During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) escalated the political violence in Quebec as it turned to bombings to advance its separatist cause. In the spring of 1963, the tempo of attacks increased sharply, and the Canadian Forces became involved. 

On 23 July 1943, the RCAF marine vessel M427 “BC Star” embarked on a fateful journey that would become one of the most tragic incidents in Canadian military construction history. Departing from Bella Bella, BC, the 70-ton requisitioned seine fishing boat was bound for  Cape St. James in the Queen Charlotte Islands, carrying a crew of ten RCAF members, six personnel from No. 9 Construction and Maintenance Unit (9 CMU), and 43 tons of construction materials.

A Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force unit, No. 4 Construction and Maintenance Unit (CMU), was instrumental in developing the North-West Staging Route during the war. This was a vital air corridor connecting Canada to Alaska that was crucial for military operations. Established primarily to ferry aircraft, it enabled the efficient transportation of military material to support operations in the Pacific theatre and to aid the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease agreements.

The Canadian Military Engineers have no official patron saint, but Engineers frequently participate in celebrations honouring St. Barbara. Within military tradition, she is widely regarded as the patron saint of occupations connected to lightning, fire, and explosive forces - hazards that have long been central to the work of sappers, miners, and gunners. Many armies shaped by European military heritage incorporate St. Barbara into their branch customs. Her feast day on 4 December is commonly observed across artillery and engineer communities.

Among the many customs that shape the identity of the Canadian Military Engineers, few are as distinctively Canadian - or as deeply rooted in Engineer culture - as the Order of the Pukka Sapper. This tradition is unique and stands apart as a uniquely Canadian expression of gratitude, fellowship, and engineer spirit.