Photo: Christina Aguayo
By Scott Taylor
Last Thursday I attended in-person the Canadian Armed Forces' formal apology for racial discrimination and harassment suffered by current and former members of the military.
The event was held at the Diefenbaker building with about 250 guests in attendance. The proceedings were also live streamed to allow all serving personnel an opportunity to witness the apology.
In my more than four decades of close affiliation with the CAF, I have not experienced a more unconventional ceremony. For an institution that prides itself on upholding tradition and structure, this was a complete about-face. Although the majority of those in attendance were serving members, there was no official dress code.
As such, some wore dress uniforms complete with medals, while many of the support staff sported combat fatigues. A contingent representing the Canadian Rangers wore their trademark uniform red hoodies. Civilian attire ranged from formal business to ball cap casual.
Given the extremely sensitive nature of the ceremony and the fact that many present had been victimized during their career, the CAF organizers pulled out all the stops in order to prevent triggering emotions.
For instance the national anthem was not played and instead of a bagpiper leading in the guests of honour, they took their seats while the CAF Central band ensemble played some soothing jazz tunes. Prior to the proceedings an indigenous CAF Chaplain had performed a smudge ceremony on the main hall and adjacent meeting rooms.
This procedure had thoughtfully been completed well before guests arrived so as not to have any lingering smoke affect those with respiratory challenges. Boxes of tissues had been strategically placed under the seats in anticipation of attendees becoming emotional during the ceremony.
Additionally, a number of trained military clinicians were on hand in case anyone felt overwhelmed during the apology and presentations. For those watching the live-stream, there was a help-line set up to assist any viewer needing support.
Instead of the usual acknowledgement that the gathering was taking place on 'unceded territory of the Algonquin people', the organizers had Algonquin elder Albert Dumont welcome guests to the territory of his people.
For the following two hours, guest speakers from the Indigenous, Black and Asian communities spoke at length about the past injustices suffered by their respective minority groups while serving in the CAF.
All three of these speakers -retired sergeant Wendy Jocko (representing Indigenous Canadians), retired Captain Kevin Junor (addressing anti-Black racism) and retired Lieutenant Commander Albert Wong (detailing hardships faced by Asian service members) were eloquent and their messages were moving.
As such many in attendance did in fact find themselves in need of those tissues, including some of the very senior General Officers and Flag Officers (GOFO's) who were commendably present in significant numbers at the ceremony.
Just prior to the formal apology, former Governor General Michaelle Jean gave an inspiring address in which she pointed out that with this apology and recognition of past racism in the ranks Canada is moving in a very different direction from that of our United States ally. Jean stated "Among our southern neighbours, in the United States, we are seeing political elites working shamefully to undo decades of progress. Women, Black people, racialized individuals, the poor, newcomers — all are once again being openly and shamefully humiliated. Division and contempt once again the order of the day. History is erased. Fear is used to manipulate. Let us not doubt that the voices of contempt and exclusion have echoes here, too. We are not immune to hate. Vigilance is essential. Let us not lose sight of the values that define who we are. We can take pride in the fact that here in Canada, we are consciously, deliberately choosing a different way of being and doing. And this path sets us apart. It honours us as well."
While President Donald Trump and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are re-naming military bases after Confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery, Canada is choosing to recognize that many previous policies marginalized and discriminated against minorities. Jean's comments were refreshing and made me proud to be a Canadian. This set up the main event of the ceremony.
The official apology was delivered by Gen. Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, and Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann. “For way too long First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black, Asian and other racialized members of the CAF faced systemic barriers that limited their ability to serve, contribute and thrive as equal members and too often mistreated and even abused at the hands of their fellow members,” said General Carignan.
The CDS then choked up with emotion as she stated “I acknowledge we failed you… We didn’t create an environment where you could serve your country to the highest level with pride and determination and I’m sorry for the silence, indifference and that this went on for years.”
General Carignan added that the CAF has committed to eliminating systemic barriers, addressing biases at every level, and integrating awareness of systemic racism into recruitment and training. “Racism has no place in the CAF. It cannot be tolerated and it has no place in our future,” she said.
The CAF's senior ranking non-commissioned officer CWO McCann spoke following Carignan’s apology. “You gave your best to this institution. You gave your best to this country. You gave your best to your teams,” said McCann. “You deserved far better than what you have received.”
Batting clean-up at the event was Rear Admiral Jacques P. Olivier, the Defence Team Champion for Racialized Persons. "I have seen progress. I have also listened again and again to testimony that took courage to bring into the light," said Olivier. "They have strengthened my conviction that institutions can change." The general consensus at the ceremony was that this emotional apology is a starting point, not the closure of an historical chapter.
In the interest of full disclosure, I attended the apology ceremony as a delegate, not as a media representative. My maternal grandmother Pauline Wright (nee Staats) was a Mohawk. Born on the Six Nations of Grand River (reserve) near Brantford, she was placed in the residential school now known as the 'Mush-Hole'. At the age of sixteen, the earliest age allowable, she left the reserve and never returned.
As a youth I was always proud of my heritage. However after enlisting in the Canadian military I found it far easier to keep my lineage quiet. Racial slurs against Indigenous people were freely expressed within the ranks and I was remiss in not challenging those who uttered them. As Rear Admiral Olivier stated, progress has indeed been made since those days and I sincerely hope that this apology ushers in a new era for the CAF.
