By Canadian Press

A look at the dwindling ranks of Canadian peacekeepers over the years

Mar 19, 2018 | 2:45 PM

OTTAWA — Canadian peacekeeping forces, which once numbered in the thousands, have dwindled to dozens in recent years, prompting the Liberal government to promise to re-engage in UN peace missions. On Monday, the government announced plans to send an aviation detachment of six helicopters to join a UN force in the west African country of Mali.

A by-the-numbers look at Canada and peacekeeping:

175,000: The number of Canadian troops who have been deployed on peacekeeping missions over the last 60 years.

More than 1,700: The number of Canadian deaths on peacekeeping missions.

25,000: The number of Canadian troops who served in Cyprus during almost 30 years of involvement there between 1964 and 1993.

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59: The number of six-month rotations of Canadian troops through Cyprus in that period.

1: Canadian participation in Cyprus today.

3,285: The number of Canadian peacekeepers abroad at the end of 1992.

41: The number abroad at the end of last month.

6: Ranking of Canada among nations contributing to peace missions in 1995.

78: Ranking of Canada among nations contributing to peace missions as of last month.

500: The number of Canadian troops dispatched to the Sinai in 1956 in the first real UN peacekeeping deployment, the United Nations Emergency Force I.

1,007:  Number of Canadians in UNEF in 1957.

40,000: Number of Canadian soldiers who fought in the Afghanistan war between 2001 and 2014.

The Canadian Press

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