I believe the solution to this lies in political determination, leadership, and some revolutionary ideas on training reservists, especially army reservists.
A true reservist (working or student in the US or UK has about the same amount of time for military training as a Canadian (about 40 days a year, excluding summer concentrations). Yet the the US and UK were able to deploy not only individual reservists to Iraq, but formed units. Why can‘t Canada do this? Obviously, there‘s something wrong in the way reservists are regarded by the senior leadership (and this is really directed at the Regular Force which controls the training of the Reserves).
We could, but do we have the determination, political will, leadership and innovation.
One option which should be looked at is individual, promotional, and trades training. The Army Reserve needs to get out of the business of being the employment agency for the local high school or university, and to stop gearing all its activities to the school year. We got into this mess in 1957, the first year of the Student Militia.
Reserve units should accept recruits at any time, but those recruits should be loaded onto an 18-month, full time, course at a training establishment (depots, if you will). There they would be trained to regular force standards in their particular trade, and there would be enough time to do some cross-trade training (make them a driver, radio operator, etc), and a bit of leadership training.
The soldier returns to the unit trained. And he has made some money. And he is a more attractive employee in the civilian workplace (mature, disciplined, trained).
Promotional and trades training would also take place at training establishments, with the individual opting to take the course in one full gulp, or in a succession of two-week bits.
In about 5 years, about 70% of the unit would be trained to regular force standards, enabling the unit to focus its training on operational tasks. Every training session would have that as a basis, with the exception of a few administative and ceremonial activities. Every week-end exercise and summer concentration would be focused on operational training.
Slowly, we could develop an Army Reserve capable in being deployed on operations. But it will take time, money, political guts, leadership, and innovation.
It might be too much to ask.