As a public affairs officer working for the army in Toronto, I often receive inquiries from anxious citizens about armed soldiers on the streets or in the parks.

The soldiers you see are reservists. They are training. The weapons they carry are very likely made of rubber. If they are carrying real rifles, they are not loaded. Any time soldiers train in public, Toronto Police informed in advance.

Reservists are part-time soldiers. Their primary function is to serve the needs of Canada and protect its citizens from any threat: man-made or natural. They have sworn to lay down their lives if that is what is required. They work for you.

Some of the soldiers you see may have helped with flood relief in Quebec and Eastern Ontario last spring. More than 100 men and women in uniform, Torontonians all, deployed to rescue people and infrastructure. We also occasionally shovel snow.

Fort York has existed as a military facility since 1793. The current armoury is home to three reserve units, including The Queen’s York Rangers who founded York (now Toronto), building its first streets and buildings.

Nearly every soldier you see in Toronto is also a civilian. These men and women work in banks and schools, have spouses and children. They are gay and straight and come from every ethnic and religious background imaginable. Some are students, some as old as 60. They reflect the diversity of the very city they helped build.

I invite you to say “hello” to the next soldier you see. I suspect you will be pleasantly surprised at how polite, friendly and professional they are. We are not perfect, but when you get a better understanding of who we are, what we do and how and why we do it, you may feel your sense of well-being nurtured rather than endangered by our presence.

Capt. Jonathan Link, 32 Canadian Brigade Group, Toronto