Canadian Military Engineers The Canadian Military Engineers ( CME ) ( known in the Canadian Army as the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers [ RCE ] ) is the military engineer branch of the Canadian Forces . Mission . The mission of the Canadian Military Engineers is to contribute to the survival , mobility , and combat effectiveness of the Canadian Forces . Their roles are to conduct combat operations , support the Canadian Forces in war and peace , support national development , provide assistance to civil authorities , and support international aid programs . Military engineers ’ responsibilities encompass the use of demolitions and land mines , the design , construction and maintenance of defensive works and fortifications , urban operations ( hostile room entry ) , breaching obstacles , establishing / maintaining lines of communication , and bridging . They also provide water , power and other utilities , provide fire , aircraft crash and rescue services , hazardous material operations , and develop maps and other engineering intelligence . In addition , military engineers are experts in deception and concealment , as well as in the design and development of equipment necessary to carry out these operations . The official role of the Combat Engineer is to allow friendly troops to live , move and fight on the battlefield and deny that to the enemy . History . Creation . Following the Boer War the Canadian Government realized that the defence of Canada required more than just a single infantry battalion and a few artillery batteries as part of the permanent defence force . In 1903 The Royal Canadian Engineers were founded as the basis of the permanent military engineers , while the militia had the Royal Canadian Engineers created under the leadership of a former Royal Military College of Canada officer cadet , Lieutenant - Colonel Paul Weatherbe . World War I . One of the first tasks completed by the engineers after the declaration of war upon Germany in 1914 was for the rapid development of the Valcartier training site in Quebec . At its peak size 30 , 000 men were stationed here before the 1st Canadian Division was deployed to England . When the 1st Division arrived on the front in Belgium they were accompanied by field companies of the Canadian Engineers ( men recruited into the service after the start of the war were part of the Militia branch and not the regulars ) . These troops were responsible for construction of defences , sanitation systems , water supplies , bridging , and assisting with trench raids . Canadian Engineers also served in the Middle East fighting the Turks . One of the most important functions of the Sappers in the war was to dig tunnels underneath enemy trenches , with which to plant explosives to destroy them . At the Battle of Vimy Ridge , several such mines were used to win the battle . In the war the only Victoria Cross the Canadian Engineers ever received was earned by Captain C . N . Mitchell for actions on 8 October 1918 at Canal du Nord . In total , more than 40 , 000 Canadians served as Engineers in the war , with 14 , 000 on the front on the last day of the war . Between the wars . On demobilization , the permanent force of Engineers was changed to 38 officers and 249 other ranks . As a matter of honour , King George V , the Canadian monarch bestowed on the organization the right to use the prefix royal before its name in 1932 . On 29 April 1936 , the Militia and Permanent components were joined to form the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers . On this date the Militia adopted the cap badge used by the regulars . World War II . The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers expanded dramatically in size to support Canada ' s war effort . On August 31 , 1939 , the Permanent Force engineers included 50 officers ( with 14 seconded to other branches of the Canadian Army ) and 323 other ranks ; the maximum size of the Corps was reached in 1944 , when it included 210 officers and 6283 other ranks . In keeping with British Army practice , company - sized units in the two armoured divisions were called " squadrons " following cavalry terminology . The following units were deployed in Canada and in Europe : The senior officers of the Corps in World War II were as follows : Unification and the Cold War . On 1 February 1968 , the Canadian Army , Royal Canadian Navy , and Royal Canadian Air Force were officially unified as the Canadian Armed Forces . As such the Royal Canadian Engineers , Royal Canadian Navy Civil Engineers and Royal Canadian Air Force Construction Division were amalgamated . However , the new branch went under the name Royal Canadian Engineers until 1973 . At that point the branch was officially named as the Canadian Military Engineers . The present day structure of Army field units was set on 17 June 1977 with the creation of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment ( 1 CER ) , 2 CER , 4 CER and 5 Régiment du génie de combat ( 5 RGC ) . The new regiments were each created from one of the squadrons of the former 1 Field Engineer Regiment . 21st century and beyond . The role of the Canadian Military Engineers has been expanding . The regular force component has been expanding the size of their units , due to the current missions of the Canadian Forces . In April 1997 , Canada ' s Primary Reserve reorganized into ten brigade groups and in November 1997 , the first reserve Combat Engineer Regiment was created by converting an Armoured Recce regiment . A number of years later the three field engineer regiments , and seven independent field engineer squadrons were reorganized into Combat Engineer Regiments . Three Canadian brigade groups had more than one engineer unit , and one ( 38 Canadian Brigade Group ) did not have any units at all . Now the field engineer regiments have been re - designated or amalgamated to become combat engineer regiments , and the field engineer squadrons have either been amalgamated to make new combat engineer regiments or re - rolled as generic engineer squadrons . 38 CBG previously had 21st Field Engineer Squadron , based in Flin Flon , Manitoba . It was however disbanded in 1995 . In 2003 , the Fort Garry Horse in Winnipeg , Manitoba began hosting what will become 31 Engineer Squadron . The brigade formed 46 Engineering Squadron in Saskatoon in 2012 , and is a sub - unit of The North Saskatchewan Regiment until it gains full strength . The current deployment in Afghanistan required considerable use of Engineers for road clearance , Explosive Ordnance Disposal , Heavy Equipment , and Combat Support . To date 16 members of the RCE have been killed in Afghanistan . In April 2013 , the title Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers was brought back for the Army element of the branch . Customs and traditions . Colonel - in - Chief . HM Queen Elizabeth II is the Colonel - in - Chief of the Canadian Military Engineers . King George V , Edward VIII ( albeit briefly ) , and George VI have all served as previous Colonels - in - Chief of the Royal Canadian Engineers . Mottos . King George V granted the RCE the same mottoes as the Royal Engineers . " Ubique " ( Latin , " Everywhere " ) serves as a substitution for the battle honours the Corps would have obtained if they were a line regiment . " Quo fas et gloria ducunt " ( Latin , " Whither right and glory lead " ) Cap badge . From shortly after their creation until 1967 , the Royal Canadian Engineers had a nearly identical cap badge to the Royal Engineers . This consisted of the Cipher of the Reigning monarch , surrounded by the Garter , surmounted by the crown with the words " Royal Canadian Engineers " on the scroll at the bottom , and surrounded by maple leaves instead of laurels . The cap badge came to its current form after unification . Since the Royal Canadian Engineer cap badge was representative only of the army , a new one was developed . In bilingual format , the words " Engineers " and " Genie " appear on the current cap badge indicating the bilingual nature of the CME . The word " Ubique " also appears , confirming that the Engineers are present everywhere the Canadian Forces goes . Chimo . The CME / RCE greeting or toast is “ chimo ” ( ) . This expression is also often used as a closing on correspondence between engineers . The word " chimo " is derived from the Inuktitut greeting : " “ saimo ” " ( " saimu " ) that means “ hello , ” “ goodbye , ” “ peace be with you , ” and similar sentiments . This salutation was used in the Ungava region of northern Quebec and shares the same derivation as Fort Chimo ( today Kuujjuaq ) on Ungava Bay in northern Quebec . The current spelling and pronunciation is based on a Caucasian adaptation of the native language . On April 1 , 1946 , the Canadian Army assumed responsibility for the portions of the Alaska Highway that lay with Canadian boundaries . This section of the Highway was renamed the “ Northwest Highway System ” and the responsibility for maintenance was given to the Royal Canadian Engineers for the next twenty years . The soldiers of the CME / RCE adopted the greeting of " Chimo " and in 1973 it became the cheer of the CME . Engineer Prayer . The Engineer Prayer was created for 2 Field Engineer Regiment by Major Hugh Macdonald , the unit ' s padre . It goes as follows : " Almighty God , we pray thee to bless the Canadian Military Engineers . May our bridges always stand , and our charges never fail , our members be ever loyal , and our officers worthy of their loyalty . May we work diligently in all our purposes and be skilled in our trades ; steadfast for Queen and Country everywhere . Amen . " Patron saint . The Canadian Military Engineers have no patron saint but Engineers often take part in artillery celebrations honouring St . Barbara , the patron saint of the artillery . Engineers , along with the artillery and miners , celebrate her feast day on December 4 . St . Barbara is the patroness of artillerymen , fireworks manufacturers , firemen , stonemasons , against sudden death , against fires , and against storms ( especially lightning storms ) . Canadian Military Engineers Association . The CMEA < http : / / www . cmea - agmc . ca / > is the non - profit group of serving and retired military and civilian members of the Engineer Branch . Membership is $ 2 per month payable , by pay allotment Y012 for military members or by cheque , to the Branch CWO . The address is shown on the membership application < http : / / web . archive . org / web / 20050513101455 / http : / / www . cmea - agmc . ca / documents / Mbr _ Application _ ef . pdf > . Branches are distributed across Canada , or wherever like - minded members gather to promote military engineers and engineering . Equipment . The CME / RCE has a number of equipment for use in supporting the Canadian Forces at home and on deployment overseas . For more refer to Engineering and support vehicles of the Canadian Forces . Training . Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering . The Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering ( CFSME ) at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto , New Brunswick is responsible for the conduct of 85 different courses that span all ranks and occupations within the Field , Construction and Airfield Engineer organizations . CFSME is the Canadian Forces Centre of Excellence in Engineer Training and home of the Engineers .