‘Respect The Arctic Environment’: Major-General Simon Hetherington

Major General Hetherington, accompanied by Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Army Paul Hindo and other key military and civilian personnel, visits Resolute Bay, Nunavut on February 23, 2018 to observe Arctic Operations Advisor training. Photo: Master Corporal Jennifer Kusche, Canadian Forces Combat Camera. ©2018 DND/MDN Canada.

By Lynn Capuano, Army Public Affairs

Ottawa, Ontario — Major-General Simon Hetherington, Commander of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre (CADTC), based in Kingston, Ontario, intended to spend a whirlwind weekend in Resolute Bay in late February, 2018 to observe Arctic training going on there – but the “whirlwind” was almost replaced by a blizzard that would have prolonged his stay.

“It was a short visit; we were on the ground for about 48 hours. The weather was beautiful on the Saturday morning, but as we were flying out, the weather closed in. Having been in a Northern blizzard before, I can tell you it makes you feel very small,” said MGen Hetherington.

“One of the great lessons that has been pushed home by our Arctic Operations Advisor course is about respecting the land, the environment and the extreme weather, as it can be potentially fatal.”

He was accompanied by about 35 people, including Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) personnel, as the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) runs the Arctic Training Centre in conjunction with NRCan.

Also along for the rare Northern exposure was the Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Army (HCol CA) Paul Hindo, foreign exchange officers from such Allied nations as Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States, and members of organizations that employ CAF Primary Reserve members, including members of the Canadian Army (CA) Reserve.

“The North is a wonderful place that 99% of Canadians don’t ever get to visit. By including some foreign military personnel and some of our employer stakeholders on the trip, we were able to expose them to our soldiers operating in the Arctic environment,” noted MGen Hetherington.

He believes this visit will help the HCol CA and the employer stakeholders more fully understand what part-time Reservists, who often are also have full-time civilian jobs, actually to do in terms of military service.

“We spent a full day out on the land just off the base watching the Arctic Ops Advisor course in action,” said MGen Hetherington.

“We got into a Twin Otter plane and flew around the area to see the hamlet of Resolute and get a feel for the terrain. We saw a herd of musk oxen from the air. We also were able to visit with some of the NRCan labs, and get good briefings from everybody who is working up there,” he recalled.

From a safe distance, they observed several polar bears in the area as well.

“So it was great exposure, and people got a chance to get really cold, too,” he chuckled.

Sovereignty and science

“The partnership NRCan is invaluable to us and I wanted to better understand how we could expand it further and improve the use of the centre,” he said.

“In the wintertime, we are the primary users of the facility, and in the summertime it’s the scientists from NRCan.”

NRCan’s main use of the centre is the Polar Continental Shelf Project. He noted that lessons being learned benefit both the military and the polar research sides of the partnership.

“As we see the effects of climate change, and with technology making the Arctic more accessible, we have a role in ensuring that our land, resources, and most importantly, Canadians remain secure.”

He noted that cruise ships have begun visiting Resolute Bay and the hamlet of Resolute.

Having scientists in the North is a way of exercising sovereignty, which supports Strong, Secure Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy.

“If you’ve got scientists present in the North, it's a Canadian footprint on the ground. They might not have rifles or wear military uniforms, but by being there, they are exercising our sovereignty.”

From a military perspective, he said, “By training our men and women in uniform to be able to operate in the Northern climate, ready to deploy on a search-and-rescue mission in the North, this equates to sovereignty.”

A look at the Arctic Operations Advisor course

A main reason for MGen Hetherington’s visit was to observe training that was being conducted around Resolute Bay.  

“One of our uniquely Canadian individual training courses, the Arctic Operations Advisor course, was occurring, so as the lead trainer of the Canadian Army, I wanted to go see how it was going.”

The Arctic Operations Advisor (AOA) course trains officers to advise unit commanders who may not have had direct experience with the High Arctic and its unique challenges, including survival and navigation. They will put their hard-learned knowledge to great use helping the commanders plan future exercises or operations.

As outlined in the Strengthening the Army Reserve (StAR) directive, the AOA course ensures that Reserve and Regular forces train together as much as possible to ensure they can be effectively combined into one team. Accordingly, the course MGen Hetherington observed had 32 students that were a mix of Regular and Reserve men and women. “It was great to see the diversity of the group,” he said.

“This is our Force Employment concept for the North using our Arctic Response Company Groups which are 100% Reserve organizations,” he added. The graduates are expected to go back and serve in the Arctic Response Company Groups in their divisions.

“It's not just about how to put up a tent and how to light a stove,” he said.

In one phase of the course, they go into the Indigenous communities and communicate that there’s going to be a large Northern exercise coming up and there are going to be soldiers and equipment there, and the Arctic Operations Advisors’ task is to help them understand the reasons behind it.

The Canadian Rangers are highly respected members the AOA course team. Part of the Canadian Army Reserve, the Rangers live and work in remote and Northern regions of the country, providing lightly-equipped, self-sufficient mobile forces to support national security and public safety operations within Canada.

“The Rangers never cease to amaze me,” said MGen Hetherington. “Many of them have spent their entire lives north of 60; how to live, how to survive in the North is something to be learned from them.”

“Always, my final takeaway from the North is how small we are as people. The North can be beautiful but it can be in inhospitable. We need to respect the environment; we need to respect the local people who are there advising us.”

New Canadian Combat Support Brigade Is ‘Champion Of Army Enablers’

Army Reserve Soldiers from 36 Combat Engineer Regiment work with troops from 4 Engineer Support Regiment to construct a bridge at the Canadian Coast Guard College in #Sydney, Nova Scotia as part of Exercise NIHILO SAPPER in November 2017. The unit now reports to the Canadian Combat Support Brigade Headquarters. Photo: Master Corporal Charles A. Stephen, 5th Canadian Division Public Affairs. ©2018 DND/MDN Canada.

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Halifax, Nova Scotia — 5th Canadian Division (5 Cdn Div) has officially assumed authority over the Canadian Army’s (CA) newest Brigade, the Canadian Combat Support Brigade (CCSB) in an organizational shift that one officer says will make 5 Cdn Div “the champion of Canadian Army enablers.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Eleanor Taylor, 5 Cdn Div’s senior planning officer, said it is a logical home for the CCSB in part because it was already home to a number of ‘enablers’ – units specializing in functions such as  intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as engineering and artillery, that play supportive roles in operations or exercises.

“Before we took the CCSB on, we had two Reserve brigades: 36 and 37 Canadian Brigade Groups,” LCol Taylor explained.

“We also had direct report units: 4th Regiment (General Support) and 4 Engineer Support Regiment. We were really 60 per cent into the enabling game already. We had full understanding of how to employ and manage these capabilities, and so we were appropriate to be assigned the niche role, and that is to be the champion of Canadian Army enablers.”

CCSB’s core mandate is the oversight and training of CA enabling functions.

Five units with forces currently located in New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Alberta now report to the CCSB Headquarters which itself is located in Kingston, Ontario:

• The Canadian Army Intelligence Regiment,
• The Influence Activities Task Force,
• 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment,
• 4th Artillery Regiment (General Support), and
• 4 Engineer Support Regiment.

On April 5, the Division welcomed Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk, Commander Canadian Army, and more than a hundred other guests to 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown in New Brunswick to mark the transfer of command authority with a parade reception and other special events.

LCol Taylor, who was closely involved with planning aspects of the transfer, said the consolidation of enablers under a single roof at 5 Cdn Div will not only unite units with similar roles and needs but create efficiencies.

“For example, of the five units of the CCSB, four of them, plus the Headquarters, are still developing as units; they’re still being built, they still have people that need to be assigned to them. They have very similar challenges.”

“And once they’re eventually all built to their optimal state,” she added, “we can start to analyze how we can capitalize on the similarities, how we make sure they’re effectively aligned with their mandates. Rather than being the only thing of their kind in a division, and sometimes forgotten about, they become a substantial part of 5 Cdn Div’s work,” she noted.

“So it’s wonderful. It’s very exciting.”

New Leopard 2 Armoured Engineer Vehicle Is ‘The Natural Evolution’

The Leopard 2 Armoured Engineering Vehicle during crew training on September 21, 2016 at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown. Photo: Joseph Comeau, © 2016 DND-MDN Canada.

By Lieutenant Ken Jacobson, 3rd Canadian Division Public Affairs with files from Army Public Affairs

Edmonton, Alberta — As part of the Force Mobility Enhancement (FME) project, the Canadian Army (CA) began receiving 18 new and improved Leopard 2 Armoured Engineer Vehicles (Leo 2 AEVs) in late fall 2017 to provide critical support to the CA’s Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Light Armoured Vehicles, Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles and future fleets.

The delivery of these vehicles also helps support the long-term investment in the Canadian Army that is outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy to enhance capabilities and capacities in heavy engineering equipment for use in operations and at home, including in the North.

The Leo 2 AEV is a modern, heavily protected and mobile vehicle complete with a range of engineering tools. It is used in overseas operations for general debris clearing, mine-clearing, excavating and rescue operations and can be used at home for domestic disaster relief efforts for events such as floods or fires.

This versatile vehicle carries three personnel, can hit road speeds of about 60 km/hr, has additional add-on armour and its combat-ready weight is 69,500 kg. It is also capable of being used in Arctic conditions.

The Leo 2 AEV replaces the CA’s aging Leopard 1-based Badger AEV. It is a product of Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) mbH, which has a subsidiary in Bathurst, New Brunswick where most of the work on the Leo 2 AEV project is being conducted.

Improvements to the Leo 2 AEV include better armour to protect operators under fire on the battlefield, a remote weapons system, with a C6 7.62-mm medium machine gun and a 76-mm multi barrel grenade dispenser. It also has upgraded welding and cutting equipment, a mine breaching system and the so-called “jaws of life,” a type of hydraulic tool used in emergency rescues to extract trapped victims from severely damaged vehicles. The main winch has a 40,000-kg pull, and the auxiliary winch has a 3,500-kg pull.

It is equipped with a variety of imaging equipment, including thermal-imaging cameras, which allows it to be used during the day, at night and in bad visibility conditions.

All this is in addition to existing capabilities, including a bulldozer blade used to clear rubble and level surfaces, an excavator bucket to move hundreds of cubic metres of earth and debris per hour, an excavator arm with interchangeable attachments used to lift large objects upwards of 4,000 kg, and a capstan winch (a rotary hydraulic device for pulling or hoisting) capable of handling huge loads.

AEVs are also used to fill in craters and perform limited road maintenance and construction jobs. The Leo 2 AEVs, which are expected to support the Leopard 2 main battle tanks until 2035, will further enhance the CA’s mobility and deployability in an ever-widening range of future missions.

"It is the natural evolution," said AEV Project Director, Major Richard Toppa. "We've basically kept the same capabilities but we've upgraded. The dozing rate is far greater than that of the old Badger and the digging rate with the excavator is also far greater. As technology and vehicle horsepower change, we increase our capabilities." 

Members of Edmonton-based 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) received the first six AEVs and completed initial training (ICT) late in 2017, giving the CAa foundation of fully-qualified soldiers capable of operating and maintaining the new fleet, and training others to do so.

"The Leo 2 has a specifically-geared transmission and set of final drives that really help us get in there and push the dirt," said Master Corporal Bobby Talaber, a Leo 2 Crew Commander. "We have some pretty tough conditions here with the frozen ground, but the machine is still able to power through."  

Although the Leo 2 and its predecessor have many similarities, training to work on the new AEV involves becoming familiar with all of the components, hydraulic and electrical systems and schematics as well as its new features.    

"It's definitely a big step up," MCpl Talaber noted. "There's definitely a whole host of tools we have at our disposal and it's exciting to get out here and use them."

Canadian Army Reserve Trucking Trainees go international

32 Service Battalion members (left to right) Private Randy Avery, Corporal Emanuel Bustello, training instructor Sergeant Tim Canning, Corporal Artin Der Galstanian, and Private Gerald Abaca are part of a new and growing long-distance trucking team within the Canadian Army Reserves. Photo: provided by 32 Service Battalion. ©2018 DND/MDN Canada.

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Toronto, Ontario — A new milestone has been reached in an initiative to train Canadian Army (CA) Reservists in long-distance trucking: a United States border crossing.

For the past three years Sergeant Tim Canning, a Regular Force soldier serving with 32 Service Battalion (32 Svc Bn) in Toronto, has been instructing Reservists in the many tasks and responsibilities associated with moving military equipment via transport truck.

Strengthening the Army Reserve

It is all part of the larger Strengthening the Army Reserve (StAR) strategy, through which the CA is integrating Reservists more closely with the Regular Force and expanding the range of duties performed by Reservists. It also allows the Army to become more self-sufficient, as civilian trucking contractors will be needed less.

Cross-border experience

Sgt Canning said he likes to give his students real-world experience as much as possible and was happy to answer a recent call from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), which was in need of trucking support to bring equipment home from an exercise in New Mexico in the United States.

Private Randy Avery was behind the wheel for the run, which began in Toronto in late February, with Sgt Canning on hand for guidance.

Hauling equipment and munitions on exercise and deployments

“Going down to New Mexico is just an amazing training opportunity,” Sgt Canning said. “Even after a driver is qualified, they often don’t get to do things like crossing the border and hauling this type of cargo very often. We really focus on making sure they’ve got the skills and experience before we send them out into the world to do the job.”

“The cargo is going to be a mixture of things but the biggest part of it is ammunition and vehicles,” he added.

“Having the Reserve Force respond to our call for immediate support was ideal,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Vivian, CSOR’s Commanding Officer. “Their ability to partner with various units and organizations to achieve myriad tasks and missions speaks to the strength of the Reserve Force. As a regiment we are proud to have many Reservists employed at the unit and routinely rely on their expertise.”

Having qualified Reserve truckers available will have many benefits, Sgt Canning said.

“There are constantly deployments or exercises happening,” he said. “There’s so much going on all the time and for us to be able to take care of ourselves is very important. And for our people to have these skills and be self-sufficient is a key thing for the military because, when we go overseas, we still do trucking when we’re there. It’s a different platform that we’re using – big armoured trucks – but we’re still doing it. And we don’t have civilian contractors over there to do it for us. So to have those skills before we go, especially into a combat zone, is really important.”

Saving on long-haul civilian trucker costs

Lieutenant-Colonel David DeVries, 32 Svc Bn’s Commander, explained that the trucking initiative is being run on a trial basis until 2020, when it is hoped as many as 24 Reservist drivers will have been qualified.

“This creates a set role for Reservists, where they can be doing something day-in, day-out that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) need. We spend a lot of our budget for long-haul on contractors when using soldiers is a more cost-effective method.  We’ve identified that we need competent drivers, and this provides not only a way to train our drivers for domestic tasks, but also for when they go on deployment – so we’ll have people who are familiar with the equipment.”

Canadian diversity and inclusion a key strength

He also noted that 32 Svc Bn, like the CA as a whole, welcomes Canadians from all walks of life. While civilian and military trucking may be male-dominated at the moment, he added, the Battalion already has a female trucker, Corporal Jeanette Lapensée, who also returned equipment from New Mexico using a separate vehicle.

“Women represent almost 15 per cent of our unit,” LCol DeVries said. This aligns 32 Svc Bn with current numbers across the CAF. According to Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy, the aim is to raise the number of women members by one per cent a year to reach at least 25 per cent by 2026.

Members of visible minority communities, LCol DeVries added, will feel very much at home at 32 Svc Bn, which clearly reflects the rich ethnic diversity of its hometown.

“Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world and over 50 per cent of our unit representing visible minorities,” he said.

This is good news and strongly supports the defence policy, which is committed to building a workforce that reflects Canadian ideals of diversity, respect and inclusion.

“We’re highlighting them so that other people from those diverse communities will say, ‘Wow. This is something I could do.’”

450 Squadron Celebrates 50 Years Of Tactical Aviation

Canadian soldiers disembark a CH-147 Chinook helicopter during Exercise Common Ground II 2016 at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, on November 25, 2016. PHOTO: Captain Greg Juurlink, GN00-2016-1156-015

By Second Lieutenant Nick Effenberger

450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS), based at Garrison Petawawa, Ontario, is proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary today – March 29, 2018.

The squadron is the sole Royal Canadian Air Force operator of the F-model CH-147F Chinook that, in conjunction with the CH-146 Griffon, provides tactical helicopter support to the Canadian Army and Special Operations Forces.

The numerical designation of 450 was originally allocated to a squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, which operated from 1941 until the end of the Second World War in 1945. Although Canada had been assigned squadron numbers 400 through 449 during the war, an administrative error resulted in Canada allocated the 450 number to the Canadian 450 Heavy Transport Squadron on March 29, 1968. The new squadron signaled Canada’s venture into the comparatively new role of logistic air support using Canadian CH-113A Voyageur helicopters.

In 1968, the squadron flew the Voyageur and was based at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Station Saint Hubert, Quebec, until their relocation to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Ottawa (Uplands), Ontario in May 1970. On May 20, 1970, the squadron received Royal Assent for the designation 450 Transport Helicopter Squadron.

At the time of the move, the squadron began to operate the CH-135 Twin Huey in conjunction with the Voyageur at Uplands from 1970 until 1975. At that time, the RCAF replaced the Voyageur with the C-model CH-147 Chinooks and the squadron’s Twin Huey utility flight was disbanded. The Twin Huey returned to the squadron in November 1990, and the squadron was again renamed, becoming 450 Composite Helicopter Squadron. The Twin Huey served an important role for the RCAF as a versatile utility helicopter.

In autumn 1991, Canada’s C-models were withdrawn from service and sold to the Netherlands. After the Chinook’s retirement, the squadron was renamed 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron and continued to fly the Twin Huey in support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Joint Task Force 2. In August 1994, the squadron returned to Saint Hubert. Then, after nearly three decades of tactical aviation (helicopter) service to the Canadian Armed Forces, 450 THS was deactivated in 1996 and formally disbanded two years later, on January 1, 1998.

In 2009, Canada purchased six D-model CH-147 Chinooks from the United States. Canadian crews flew the CH-147D Chinook in support of tactical and transport missions as part of Canada’s contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan

On May 2, 2012, the squadron was reactivated as 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron to fly the CH-147F Chinook. A number of the Afghanistan Chinook crews, who had come from various RCAF squadrons, eventually brought their experience to the reborn 450 THS as core members of the squadron.

450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron is the home of Canada’s fifteen F-model Chinooks. The first helicopter was delivered on June 27, 2013, and the final on July 3, 2014. The F-model is an advanced, multi-mission, medium- to heavy-lift helicopter. Although based at Garrison Petawawa, the squadron reports to 1 Wing Kingston, the home of Canada’s tactical aviation capability.

Since reactivation, 450 THS has participated in numerous exercises at home and abroad, notably Exercise Maple Resolve and Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). They have also deployed on domestic operations within Canada’s Arctic (Operations Nanook and Nevus) and lent support to disaster relief efforts throughout Canada in 2017 (Operation Lentus). As announced by the Government of Canada on March 19, 2018, the CH-147F Chinook, with crews from 450 THS, will be operationally deployed overseas for the first time on the United Nations peace support operation in Mali, Africa, later in 2018. 

Although Canada has had tactical aviation capabilities for more than half a century, 450 THS and the CH-147F Chinook are at the forefront of Canadian Armed Forces operations. In the words of their motto: “By Air to Battle!”

CAF War Artists Lead In Evolving The Genre

War artist and glass artist Mark Thompson’s “Hard Rain” was born from his time spent with the RCAF at air bases in Kuwait in 2016-2017. The varying swirls of white represent clouds the bombs are passing through. “Hard Rain” was chosen as the signature piece of the Canadian War Museum’s war artists exhibition. PHOTO: © Mark Thompson, 2017; Courtesy of the Canadian War Museum

By Ruthanne Urquhart

When we think of “war art” today, many of us think of photographs.

Cracked yellowed photos of Canada’s First World War aviators standing with pride beside the machines of wood and wire and cloth that would carry them into battle on high. Their jaunty white scarves and neat jodhpurs tucked into polished boots belie the mud and blood and soot to come. And, also from this era, the enormous paintings of heroes and generals and battles that cover walls in high-ceilinged museums and galleries.

Black-and-white and coloured photographs from the Second World War and later, of Canadian aircraft lined up on runways in England and southern France, South Korea and Italy. Agile fighters and lumbering bombers, repaired and readied by round-the-clock groundcrew so that the waving pilots and aircrew can carry the fight across the Channel, through North Africa, to the enemy in the North, over the Balkans.

Digital images, this time yellowed not by age but by blowing sand and dirt in Afghanistan, of coalition airfields where Canadians come under attack from above and from “outside the wire”, where befouled engines challenge groundcrew and aircrew alike. Where lowered ramps of cargo decks offer shelter and transport to the flag-draped coffins of Canadian warriors.

These are the pictures in our heads. Each one captures a single moment in time, as clearly as if we’d been there. Every detail in each photo ties it—and us—to that moment.

War art may be less clear, may not capture any one moment in time. But it captures something bigger, something that transcends that moment, that war. War art has the potential to reach wider and farther and longer than a photograph. And, interestingly, today’s war artists are working in mediums beyond—in fact, certainly from before—photographs.

Ottawa native Mark Thompson, one of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s embedded war artists, creates glass-based paintings and sculpture. Under the auspices of the Canadian Forces Artists Program (CFAP), he travelled to Kuwait, where the night missions of Canada’s young CF-18 Hornet pilots stirred his imagination and impressed him profoundly. One of his first experiences in Kuwait involved a night flight over flaming oil wells, which he has described as being “life-altering”.

Mr. Thompson’s work entitled “Book of War” is a tabletop installation on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, in its current exhibition of contemporary war art. A row of five open books encased in glass lie side by side along the tabletop; within the glass of each book is a video of a CF-18 fighter aircraft in various states: day, infrared, night, etc.

The Museum chose his “Hard Rain” to be the signature work for its exhibition. It comprises three rows of five falling bombs in shades of blue, encased in glass. The white swirls through the glass emulate wisps of clouds through which the bombs are falling, and the black background is a video loop that moves up and down.

Nancy Cole is the other of this year’s RCAF-embedded war artists. She was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, and grew up on military bases. An experienced textile artist, Ms Cole was placed with Canadian Forces Base/19 Wing Comox, British Columbia, courtesy of the CFAP. The war art that she subsequently produced comprises two large, hand-quilted textiles.

Ms Cole’s installation at the Canadian War Museum is entitled “Night and Day”. One textile is all black, with a grouping of small red dots in the upper right quadrant, representing the dark war-work carried out by CF-18s deployed on Operation Impact in Syria. Each red dot has a fine red, crooked or looping line radiating out from it, signifying people on the ground fleeing as the CF-18s pass overhead. The other textile is white, with a similar grouping of dots, also in the upper right quadrant. This textile signifies the other end of the spectrum of CF-18 taskings: the airshows, the flypasts, the lighthearted crowd pleasing. These dots have no red lines; we imagine these people standing in groups, looking up, watching the aircraft with smiles.

In ancient times, war art was, in fact, a multi-media undertaking. It was mosaic floors with clay, glass and gemstone elements in public and government buildings; it was sculpture and bas relief work for the homes and gardens of the wealthy. And it was intricately woven floor-coverings that warmed the stone underfoot, and wall-mounted tapestries that held drafts at bay.

During archaeological excavations today, one of the finest treasures to be unearthed is often a mosaic floor composed of tesserae, small blocks of ceramic, glass and stone. A good example is the Alexander Mosaic, dating from circa 100 BC. Measuring 2.72 by 5.13 metres, this floor mosaic from Pompeii depicts a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia.

The Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidery of wool yarn on woven linen, was created in the 11th Century. It is almost 70 metres long and 50 centimetres high, and portrays the conquest of England completed in October 1066 under the leadership of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy.

War art.

Mark Thompson, glass artist, and Nancy Cole, textile artist, are reviving ancient traditions and mediums in war art. The RCAF is honoured that these artists have chosen to incorporate within their works the CF-18 Hornet aircraft, in image and in spirit.

Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) return to Moreuil Wood for 100th Anniversary

"Charge of Flowerdew's Squadron" by Sir Alfred Munnings, 1918. Canadian War Museum - 19710261-0443

By Steven Fouchard - Army Public Affairs

Moreuil, France — Current members of Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) are returning to France to mark the centenary of a First World War battle in which one of their number earned a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC).

The commemoration begins March 30, 2018 when the Strathconas, as they are also known, will parade and re-enact the battle.

Additionally, the Town of Moreuil will grant the unit Freedom of the City on March 31. Freedom of the City is a tradition dating back to the Wars of the Roses, a 13th century conflict that pitted powerful British families against one another for the throne. Municipal officials of the time would meet with the commanding officers of units seeking entry and, once their intentions were determined to be friendly, the units would be invited to march through the city streets.

The unit more than lived up to its motto, ‘Perseverance,’ at Moreuil Wood where they and the other troops that made up Canadian Cavalry Brigade (CCB) faced a German offensive on March 30, 1918.

With British units in withdrawal, the CCB was called upon to face the enemy near the French town of Moreuil. With the rest of the CCB engaged with the Germans in the wood, a squadron led by Strathcona Lieutenant Gordon Muriel Flowerdew moved to the northwest corner of the battlefield to stop enemy reinforcements from entering the battle.

The 100-strong squadron discovered a German force of 300 bolstered by machine guns. Despite the overwhelming firepower, Lt Flowerdew led the squadron in a charge, reputedly shouting, “It’s a charge, boys, it’s a charge!”

He led two charges that caused the Germans to withdraw. The squadron suffered 70 per cent casualties and LtFlowerdew sustained wounds that would kill him the next day. “There can be no doubt that this officer’s great valour was the prime factor in the capture of the position,” his VC citation reads.

The action is also notable historically for being one of the last documented horse-mounted charges, which were falling out of style with military tacticians by the early 20th century.

Retired Army Officer Changing The Mental Health Conversation

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Stéphane Grenier on the shore of a Canadian lake.

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Ottawa, Ontario — Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Stéphane Grenier says he would never have written a book about his experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if not for the urging of friends and acquaintances.

He may not think of himself as a writer but his story, revealed in After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture, his newly-published memoir (co-written with Adam Montgomery), is very much about words. LCol (Retd) Grenier came home in 1995 from a 10-month deployment to Rwanda, site of a horrifying genocide, deeply traumatized.

He also faced a Department of National Defence (DND) ill-equipped to help those suffering – one that used the loaded term “disorder” to describe the invisible, mental injuries of war. The military, he also says, may have been speaking “about” such things but rarely spoke “to” the injured.

In parallel with his own recovery, LCol (Retd) Grenier pushed for reform at DND and had a profound impact. Among many other things, he coined a term, “Operational Stress Injury” that removed some of the stigma attached to mental illness in the military and continues to influence thinking at DND today.

Since his retirement in 2012, LCol (Retd) Grenier has continued in his efforts and expanded them into the private sector as a consultant. In the following interview, he discusses how peer support complements clinical care, the importance of helping both the injured and their family members, and the deeply personal investment he has in his current mission.

What made you decide to write After the War?

I never really wanted to write a book, but over the course of the last decade, people have suggested I should.

One day, I was asked to speak and bring 75 copies of my book for a signing after the event and I said, “Well, I don’t have a book.”

Over the years, the question kept coming back and I decided, “I’ll just follow that advice.”

Was there something in particular that made now seem like the right time for your story?

I left the military in 2012 and became a consultant. My company, Mental Health Innovations (MHI), started growing and I noticed corporate Canada really needs an infusion of innovation when it comes to mental health in the workplace.

So the book, really, is not about Rwanda. The book is about what Canadians - the mental health system, corporate leaders – need to think about to better support their people.

It’s one thing to work with an organization of 6000 employees and make a difference there but I thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if we could get governments to think differently?” So I think the book is relevant to that objective.

You say in the book that simply talking with a colleague at National Defence was ‘the first domino to fall’ for you on the road to recovery.

It’s so simple, right? Having a colleague in the workplace who notices you’re not well and instead of looking away leans in and offers you non-judgmental support.

But our economy, whether it’s the military or corporate Canada, is a competitive space and we’ve forgotten that people are the most important asset. People are too busy to notice that other people aren’t doing well and they really don’t think having a human-to-human conversation is part of the solution.

And the military especially is a very judgmental subculture. Infanteers will judge clerks, for example; ‘He or she doesn’t do what I do so therefore they don’t have any reasons to complain.’ The infanteers don’t know that the admin clerk who served in Afghanistan saw things driving in a convoy every week to resupply a forward operating base and that, in fact, it’s even worse for them because they’re not fully trained for it. That’s a barrier to authentic conversations because we feel judged, we don’t want to be judged, and so we just suck it up.

So what do we do? We refer people to doctors and that’s all we know to do. We forget that sometimes just a conversation can be huge in people’s lives.

Balance is a key theme of the book. You talk about the divide between those who mistrust the medical system and a medical system that distrusts peer support because it is not based on formal education. You say the solution lies somewhere in between.

I think the mental health system needs to be humbled to some degree because we have created one in Canada that is very prescriptive. It’s anchored on the medical perspective. There’s nothing wrong with the medical perspective and I need to make sure I’m not portrayed as being against it.

The difference between healing the brain and healing other parts of the human anatomy is that the person must be empowered to believe they can heal and recover. It’s not only therapy and medication that are needed to support that.

Introducing the notion that laypeople – in other words peer supporters – are part of the solution, is sort of a humbling experience for mental health clinicians. With the arrival of Peer Support Canada, which is an organization I founded after my work with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, peer supporters have now been transferred over to the Canadian Mental Health Association, where accreditation services are provided for them.

Once Canada realizes there’s a way to grow peer support in an accountable, systematic way – the same way it does for many other professions in this country – health care systems will really be able to transform themselves.

Your ex-wife Julie describes your post-Rwanda struggles from her point of view in the book. How did you feel reading that for the first time?

I was sad. I always sort of knew her perspective – we had talked about it – but it really made me sad.

And the message is it’s so important for all organizations, the military and beyond, to not only support employees who are going through these struggles, but to support the families in better ways.

They will reap the benefits of that because, if you support the family, you support your employee at the same time. It is all connected.

What’s your view of how far the Canadian Armed Forces has come on these issues?

I think you guys are continuing to grow at your own pace and continuing to improve things. What I realized when I left is, despite the challenges the military has, and despite the criticism it and Veterans Affairs are up against on a regular basis, our military people and our veterans are much better served than the average Canadian citizen.

My two years at the Mental Health Commission of Canada made me realize how difficult it is for Canadians to recover from these situations.

So I have dedicated my full attention now to serving Canada in a different way, trying to make it better for others who don’t serve their country directly but who deserve as much support from the mental health system as the military.

And as a Canadian taxpayer, I want to make sure that if my granddaughter, God forbid, ever develops a mental health problem, we’ve created a better system.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

A Successful Deployment So Far For Honorary Corporal Juno

Honorary Corporal Juno, the Canadian Army’s adopted polar bear, in her quarters at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba in February 2018. As of March, HCpl Juno successfully completed one year of Operation SOCIALIZATION, a mission intended to familiarize her with other polar bears. Graphic: Joanna Gajdicar, Army Public Affairs.

By Colour Sergeant Carin Dodsley, Army Public Affairs

Winnipeg, Manitoba – It has been a full year since Honorary Corporal Juno, the Canadian Army’s adopted polar bear and live mascot, arrived at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba to participate in Operation SOCIALIZATION.

Over the course of this operation, HCpl Juno has experienced training opportunities and social interactions required for development from a cub (or Private) to a young adult polar bear (now a Corporal).

At two years and four months old, HCpl Juno is showing her warrior spirit by remaining brave, strong and resilient during this phase of her development.

Qualifications, rations and quarters

In early March 2017, HCpl Juno deployed from her birthplace at the Toronto Zoo to Winnipeg to socialize with other polar bears in her age group, or in Army-speak, to earn her trade qualifications.

Her quarters at the Assiniboine Park Zoo are located at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, a transition and research facility for young polar bears.

HCpl Juno’s “rations” consist of a variety of fish, specially developed polar bear “chow”, and a meat product specialized for polar bears, which contains proteins and nutrients needed for polar bear growth.

Schedule and Training

According to Allison Ginsburg, the Assiniboine Park Zoo’s Curator of Animal Care – Large Carnivores, HCpl Juno has a very full and active schedule.

“The polar bears are always fed multiple times a day, they have enrichment, they have access to their outdoor habitats as well as their indoor ones, and they have lots of interactions with their animal care staff,” she noted. There are currently nine polar bears at the zoo.

Ms. Ginsburg reported that HCpl Juno participates in many different types of environmental enrichment activities to encourage “species-appropriate” behaviour.

“Some of it is interactive. We’ll take different types of toys down to the fence line and run back and forth or roll a ball back and forth in front of them for direct interaction with the animal care staff.”

HCpl Juno also has enrichment built into her habitat. Objects such as balls and large barrels help to simulate natural polar bear behaviours, such as pouncing to break through the ice to get to seals.

“We do different types of puzzle-feeders where we can hide food and different things and they have to work to get the food out,” Ms. Ginsburg explained.

In her leisure time, HCpl Juno can be found frolicking in the snow and interacting with guests of the Assiniboine Park Zoo – from a distance, of course.

Socialization

Shortly after her arrival in Winnipeg in March 2017, HCpl Juno was introduced to two young male polar bears her age, Nanuq and Siku.

On HCpl Juno’s first meeting with the bears, she performed a bit of reconnaissance before joining ranks.

“She was very tentative when she first met them, and took several days to go anywhere near them. She kind of watched them from afar to see what they were doing and after a while she would slowly join in and play,” Ms. Ginsburg said.

Since that first introduction to her troop, HCpl Juno has come a long way. In November 2017, she first met York, a male polar bear just over three years old, with whom she now lives. She didn’t hide this time, but started interacting with York immediately, proving her growing confidence in being around other bears.

Standards

HCpl Juno has already competently met many of the standards for polar bear development. Her weight, currently at 208.5 kilograms, is normal for a female polar bear her age.

Ms. Ginsburg reported that she is responding well to training. HCpl Juno is learning many polar bear maintenance behaviours that are necessary for a polar bear living in the zoo, such as how to sit, open her mouth for an exam and stand up all the way so the zoo staff can get a good look at her body – similar to military drill and health inspections.

HCpl Juno’s habitat is made up of three different environments, and she has to get used to shifting from one to another. Much of her training is ongoing, stated Ms. Ginsburg: “We’re always working on comfort level, trust and relationship with the handlers.”

Next Steps

So, what’s next for HCpl Juno? She will continue to develop her species-specific behaviours (or trade-specific knowledge) on Operation SOCIALIZATION, most likely through the summer.

When she has achieved the standard for success as an adult polar bear (or, to put it in military terms, has obtained her qualifications as a trained member of the Army suitable for her role and rank), she is expected to receive her marching orders to return to the Toronto Zoo where she was born.

Once her current training mission is successful, HCpl Juno will be well-trained and well-equipped to handle any challenges she may face when she returns to her home unit in Toronto.

A brief history of Honorary Corporal Juno

The feisty bear was born on Remembrance Day in 2015 and named after Juno Beach, the code name for the Canadian landing area in France on D-Day in June 1944. The Toronto Zoo decided that Juno would be an appropriate name.

The zoo contacted the Army to ask if they would adopt her as an official mascot to help bring awareness of the plight of polar bears in the wild. The symbolism of the November 11 birthdate coupled with the strong symbol of Canada that is the polar bear brought instant agreement.

She stands as a living example of the bravery, tenacity and strength of the soldiers who were instrumental in the success of D-Day operations on th

Halifax School Sends Donations To West Africa With Help From The RCN

A sailor interacts with children at the Diaraf Falla Paye school in Dakar, Senegal.

By Lieutenant (Navy)  Linda Coleman

As Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Kingston and Summerside began preparations for their deployment to West Africa, word spread that the ships were offering to transport donations to African schools in need. Donations poured in from all over Halifax, including École Beaubassin, a local elementary school. One of the teachers was particularly passionate about donating because her husband is the Operations Officer in Summerside, Lieutenant (Navy) Guillaume Desjardins.

“When my wife Janie heard we were collecting donations for some French speaking African countries, she thought this would be a great opportunity to get her school involved, French school to French school,” said Lt(N) Desjardins.

The school found math, science and French books from its collection to donate. The school also used their Facebook page to reach out to their community as a donation drive, which proved to be a success. Parents and students added to the donation pile, with students even donating some of their favourite reading books. In the end, École Beaubassin ended up donating over 2,000 French books for Kingston and Summerside to transport to West Africa.

On February 22, 2018, the ships’ companies delivered the items, along with toys, blankets, toiletries, first aid supplies and clothes to Diaraf Falla Paye, a French school in Dakar, Senegal.

“We don’t often have this opportunity to give donations by hand and see the direct impact it has to those receiving it. This is great – you know exactly where your donations are going. It’s also great to make relationships and hopefully we’ll be back next year,” added Lt(N) Desjardins.

The crew members spent the whole day at the school, making repairs to desks, doors and plumbing, and removing large stones from the yard to make it a safer environment for the kids to play in. During the visit, the sailors also couldn’t help but take the time to interact with the curious children who enjoyed playing with the sailors.

“It made me feel special to see how the kids interact; it’s so different from home. It was nice to help them and feel like we’re making a difference,” said Leading Seaman Alexy Thibault, who played and sang with some young girls in the school yard.

Kingston and Summerside are currently deployed on Operation PROJECTION in West Africa, engaging with local communities and contributing to regional stability and security.

Naval Reservists Experience Life In New Zealand Warship

Master Seaman Kaitlin Braithwaite

By Darlene Blakeley

Eleven members of Canada’s Naval Reserve are experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see first-hand what service is like in a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) warship.

Nine bo’suns and two cooks from Naval Reserve Divisions across the country are sailing aboard the RNZN’s Anzac-class frigate Te Kaha as it transits from Honolulu, Hawaii to Victoria.

The sailors joined the ship as part of the REGULUS program, which facilitates exchanges with partner navies from around the world, providing unique training opportunities and exposing sailors to the diverse cultures of allied navies. While sharpening sailors’ skills, the REGULUS program also helps strengthen relationships with allied nations, increasing interoperability and reinforcing the Royal Canadian Navy’s commitment to international peace and security.

Master Seaman Kaitlin Braithwaite from the Naval Reserve Division HMCS Prevost in London, Ont., was the catalyst for this group’s deployment. While working and training as a civilian primary school teacher in Auckland, NZ, she was given the opportunity to consolidate her skills as a bo’sun in the Naval Reserve as well. Through the REGULUS program, she requested and was authorized to sail aboard the Te Kaha when it departed Devonport, NZ, en route to Victoria where it will be undergoing a frigate system upgrade.

“Joining a new ship is always a bit daunting but I could not have been welcomed any better,” she says. “Every sailor welcomed me on board and helped me become a member of the crew.”

MS Braithwaite was able to join the RNZN gunners (similar to bo’suns) on bridge watches and says that functions such as lookouts and officer-of-the-watch duties are the same.

“However, once we left New Zealand there was not much for the lookout to see – open ocean with no contacts for over nine days,” she says. “All of my experience sailing in Canada has been on the Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels, which mainly keep to the coast for calmer waters. As soon as we departed New Zealand it was a straight course north to Canada experiencing sea state seven [six to nine metre waves].”

By mid February, Te Kaha had come alongside Pearl Harbour Naval Base in Honolulu en route to Canada.

“This was a welcome R&R stop that showed me just how welcoming the New Zealand navy could be. Their crew was always planning activities such as surfing, sky diving, and cage diving,” explains MS Braithwaite.

It was in Honolulu that 10 additional naval reservists joined MS Braithwaite in the ship as part of the REGULUS program.

“I was happy to see some familiar faces and was encouraged that I could help them adjust to ship life onboard the Te Kaha,” she says.

She explains that the name “Te Kaha” is Maori, meaning “fighting prowess” or “strength.” The ship’s motto is “He Ponanga Kaha” or “Service with Strength”, embodying the strength of the ship, the RNZN and service to country.

“This experience has shown me that even though thousands of nautical miles separate New Zealand and Canada, we are much the same,” says MS Braithwaite. “Our values and traditions as sailors translate across oceans.”

Her time with the crew of Te Kaha ended when the ship reached Victoria on March 5, but, she says, “The new friendships and lessons I learned while onboard Te Kaha will last a lifetime.”

RCAF Second World War Veteran Gets Surprise Visit

Members of RCAF 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadron listen as RCAF Squadron Leader (retired) George Sweanor, talks about being one of the founding members of No. 419 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, which stood up in the United Kingdom in 1941. In the background is one of the seven CT-155 Hawk jets flown by the squadron, this one sporting a special Second World War paint scheme. PHOTO: NORAD/USNORTHCOM Public Affairs

By NORAD/USNORTHCOM Public Affairs

A Royal Canadian Air Force Second World War veteran and former prisoner of war now living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, received a surprise visit on February 23, 2018.

Squadron Leader (retired) George Sweanor, 98, was met by members of 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadron at the Colorado Springs Airport following the unit’s training mission in El Centro, California. Squadron Leader Sweanor was one of the founding members of the squadron, known then as No. 419 Squadron, which stood up in 1941 in the United Kingdom as the third RCAF bomber squadron overseas.

Squadron members and Squadron Leader Sweanor talked for more than an hour as he reminisced about his 419 days and his wartime experiences. “It was an honor for us to meet such a distinguished veteran and founding member of 419 Squadron,” said Major Ryan Kastrukoff, deputy commanding officer of the unit. 

During the war, Squadron Leader Sweanor served with the squadron in the United Kingdom. After making multiple flights over enemy territory, he was shot down and captured in 1942, and spent 800 days as a prisoner of war. He was also involved in the daring “Great Escape” from Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp in Zagan, Poland, in 1944, and acted as a security lookout during the excavation of the escape tunnel dubbed “Harry”.

Following the war, Squadron Leader Sweanor remained with the RCAF. He was a member of the group that opened Cheyenne Mountain, the former home of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

His last assignment was in Colorado Springs, where he retired and began teaching at Mitchell High School. He is also a founding member of 971 Royal Canadian Air Force Association Wing in Colorado Springs, and regularly attends events as a special guest, along with members of the Canadian Armed Forces serving at NORAD.

Squadron Leader Sweanor was a special guest at Canada Day celebrations at NORAD Headquarters in 2014. At that time Canadian Lieutenant-General Alain Parent, then-deputy commander of NORAD, presented Squadron Leader Sweanor with the “Bomber Command Bar” to be affixed to the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, in recognition of his service with Bomber Command.

During the recent visit, squadron members presented him with a book commemorating the 75th anniversary of the squadron, a current squadron patch, and a squadron patch with his name stitched into it.

Squadron Leader Sweanor has written one book, “It's All Pensionable Time: 25 Years in the Royal Canadian Air Force”, and blogs.

Armoured Reconnaissance Commanding Officer Blazes New Trail For Women

Captain Gillian Dulle (centre), in October 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan. The group is part of the Operation ATTENTION Roto 0 who was mentoring the Afghan National Army at their staff college. Photo: provided by Major Gillian Dulle.

By Corporal Natasha Tersigni, 38 Canadian Brigade Group Public Affairs

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan — “First In – Last Out.” No one holds the first part of the motto of armoured reconnaissance squadrons truer than Major Gillian Dulle, Commander of the Saskatchewan Dragoons.

“First In – Last Out” is the motto of their trade because they go ahead of the main force to obtain enemy information and then provide a screen for moving troops.

When Maj Dulle took command of her Moose Jaw Canadian Army Reserve regiment in May 2016, it marked the first time in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces that an armoured reconnaissance commanding officer was female.

She didn’t know it at the time and it made little difference to her when she learned of it. She simply set out to continue doing what she knows best: leading her troops.

"I was already the Commanding Officer before someone informed me that I was the first female armoured commanding officer. It wasn’t something that I knew when I took the job. I try not to make a make a big deal about it,” said Maj Dulle. “I got to this position because I am competent and capable, not because I am a woman.”

“It is interesting and it is a footnote in history. It is bizarre though, that it has been over 30 years since women have been allowed in the Combat Arms and we are finally starting to see female commanding officers and female sergeants major,” she said.

“It is a part of history and shows how our military has adapted and changed. We are at a point in history where those changes are starting to catch up on the command level.”

‘Combat Arms’ is a collective term used to describe the four combat-focused occupations within the Canadian Army: armour, artillery, infantry and engineer. Infantry directly engage and destroy enemy forces, while the others provide firepower and destructive capabilities on the battlefield.

Maj Dulle joined the 38 Canadian Brigade Group’s Saskatchewan Dragoons in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 2003 as a non-commissioned member. Still in high school, she looked at the job as a way to earn money and it was certainly better than her alternative plan of working at the local gas station.

The young soldier quickly found her niche with armoured reconnaissance, and just three years later became a commissioned officer.

In 2009, she deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan where she worked to build and improve strategic relationships in the region.

Her second tour in Afghanistan was in 2011-2012 with Operation ATTENTION Roto 0, where she mentored Afghan soldiers at the Afghan National Army Staff College in Kabul, Afghanistan. During this deployment, her gender became a point of contention for the first time in her military career.

“The only time that I have truly faced challenges as a woman in my career was when I was mentoring the Afghan National Army. That was more of a cultural barrier and once they learned that I knew what I was doing and that I had combat experience in Kandahar, my street credit went up and it wasn’t an issue anymore,” said Maj Dulle, who added that throughout her training, courses and deployments, being female has otherwise never been a negative for her.

“I joined the Combat Arms, so I have always been in the minority. It was always a concern in the back of my mind, not anymore, but when I first joined. Nothing ever materialized.”

Reservists have more women in the Combat Arms than the Regular Force: 5.6 per cent to the Regular Force’s 2.4 per cent as of 2016. The totals are rising and the Combat Arms’ officer occupations with the highest representation of women are artillery and engineer. Among the combat arms’ non-commissioned member occupations, artillery and armour have the highest representation of women.

When it comes to the difficulties of the position, Maj Dulle faces the same obstacles that other commanding officers of a Combat Arms Reserve regiment face.

“Time is always a challenge. The Reserves are part-time, but when you’re commanding a regiment, it is not part-time,” she said.

“You are trying to manage a civilian job, family life and asocial life and encompassing all that is the fact that you are in a command position. The job doesn’t just warrant your time one evening a week and one weekend a month. You are always in command and things come up,” said Maj Dulle.

“It is challenging managing the various aspects of the position and trying to lead a normal life, but it is a very, very rewarding job.”

Military Police Red Only Defining Colour For Canadian Armed Forces Reservist

Corporal Peggy Harris of 1 Military Police Regiment in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Remembrance Day in 2016 at Minto Armouries Winnipeg with 38 Canadian Brigade Group. Her medals, left to right, are: General Campaign Star medal with 2 Bars – Afghanistan tours; Roto 2 Operation ATHENA 2003-2004 ( Kabul); Roto 8 Operation ATHENA (Kandahar) 2009-2010; Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal – Bosnia VK 2003; NATO – Non-Art 5 (Balkans) Medal 0 2003; Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal; Canadian Forces' Decoration. Photo: provided by Corporal Peggy Harris.

By Natasha Tersigni, 38 Canadian Brigade Group

February is Black History Month, a time to honour Black Canadians past and present who have served in uniform and as civilian employees in defence and service of Canada since before Confederation.

Winnipeg, Manitoba — Her mother's words, “embrace what makes you different,” have kept Corporal Peggy Harris motivated to seek new challenges during her nearly two-decade career with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

A CAF Reservist with 1 Military Police Regiment in Winnipeg, that message has kept her driven through 17 years of service, three international operational deployments and countless courses and taskings. While there was a time when many Canadian women of colour could only dream of the opportunities afforded to Cpl Harris, the Military Police (MP) member works hard in the military to challenge herself while not forgetting the women that came before her who made it all possible.

Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario as the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father and Caucasian mother from Canada, it became clear to Cpl Harris from a young age that she was different.

“My mom has blonde hair and blue eyes and she raised us alone after my parents were divorced. It was hard because we didn’t really fit in very well. My brother, sister and I were not looked at as Black kids because we weren’t dark enough. On the other hand, we weren’t white so it was difficult. In my generation, I was born in 1977, you didn’t see a lot of mixed kids especially in Thunder Bay. I didn’t see too many interracial relationships until the late 1980s-early 1990s,” said Cpl Harris who added that her mother would never let this recognition discourage her children.

“She always said ‘Don’t be ashamed of the things that make you different from other people. Embrace what makes you different because someday it will set you apart.’”

After graduating high school, Cpl Harris was still deciding on what she wanted to do for a career when she found an ad looking for part-time MPs.

“I was a mom – I had just had my son – and I knew I needed to do something, but I wasn’t exactly sure what; I hadn’t gone to university or college. I wanted to be a police officer, but I knew I was too young to get hired,” said Cpl Harris.

“One day I was looking for jobs online and I came across this Service Canada ad looking for Reserve MPs and that piqued my interest. I went to the recruiting officer, watched a really cool video on what the Regular Force MPs did and then I started the application process.”

Over the years, Cpl Harris has participated in a number of operations and deployments. She deployed once to Bosnia, employed as Force Protection; and twice to Afghanistan. Her first tour in Afghanistan was to Kabul where she worked in the National Counter-Intelligence Unit with the All Source Intelligence Centre. During her second tour to Afghanistan, this time to Kandahar, she worked as part of the Police Operation Mentoring Liaison Team, located in Arghandab River Valley, which was mentoring Afghan National Police officers,

While there have been moments in her career when her colour may have been judged before her character, it was mostly the bright red colour of her MP beret that was fuel for prejudice and never her skin.

“Being Black has never negatively affected me in the military. Wearing the red beret tends to make you stand out a bit more. When I was preparing for one of my tours, I took a .50 Calibre Heavy Machine Gun course in which I beat out many infantrymen to be selected. One of the senior instructors was questioning how a Reserve MP ended up on his course,” laughed Cpl Harris, who added that a few times on deployment in Afghanistan, she was mistaken for an interpreter and asked to leave intelligence briefings where she was supposed to be taking notes.

“It all worked out well in the end and everyone was apologetic.”

As she reflects on her time in the CAF and prepares for her upcoming deployment in June to Kuwait in support of Operation IMPACT, Cpl Harris can’t help but talk about the important role that Canadian women have played in her success. While many times it is male figures that are recognized during February’s Black History Month, Cpl Harris hopes that contributions made by Canadian women of colour are not left out of the dialogue.

“Too often history focuses on Black men, forgetting Black women’s accomplishments. There were a lot of females that helped bring the men up during the movement. Women such as Viola Desmond, who is often referred to as Canada’s Rosa Parks. She challenged racial segregation by sitting downstairs in the main section of a movie theatre as opposed to upstairs. Her actions got her arrested but helped to publicize the racial discrimination that was occurring in Canada,” explained Cpl Harris.

“Our history and society has been filled with proud Black women and it has been a true inspiration to me. Hopefully young girls can hear my story and know they too can be successful in what they choose to do. Maybe that will include being a Reserve MP in the Canadian Armed Forces and having the opportunity to travel the world and help where needed.”

Military Leaders Must Listen To Cultivate Innovation: Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan

Brigadier-General M.A.J. (Jennie) Carignan, Chief of Army Operations of the Canadian Army in a formal portrait on July 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario. Photo: Corporal Mélani Girard, Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa). ©2016 DND/MDN Canada.

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Ottawa, Ontario — The Canadian Army (CA)’s Chief of Staff for Operations, Brigadier-General M.A.J. (Jennie) Carignan, says senior officers must always be open to ideas from the ranks in order to ensure the organization is as innovative as it can be.

BGen Carignan offered this and other insights during her opening address at a conference on the subject of Innovation Methodologies for Defence Challenges, held in Ottawa from January 30 to February 1.

Featuring a wide range of speakers from both military and academic circles, the event was organized by the Centre for National Security Studies (part of the Canadian Forces College), Royal Military College Saint-Jean, and the University of Ottawa’s Centre for International Policy Studies.

Soldiers, BGen Carignan said, are naturally less inclined to question or criticize their orders in the interest of completing assigned tasks in a timely manner, but this approach “limits our knowledge and the more we act the less we know.”

The higher ranks are often viewed as the main source of knowledge and new ideas may get shut down when they come from lower ranks, she added.

“I would like to remind you that Charles Darwin was 22 years old when he developed the theory of evolution. Let’s remember ideas don’t necessarily come from age and experience. We need to allow a certain level of dissent and questioning of assumptions and not feel threatened by our brilliant subordinates.”

While noting the battlefield may not always be the place for such discussions, BGen Carignan urged leaders to find the time for them.

“If you accept, you allow questioning to a certain degree and then you’re in a mode where people’s ideas are respected. It doesn’t mean that everything goes. It doesn’t mean you’re paralyzed and not moving forward because you’re listening to everyone’s ideas. We’re not always in crisis. In garrison, there’s time for that exchange.”

BGen Carignan joined the CA in 1986 and commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990.

“I am your typical engineer. I am very much attracted to science because it provides me answers,” she said.

Despite that certainty, she explained, many of her planning and tactical tasks were a substantial challenge and she often felt disappointed in the results. In search of answers, BGen Carignan took on post-graduate studies 10 years into her career.

Those studies included areas of the humanities such as history and philosophy, which offered a fresh perspective. That, she said, “freed my mind” and “tore down walls” she’d built in her own mind, allowing her to see the CA more in terms of people than organizational structure.

“Structures are the fruit of our imagination. The Army doesn’t exist. Only the humans within the Army exist. When we rebuild those structures, we don’t focus on humans. Things are centralized, de-centralized, and re-centralized in a cycle.”

Structure is still key in organizing large organizations with common goals such as a military, BGen Carignan added, “but we have to think about it differently and we have to understand the limitations.”

Jennie was featured as a top 20 women in defence by Esprit de Corps

http://espritdecorps.ca/women-in-defence-2016

Departing Ships Mark 12th Year Of Op CARIBBE

HMCS Whitehorse departs Esquimalt, B.C., for Operation Caribbe.

By Sub-Lieutenant M.X. Déry

Year 12 of Operation CARIBBE is set to begin with Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Edmonton and Whitehorse leading the charge. The two ships left their home port of Esquimalt, B.C., on February 16, 2018.

Last year the Canadian Armed Forces contributed to the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) seizing or disrupting approximately 11.5 metric tonnes of illicit drugs.

The Commanding Officer of Edmonton, Lieutenant-Commander Brian Henwood, is looking forward to heading south to conduct interdiction operations.

“This is a great opportunity to get over the horizon and to effect things down range,” he says.

LCdr Collin Forsberg, Commanding Officer of Whitehorse, agrees with him, saying the operation has a real impact on the people back home. “It is very rewarding working with the USCG. This is a mission that makes life better for Canadians.”

LCdr Forsberg has deployed twice before on this operation.

Recently, Rear-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander, Maritime Forces Pacific, spoke to media in San Diego, Calif., during the offload of cocaine seized in the last two months of operations in 2017.

“Just as today’s offload represents a part of the record almost 500,000 pounds that was interdicted in 2017, worth about $6.6 billion U.S., a part of today’s offload is also a direct involvement of Canadian participation.”

At the end of a ship’s deployment, the USCG tallies up the amount of drugs seized or disrupted by each ship and awards them with crossed out snowflakes to add to their bridge wings. The snowflakes serve to recognize hard work and instill a sense of pride in the ship’s company.

With a fresh paint job, Whitehorse departs home port with a bare bridge wing, while Edmonton proudly wears seven snowflakes earned on previous deployments.

The objectives of the upcoming mission are clear and there seems to be no hint of rivalry between the commanding officers.

“We are down there to support each other,” says LCdr Henwood. “One ship’s success is a success for the team.”

Retired Air Force Colours Entrusted To Toronto Maple Leafs

The RCAF’s retired Colours were entrusted to the guardianship of the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 10, 2018. From left are Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Kenneth J. Mackenzie of the RCAF Pipes and Drums, Chief Warrant Officer Gérard Poitras, Darryl Sittler, holding the Queen’s Colour, Darcy Tucker, holding the Command Colour, Lieutenant-General Mike Hood, and Major Allan J. MacKenzie of the RCAF Pipes and Drums (the two pipers are brothers). In the background is the Colours party from 402 “City of Winnipeg” Squadron, with the officers saluting with drawn swords. PHOTO: Corporal Alana Morin, FA03-2018-0015-002

By Joanna Calder

It was a sight never before seen on the ice of the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in Toronto.

The RCAF received new Colours – unique, consecrated military flags – in Toronto on September 1, 2017. At the same time their former Colours, which were presented in 1982 and reflected the Air Force’s previous identity as Air Command, were retired.

On February 10, 2018, in a ceremony held immediately before a hockey match between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, the Royal Canadian Air Force entrusted their retired Colours to the guardianship of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The brief ceremony took place during a Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night at the ACC.

Two pipers from the RCAF Pipes and Drums, Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Kenneth J. MacKenzie and Major Allan J. MacKenzie (who are brothers), preceded Lieutenant-General Mike Hood, commander of the RCAF, and Chief Warrant Officer Gérard Poitras, RCAF command chief warrant officer, onto the ice. They were followed by Maple Leafs’ alumni Darryl Sittler and Darcy Tucker, and then a Colours party from 402 “City of Winnipeg” Squadron, carrying the retired Colours.  

Captain Louis Martel, Captain Jennifer Finateri, Warrant Officier Chris Longman, Sergeant Robyn Arnold and Sergeant Francisco Moises made up the Colour party.

To the applause and cheers of the crowd in the Air Canada Centre and as the members of the Colour party saluted with rifles or drawn swords, Chief Warrant Officer Poitras passed the Queen’s Colour to Mr. Sittler, and Lieutenant-General Hood passed the Air Command Colour to Mr. Tucker.

In late February, the retired Colours will be “laid up”, that is to say put on display, near Gate 6 of the Air Canada Centre, where they will be visible to passers-by as well as those attending hockey games at the centre.

An agreement has been put in place between the Maple Leafs and the RCAF governing the hockey team’s guardianship of the retired Air Command Colours. The agreement and the location where the Colours will be laid up meet the regulations set out in the Canadian Armed Forces Publication The Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces, which states, in part, that Colours “remain Crown property in perpetuity, and are controlled by the Department of National Defence on behalf of the Canadian government. The Colours are memorials to the brave deeds and sacrifices of the units and individuals who serve under them. If deposited or laid up, they are the responsibility of the custodian and must remain accessible to the public. . . . Custodians shall ensure that laid-up and deposited Colours are kept on display to the general public. They may not be stored or displayed in unaccessible areas . . . . Under no circumstances are Colours or portions of Colours allowed to pass into the possession of private individuals. If the custodian can no longer preserve them, they must be returned.”

The RCAF has a long and proud relationship with the city of Toronto. Canadian military aviation began in Toronto 101 years ago when the Royal Flying Corps Canada was established in Toronto and the surrounding area to recruit and train Canadian aircrew for service overseas during the First World War.

“Our relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs is even more personal. Wing Commander William George Barker, a First World War Ace and Canada’s most highly decorated war hero, was appointed as president of the Maple Leafs’ hockey club in 1927 by its manager, Constantine Falkland Cary (Conn) Smythe who was seconded from the Army to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 to fly as an observer,” said Lieutenant-General Hood before the transfer ceremony. “Given this unique history, the ACC is a fitting location for our retired Colours and the Maple Leafs are well-suited to be their guardian.”

Perhaps inspired by the RCAF Colours, the Maple Leafs won the game 6-3 over the Ottawa Senators.

Henry J. Langdon: An RCAF, industry and union pioneer

Henry Langdon (left) and Ernie Hunter view radiographic X-ray inspection results in 1957. Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada) hired Henry Langdon in 1945 as an aero engine mechanic and he later became an aircraft inspector with the company. PHOTO: L1985-13_018_019_002, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Photograph Collection, Southern Labor Archives. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University

By Major Mathias Joost

During the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Air Force maintained high standards for those it enlisted during the conflict. This is reflected in the achievements of many of the Black-Canadians who served in the RCAF during the war – for instance, four became lawyers post-war.

To cite another example, one with a post-war RCAF tie, Henry Langdon had an outstanding career in the civil aviation maintenance field.

Henry Johnson Langdon was born in Trinidad in 1911 and came to Canada in 1923. Growing up in the Little Burgundy district of Montreal, he had a desire to be a writer, but was working in a gas station at the outbreak of war. At this time he was married, had one daughter and a son on the way. Such was his desire to serve that he was willing to leave them behind, enlisting in the RCAF on November 1, 1939.

At this time the RCAF regulations prohibited the enlistment of anybody whose skin was not white, so somebody in the RCAF recruiting system obviously turned a blind eye to the regulations. Perhaps Langdon’s course in aero engine mechanics helped.

After training at the Technical Training School at St. Thomas, Ontario, he served at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario, No. 9 Repair Depot at St. Jean, Quebec, No. 9 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mont Joli, Quebec, and No. 6 Repair Depot, Trenton, Ontario. As well as being an excellent tradesman, he was also a very good leader.

In May 1943, an evaluation records that he is “one of the finest airmen I have ever seen” and had potential as aircrew. In September 1941, Group Captain Roy Grandy indicated that Langdon would make an excellent non-commissioned officer. Leading Aircraftman Langdon would reach the rank of flight sergeant in October 1944 and was at this rank when he was released on September 7, 1945.

Perhaps because of his wartime experience and the number of former RCAF aircrew in its service, Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada) hired Henry Langdon in 1945 as an aero engine mechanic. He would later become an aircraft inspector with the company.

Mr. Langdon also became active in the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Lodge 1751, in Montreal. He was one of the first Black mechanics to serve on an IAMAW lodge executive and was elected to the Montreal lodge's executive for 25 years, serving as recording secretary as well as secretary of the workers' education committee.

Henry Langdon was also the Canadian High Commissioner of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, working towards improving race relations with this organization and in his civilian and military careers.

In March 1955, Mr. Langdon re-enlisted, this time in the RCAF Auxiliary. With his experience at Trans-Canada Airlines it was natural that he would become the aero engine technical instructor at 3001 Technical Training Unit in Montreal. He served there until February 1961, spending one year with No. 104 Composite Unit at St. Hubert, Quebec, on special duty. Flight Sergeant Langdon then served a year with 438 Squadron before spending his remaining service with 401 Squadron where he was a flight line supervisor. He retired in January 1967, having reached career retirement age.

Henry Langdon was a pioneer with Air Canada, the RCAF and his union. Working in predominantly white environments in all three work places, he was highly respected not only for his abilities, but in his efforts towards improving race relations.

Henry Langdon had come a long way from his desire for a literary career – his long service in the civil aviation maintenance field was exemplary, and the RCAF played a role in setting him on his way.

Army Reserve Offers New Full-time Summer Employment Program

Gunner Brittany Heatherington is an Ontario reservist who deployed to southeastern Baffin Island as part of Operation NANOOK 09. The Army Reserve offers a multitude of experiences and is introducing a Full Time Summer Employment program. Photo: Second Lieutenant Dave Bowen. ©2017 DND/MDN Canada.

By Krysthle Poitras and Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Ottawa, Ontario — The Canadian Army Reserve (ARes) is already well-known for giving youth valuable work experience and steady employment, but is going a step further still.

2018 will mark the start of a Full-time Summer Employment (FTSE) program in the ARes, through which new recruits will be guaranteed full-time summer work for the first four years of their service.

This is an ideal opportunity for students, who will now have reliable, predictable income to support their educations while exploring the wide range of trades that make the ARes an integral part of Canadian Army operations.

“FTSE gives our new soldiers the opportunity to explore stimulating careers in the Army Reserve, including non-combat careers that could potentially relate to their field of study,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Sonny Hatton, who is in charge of implementing the FTSE initiative nationally.

FTSE is not just good news for students, though. A number of instructor and support jobs will also be allocated to those who have joined the ARes since 2015.

“Reservists in their first four years, who so desire, can expect to be employed for the whole summer where they will primarily participate in individual training and various summer tasks typical of the ARes, such as participation in exercises and ceremonial duties,” LCol Hatton explained. “All while earning a very decent wage and gaining valuable work experience.”

“Our recruiters work with local units to offer opportunities to potential recruits that match their interests and can greatly expand their experience, knowledge and future employability after they finish high school, college or university. The ARes also creates opportunities to obtain valuable on-the-job-training, to network and gain references in the technical trades.”

The ARes is a highly skilled and diverse workforce with a wide range of employment opportunities – and not all of them are combat roles. The ARes also needs engineers, cooks, mechanics, and communications and information systems specialists, to name just a few.

“For a musician, the ARes is a unique opportunity,” said Corporal Thomas Argent, a young Reservist who has been part of the Governor General’s Foot Guards (GGFG) for nearly three years.

The GGFG is an Ottawa-based Reserve infantry unit that also supports official ceremonies in the nation’s capital, where members can be seen in their distinctive scarlet tunics and bearskin hats.

“A lot of my musician friends are going from gig to gig just to make ends meet, and it seems a little stressful for my liking,” Cpl Argent added. “Even as a part-time Reservist, I was able to make good money just playing in the band. I’ve also been given a lot of opportunities to work in different places, including administrative roles, public duties on Parliament Hill, and in a music library.”

The ARes offers opportunities to serve Canada in a meaningful way in an equal-opportunity work environment – one that is stable, but has flexible work arrangements. Reservists are vital to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and members of the ARes can volunteer to deploy on short notice, particularly in domestic operations, such as fires, floods and ice storms.

For example, in 2017, Reservists supported provincial authorities in responding to an ice storm in New Brunswick, forest fires in British Columbia, floods in Quebec and Ontario, and provided shelter to asylum seekers in Quebec. Many more have deployed on international operations to Ukraine, Latvia, Kuwait and other places where the CAF is engaged in operations abroad.

2018 also marks the 20th anniversary of one of the largest Canadian natural disasters and peacetime deployments of troops in Canadian history: thousands of Reservists responded to the 1998 ice storm that affected Ontario and Quebec. During the crisis, Reservists provided shelter and medical care, and assisted in the restoration of the power grid.

The FTSE program is offered from May 1 to August 31. For more information, visit your local unit as soon as possible and talk to a recruiter or visit the Canadian Army Reserve Summer Jobs web page.

PyeongChang Winter Olympics Organizers Help Bring Canadian Army Hockey back After 65 Years

Korean Army members attentively watch “Team Canada” made up of members of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and Royal 22e Régiment, and Canadian expats as they take on “Team Corea”, made up of players from Yonsei University and Korea University in Paju City, South Korea on January 19, 2018. Photo: Dylan Goldby, WelkinLight Photography

By Maja Graham, Army Public Affairs

Paju, Korea — In the bitter Korean winters of 1952 and 1953, despite the ever-present possibility of an enemy attack, soldiers of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and the Royal 22e Régiment (R22eR) managed to carry out some friendly battles of their own on the frozen Imjin River, using hockey sticks and a puck.

In January 2018, 65 years later, members of the two regiments returned to Korea to the city of Paju, on the Imjin River, for the 2018 Imjin Hockey Classic. This marked the first time since 1953 that Canadian soldiers played the game on Korean ice, though commemorative games have been held in Canada’s capital of Ottawa, Ontario since 2013.

The Imjin Hockey Classic 2018 was held to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and pay homage to the competitive spirit of the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics. It also honored Korean War Veterans, showed appreciation and support for members of the Canadian Army, and showcased the strong ties between Canada and Korea.

Captain Geneviève Fortin-Ratté was among representatives of the Canadian Army who travelled to South Korea to help organize the event. “I was touched by the gratitude and the warmth of the local community as I passed out Canadian pins and flags to the crowd. I felt so honoured and proud to represent Canada and the legacy that Canada holds in their history.”

At the Imjin Classic 2018, four representatives of the PPCLI and another four from the R22eR joined with Canadian expatriates in a friendly competition against Team Corea, which was made up of Korean university hockey players. (The spelling of “Corea” reflects a more traditional English spelling from the period prior to the Japanese invasion early in the 20th century.)

Organized by the Embassy of Korea in Canada and Paju City in partnership with the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the event drew in a large lively and diverse crowd. Korean Army members, local Koreans, Canadian and international expats, and representatives of more than 70 media outlets watched the game from the sidelines of an outdoor rink on a mild, sunny day.

Among the special guests were Canadian Korean War veterans Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John Bishop, Colonel (Retired) Claude Charland and Sergeant (Retired) Dennis Moore.

“As a veteran who played in the disputed hockey tournament on the Imjin River back in 1952, I had a chance to be around a good friend, albeit an old opponent on the ice. It brought back old memories and feelings, such as being far from home, and the trials and tribulations of war that we soldiers went through to do our duty, especially in a country that was so foreign to us Canadians in the early 1950s. Being a torchbearer for the PyeongChang Olympic Games was a special honour,” recalled Col (Retd) Charland.

The event also included the passage of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games torch relay, a military display of the Korean War and a photo gallery of the original Imjin hockey games.

It was a blow-out game for the Canadians who beat Team Corea 7-1. Team Canada members noted that they had an advantage as many were used to playing on outdoor rinks as children so the increasingly slushy outdoor surface did not slow them down. (The game had to be cut short by one period due to the deteriorating ice conditions.)

“The feeling of playing close to where the actual frontline was and to be supported during the game by our great Veterans,” he said, referring to LCol (Retd)Bishop, Col (Retd) Charland and Sgt (Retd) Moore, “with friendly comments and pats on the back was a career highlight and quite surreal. The conditions were not optimum, talking mostly about the ice surface, but the re-enacting had such meaning for all that were present that day that it gave us a sort of opportunity to contribute in a certain way to what happened then,” said Major Bryan Ouellet, a representative of the R22eR.

The Canadian Imjin Classic delegation also visited some historical sites while in Korea, including Canadian and Commonwealth monuments of the Korean War in Kapyong where one of the most significant battles of the Korean War was fought by Canadian troops. Members also visited the War Memorial of Korea.

“It was an absolute honour to visit Kapyong, where in 1951 the regiment distinguished itself and earned the Kapyong Battle Honour. To return to this storied location as a serving Patricia and gain insight from a PPCLI Korean War Veteran about the battle was a privilege and will remain a treasured memory,” explained Captain Brandon Edge, a representative of the PPCLI. 

The Canadian delegation also had the opportunity to meet with Canadians living and working in Korea who in 1998 established the Imjin River Memorial Tournament. Canadian expats gather every Sunday evening for a game of hockey and compete for the Imjin Cup every year.

The cup is now on loan to R22eR at their regimental museum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, along with the XXIII Olympic Winter Games torch that Canadian Korean War Veteran, Col (Retd) Claude Charland carried through the crowd in Paju City, South Korea ahead of the Imjin Classic 2018 hockey game. PPCLIwill then display the cup at their regimental museum in Calgary before it travels back home to Seoul.