Canadian Forces personnel support services have been in place since 1872. Offered through such organizations as the YMCA, Salvation Army, Knights of Columbus, and the CF itself, these programs aimed at contributing to the operational readiness and effectiveness of the CF. Support was provided during the Boer War, World War I, World War II, and the war in Korea. However, the need for a Non- Public Property organization to continue to meet the needs and provide a tradition of personnel support programs became overwhelmingly evident. Accordingly, in 1996, the CFPSA was founded.

During the mid 1990s, the socio-economic climate produced a number of challenges that affected the content, quality and delivery of the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Programs. These challenges included government restraint,CF/DND (Department of National Defence) restructuring and lifestyle changes. In 1994, the CF leadership developed a strategic plan to re-engineer personnel support programs – in essence, to standardize the quality of the programs and to re-invigorate their use among the military community.

A plan was drafted in consultation with all Commands, which included a customer-oriented aim to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability for the delivery of personnel support to the CF. Then, endorsed by Armed Forces Council, the plan to de-militarize personnel support programs and hand over the operations to an Agency came one step closer to full implementation.

This umbrella Agency would convert close to 600 military positions to non-publicly funded ones, add more than 400 additional positions and streamline services through a centralized operational oversight committee. It would also include CANEX and SISIP Financial Services as part of its jurisdiction.

This accumulation of experience across all sectors was a key element in ensuring the first steps for the Agency were successful ones. The programs and services provided by CFPSA are designed to enhance and maintain morale and welfare while cultivating team spirit among CF members and their families. Some corporate CFPSA programs also benefit the entire CF community, raising revenues for these programs and services.

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