The regiment falls under the command of 33 Canadian Brigade Group . History . Early period . The Algonquin Regiment began in 1865 as the Volunteer Infantry Company in Sault Ste . Marie , Ontario . Some members of this company served in the Wolseley Expedition against the Red River Rebellion in 1870 . The threat of Fenian raids on Canada , ultimately convinced the government of the day to maintain a militia force at the head of Lake Superior . In 1886 , a battalion was authorized in the Algoma District with companies in Rat Portage and Gore Bay . An additional company was formed in Sault - Ste - Marie in 1889 and lastly in Sudbury in 1896 . The Sudbury company later became the nucleus of the 97th Regiment of Rifles . On 1 July 1900 the 97th Regiment of Rifles was formed with four independent companies of militia . Company headquarters were established in Sault Ste . Marie , Sudbury , Thessalon and Sturgeon Falls . On 23 June 1903 , the regiment was redesignated the 97th Regiment ( Algonquin Rifles ) . The regiment sent volunteers to the South African War and , on occasion , were called out in Sault Ste . Marie to conduct defence of property and maintenance of peace in the face of rioting strikers . First World War . The 97th Regiment ( Algonquin Rifles ) recruited to its full active strength and supplied 12 officers and 251 other ranks to the 15th Battalion , Canadian Expeditionary Force . Captain E . F . Armstrong began recruiting in Nipissing and Sudbury in late 1915 resulting in the formation of the 159th ( First Algonquins ) Battalion . The battalion was mobilized on 5 July 1916 , trained at Camp Borden in Angus , Ontario , during that summer and fall of 1916 , and embarked for England on 1 November 1916 , with a strength of 1 , 004 men . The battalion remained intact until 20 January 1917 , when it was absorbed into the Eighth Reserve Battalion and used to reinforce units already in France . As the result of not having enough men at any particular battle , the unit received only the general " Great War 1916 - 1917 " battle honour . Following the end of the war the 159th ( First Algonquins ) , 228th ( Northern Fusiliers ) and 256th ( Toronto ) were perpetuated in the Algonquin Rifles . In 1933 , the unit was renamed The Algonquin Regiment . The regiment decided to keep the bull moose symbol of the 97th Regiment ( Algonquin Rifles ) on a redesigned cap badge . In 1936 , " A " Company in Sudbury was removed from the regiment and amalgamated with the Sault - Ste - Marie Regiment to become the Sault Ste . Marie / Sudbury Regiment , and the 23rd Regiment ( Northern Pioneers ) were amalgamated into The Algonquin Regiment . Second World War . When war broke out the Algonquin Regiment was only 250 men strong . Recruitment and training soon became their primary concern . The regiment recruited from an area extending from Bracebridge and Parry Sound to the south and Timmins and Cochrane to the north . It was not until 22 July 1940 , that the regiment went into active service . On 4 September 1940 , the first battalion loaded up , the Algonquin Regiment ( Active Force ) , and arrived at Camp Borden three days later . There was not enough space , however , for training exercises and they were moved to Current River Camp in Port Arthur , Ontario and again to Camp Shilo in Manitoba on 4 June 1941 . The regiment was transferred to Niagara - on - the - Lake and assigned guard duty on the Niagara and Welland canals in November , 1941 , before finally being asked for their first draft for overseas enforcements on 14 January 1942 . In February , 1942 , the regiment was transferred to Newfoundland and assigned protection duties at Torbay airport and Cape Spear . In January , 1943 , the regiment was chosen for operations overseas , was moved to Debert Camp in Nova Scotia and , for administration purposes , was assigned to the 20th Brigade of the Seventh Canadian Infantry Division . The regiment embarked on the " RMS Empress of Scotland " in Halifax on 10 June 1943 , and sailed the following day for England with a complement of 4 , 500 troops . Upon arriving in Liverpool the regiment proceeded to Heathfield and was made part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the Fourth Canadian ( Armoured ) Division . On 16 July 1944 , an advance party left for Normandy , France , with the regiment as a whole arriving a couple of days later . The morning of July 25 , 1944 , all four companies of the Algonquin Regiment landed on Juno Beach where , in the following days , learnt of their ensuing mission to support the Fourth Canadian Armored Division in closing the Falaise Gap . August 9 , 1944 the regiment , supporting BCR ( British Columbia Regiment ) , jointly forming ' Worthington Force ' were tasked with taking Hill 195 , taking an unfortunate wrong turn at 02 : 00 hours they ended up four miles east of Hill 195 , closer to Hill 140 , deep in German territory . The regiment suffered heavy losses with total casualties of 128 men and 47 tanks . The leader of the force , BCR commander Lt . Col Don Worthington , was killed and the Algonquins ' commander , Lt . Col . Art Hay , was seriously wounded . R . S . M . A . J . Primeau was killed by the same mortar bomb that seriously wounded Hay . Leading up to August 31 , 1944 , the Algonquin Regiment , moving within the Fourth CAD , were tasked with filling the gap to the south at Hill 240 , fighting alongside the Polish Armoured Division . The period from August 31 to September 8 was a period of rapid movement into Belgium , halted on the eighth at the Leopold Canal . Fighting , all day and suffering multiple setbacks resulting in numerous casualties across all the regiments , ended August 14 with the Allies across the Leopold Canal desperately holding back the German counterattacks . The regiment continued with the Fourth Division north out of Belgium into the Netherlands in a progression of battles for the north shore of the Sheldt area eventually leading to the liberation of Welberg and Steenbergen . The operation to liberate Welberg was initiated on October 31 , 1944 , however with " D " Coy resting , all " A " , " B " and " C " coys fell short of their objectives facing massive German counterattacks . Fighting continued on until November 1 when the regiment retreated back to a few km outside of Welberg . On November 2 they launched their second attack , this time along the right side of the town , fighting continued throughout the night . By the end of November 3 all four coys had reached their target objectives and succeeded in the liberation of Welberg . From November 5 to 8 the Algonquin Regiment rested in the Steenbergen area , the period proceeding became known as the " winter war " ( November 1944 - February 1945 ) . Leading into Operation Blockbuster , this dislodgment of the German hinge in Hochwald on February 27 , fighting to close the Hochwald gap began by mid day of March 3 , 1945 , the allies had completed their objectives . Over the next couple month the Algonquin Regiment continued to fight , as they had been the entire war , under the Cnd Fourth Division crossing the Rhine with the last round up ( April 16 - May 4 ) and cease fire called just past Rastede Germany . As of January , 1946 , the Algonquin Regiment ' s final death toll was 65 officers and 1235 other soldiers . Recognition . The Freedom of the City was exercised by The Algonquin Regiment in Timmins , Ontario on Sept 22 , 2012 and on Sept 22 , 1977 . Music . " Molly " by Honorary Chaplain Edward H . Capp , published in Ottawa by Orme & Son , circa 1906 was dedicated to the 97th Regiment , Canada ( Algonquin rifles ) . First line : " Hear the tramp of soldiers marching " Chorus : " One kiss , Molly e ' er I go "