Roll Up of CAF/Veteran/Invictus News - 12 Oct 2024
CAF | DND
Australia is joining the United States and the United Kingdom in developing top-secret cloud networks to exchange highly classified defence, national security and intelligence data with each other — a concept Canada has just begun to think about. Experts say that, unless the gap is closed quickly, Canada's lack of such digital infrastructure will have a profound impact on new military hardware the federal government has committed to purchasing, such as F-35 stealth fighters, MQ-9 Reaper drones and long-range P-8 surveillance planes. The gap is also putting Canada at a disadvantage in negotiations to become part of the high-tech portion of AUKUS, the trilateral defence and technology partnership involving the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Site selection for new $3-billion NORAD radar slips behind schedule (msn.com)
The decision on where to locate a new NORAD radar system in Ontario has fallen behind schedule, but defence officials say they are still confident the project worth up to $3 billion will be ready by 2028. The specific location in Ontario for the over-the-horizon radar or OTHR was supposed to be settled in spring of this year. But now the Department of National Defence says it doesn’t have a specific timeline for the decision on where the radars will be located.
The Regular Force Self-Development Program will temporarily be paused due to staffing and funding, among other things, according to a new Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) memo. According to CANFORGEN 135/24, new applications in the program, which falls under the Education Expense Reimbursement Program, will be paused effective immediately and last until at least March 31, 2025. Additionally, the military says it also plans to discontinue the Ill and Injured component of the program.
For the nineteenth year in a row, Canada Post will once again provide free regular parcel services for the holiday season to family and friends of deployed military members. The service will be running from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15. “Parcels will be delivered free of charge from any Canada Post retail outlet to designated CAF bases and will then be forwarded through the CAF postal system to members overseas,” stated CANFORGEN 143/24.
Crystal Froese’s 15 Wing role not a conflict of interest, Ottawa says - SaskToday.ca
The federal government says it has no problem with Coun. Crystal Froese being named an honorary colonel at 15 Wing Air Base even though it happened almost a month before the municipal election. MooseJawToday.com reached out to the Canadian Armed Forces about Froese’s appointment after several residents expressed concern that the designation may be a conflict of interest for the military in light of the November election. … “The appointment of Crystal Froese as honorary colonel of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School is a result of her demonstrated dedication to helping 15 Wing and 2 CFFTS connect with the community and the region,” the spokesman said.
VETERANS
Minister says veterans on Canada's Invictus team will get health coverage by 2025 | CBC News
Veterans' Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor now says that veterans on Canada's Invictus Games team will get full health coverage by 2025, days after CBC News reported that veterans on the team have to buy their own health insurance. "We will continue to work with the Canadian Armed Forces, Soldier On, Invictus Games and other stakeholders to ensure … this situation will be rectified before Invictus Games 2025," Petitpas Taylor told the House of Commons on Thursday.
Canadian veteran denied compensation for cancer wins appeal | National Post
A Canadian soldier “exposed to hazardous chemicals” from burn pits while serving two tours in Afghanistan has been granted full compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his application. The former soldier, now a veteran, is not named in a new decision from the Veterans Review and Appeal Board out of Prince Edward Island.
Canadian soldier wins compensation for burn pit exposure in Afghanistan | CTV News
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim. The reversal marks the second time this yearsnow that the Veterans Review and Appeal Board has overturned an earlier decision refusing disability benefits for cancers linked to burning waste at military outposts in Afghanistan.
Thousands of dollars generated through the Oceanside area’s signature annual event is going back into the community. Parksville Beach Festival Society president Cheryl Dill said nearly $81,000 was donated to 21 local organizations … [including] Royal Canadian Legion BR49 Ladies Auxiliary Parksville.
Facebook post leads to mailbox surprise for 102-year-old Langford veteran (cheknews.ca)
A Second World War veteran in Langford was on the receiving end of the positive side of social media, after a Facebook post resulted in him getting greetings from as far away as Australia. … [His friend] Glenda’s niece Marlene recently put out a Facebook post on the Colwood Community Association asking members to consider sending the veteran living in Langford a message or card for his birthday in advance of Remembrance Day, and the post took off. It was shared almost 300 times, and the result was the surprise correspondence at Nixon’s door.
COMMEMORATION, HISTORY & REMEMBRANCE
Dedication for N.S. brothers who served in Second World War | CTV News
The ringing of a bell echoed outside the Royal Canadian Legion(opens in a new tab) in Noel, N.S., Saturday as a town crier summoned the crowd to gather for the unveiling of a memorial, dedicated to eight brothers from the region who all served in the Second World War. The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from nearby Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in the war.
The Royal Canadian Legion Todmorden Branch No.10 held its ninth annual Heroes of Suicide ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 22, in East York. The ceremony took place to honor first responders and veterans who committed suicide due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and to raise awareness surrounding the mental health of first responders and those serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. … A number of service members and first responders attended, including from the Canadian Armed Forces, Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, and the Toronto Transit Commission as well as friends and family. … Also in attendance was Julie Dabsrusin, Liberal MP for Toronto-Danforth, as well as Peter Tabuns, NDP MPP for the Toronto-Danforth region.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is being told that more than half of the 550 names on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism should be removed because of potential links to the Nazis or questions about affiliations with fascist groups, according to government records. … The memorial was supposed to be unveiled in November 2023 but that was put on hold after members of Parliament honoured Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian soldier with the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis. That incident became an international embarrassment for Canada.
Renfrew’s Kurt Johnson has been recognized by the Canadian government for his commitment to telling the stories of Canada’s war dead. A retired Ottawa Citizen editor, Johnson has been working on several projects that bring to life the names on cenotaphs and gravestones.
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INVICTUS GAMES 2025
Noah Kahan performing at Invictus Games - Squamish Chief
Invictus Games tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster. From Feb. 8 to 16, 2025, the Invictus Games will bring adaptive sporting events to Whistler and Vancouver. The international competition for service members and veterans sees 550 competitors from 25 countries compete in 11 adaptive sports. The opening ceremony at BC Place starts at 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, and along with cheering on athletes from around the world, attendees can take in performances by three major headliners: Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado and Roxane Bruneau, with more performers to be announced.
You can see Noah Kahan in Vancouver for less than $60 | Offside (dailyhive.com)
Noah Kahan’s coming to Vancouver, and you can see the Grammy-nominated artist for less than $60. That’s a heck of a deal when you consider that tickets to his concert sell for a lot more than that. It’s all part of the 2025 Invictus Games, which will be held in Vancouver and Whistler from February 8 to 16. Tickets to the events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, went on sale this morning. The opening ceremony, which will take place on February 8 at BC Place, will feature Kahan, Nelly Furtado, and Roxane Bruneau, with more performers yet to be announced.
Minister says veterans on Canada's Invictus team will get health coverage by 2025 | CBC News
Veterans' Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor now says that veterans on Canada's Invictus Games team will get full health coverage by 2025, days after CBC News reported that veterans on the team have to buy their own health insurance. "We will continue to work with the Canadian Armed Forces, Soldier On, Invictus Games and other stakeholders to ensure … this situation will be rectified before Invictus Games 2025," Petitpas Taylor told the House of Commons on Thursday.
John Ryan marks 25th anniversary of cross-Canada fundraiser - Pique Newsmagazine
… Those living with disabilities still face myriad hurdles today, but sport has continued to be a tremendous vehicle for their cause. The 2024 Paris Paralympics drew a record-breaking 11 million Canadian viewers across CBC platforms, and February’s Invictus Games will be a rallying point for the Sea to Sky adaptive community.
CAF | DND
Ship, extra CAF members near Lebanon: defence minister | CTV News
(Sept. 27) Defence Minister Bill Blair says there is a ship in place near Lebanon, as well as 150 deployed additional Canadian Armed Forces members prepared for a military-assisted departure of stranded Canadians, if more violence in the region requires it. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is also working on "another commercial option with a charter aircraft" in the next couple days, Blair said.
NATO says it wants its members to develop national plans to bolster the capacity of their individual defence industry sectors, a concept Canada has struggled with — or avoided outright — for decades. At the NATO leaders summit in Washington in July, alliance members agreed to come up with strategies to boost their domestic defence materiel sectors, and to share those strategies with each other. Almost entirely overshadowed at the time by debates about members' defence spending and support for Ukraine, the new policy got little attention.
A professor is taking the Department of National Defence (DND) to court in an effort to force it to release records about the Canadian military’s program to target members of the public in various propaganda schemes. The application for a judicial review was filed in federal court Sept. 27 in Vancouver on behalf of Emma Briant, an associate professor at Monash University in Australia and an expert in military propaganda. … In 2020, Briant, writing for a non-governmental group called the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, exposed details about the Canadian Armed Forces spending more than $1 million on training on how to modify public behaviour.
Military pharmacist fined $10K for stealing amphetamines in B.C. | CTV News
A Canadian Armed Forces pharmacist was fined $10,000 and given a severe reprimand Wednesday after admitting to stealing hundreds of pills from a British Columbia military base to feed his spiralling drug addiction. Capt. Fitim Hajrizaj, a 43-year-old officer with nine years of service in the Forces, pleaded guilty to one count of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline following the theft of more than 500 amphetamine pills from a pharmacy at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in 2022.
CAF Establishes New Cyber Command - Canadian Military Family Magazine (cmfmag.ca)
With the establishment of the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM), the Canadian military is now better equipped to confront a new frontier. The command plans to consolidate the CAF’s cyber capabilities into one single entity, allowing the military to be better equipped to face cyber threats.
Canadian Forces struggling with a training bottleneck, commander tells MPs | CBC News
The Canadian military has just as much of a problem with training as it does with recruiting, a House of Commons committee was told Thursday. In her first appearance before the defence committee, Gen. Jennie Carignan, the newly-appointed chief of the defence staff, testified that the Armed Forces only has the capacity to put 6,400 recruits through basic training each year.
The Royal Canadian Legion Todmorden Branch No.10 held its ninth annual Heroes of Suicide ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 22, in East York. The ceremony took place to honor first responders and veterans who committed suicide due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and to raise awareness surrounding the mental health of first responders and those serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. … A number of service members and first responders attended, including from the Canadian Armed Forces, Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, and the Toronto Transit Commission as well as friends and family. … Also in attendance was Julie Dabsrusin, Liberal MP for Toronto-Danforth, as well as Peter Tabuns, NDP MPP for the Toronto-Danforth region.
The trial of a former Snowbirds pilot accused of sexual assault began Tuesday at the Barrie courthouse. Maj. Steven Hurlbut, 48, who flew with the Canadian Forces aerobatic team, is alleged to have assaulted a female member of the military on June 8, 2023, in the days leading up to the Barrie Airshow The air show was held over Kempenfelt Bay on the weekend of June 10 and 11, as part of a cross-country tour. Hurlbut, originally from Calgary, joined the Snowbirds team in 2021. He's a veteran fighter pilot, having flown combat missions in Iraq and Syria.
HMCS Yellowknife and Edmonton sailors return after successful mission (cheknews.ca)
Sailors from both HMCS Yellowknife and Edmonton were welcomed home by friends and family at CFB Esquimalt after an operation where they seized more than $60 million in suspected cocaine. The crews patrolled the waters around Central and South America for nearly seven weeks as part of Operation CARIBBE. This is a joint operation with the United States Coast Guard with the goal of intercepting illicit drug trafficking vessels.
VETERANS
Today, the Roland Gossage Foundation is excited to announce the inaugural Stand Up for Heroes Canada fundraiser, taking place on November 8, 2024, at the John W.H. Bassett Theatre in Toronto. The event will feature an impressive lineup of talent, with confirmed musical performances from Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip; Colin MacDonald and John-Angus MacDonald of The Trews; comedians Shaun Majumder, Jean Paul and Max Ross; and dancers Luka & Jenalyn.
Echelon Wellness Celebrates Grand Opening in Mount Pearl, NL (newswire.ca)
Echelon Wellness (www.echelonwellness.ca) announces the grand opening of its second healthcare and administration clinic exclusively for Military Veterans and RCMP. Located on Topsail Road in Mount Pearl, the clinic is a first-of-its-kind in Canada and is specifically designed as a one-stop solution to care for the Veteran and RCMP community. Veterans and RCMP have unique healthcare and administrative challenges resulting from their dedicated service and are an underserved segment of the healthcare community across the country.
From army veteran to Mrs. Canada Universe | CBC.ca
VIDEO: An Edmonton veteran has traded her combat uniform for a sash and tiara. In July, Giselle Drew Walsh was crowned Mrs. Canada Universe, the first veteran to win the title. Now, she is headed to South Korea to compete for the title of Mrs. Universe while championing a cause close to her heart — mental health awareness.
Mrs. Canada Universe to compete in South Korea | CTV News
VIDEO: A local military veteran is donning a new uniform that includes a tiara and a sash, in the hopes of earning a new title as a world-wide pageant winner with mental health on her mind. Giselle Drew Walsh followed in her father's footsteps when she enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2008. More recently, she was crowned Mrs. Canada Universe and is excited to take her message to the next big stage. "It's all about raising awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for veterans and their families," Walsh said.
Things are looking up at the Barrie legion. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147 officials gathered Monday afternoon to celebrate the addition of a new elevator to the St. Vincent Street building, thanks to a $143,200 capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
REMEMBRANCE, COMMEMORATION & HISTORY
Clean up day launches Remembrance Day preparations at Beechwood Cemetery | CTV News
Remembrance Day preparations are underway at Beechwood Cemetery and hundreds of people took the first step of showing their respect.
An unknown First World War soldier buried in a grave in Belgium has been identified as a Manitoban from a village that no longer exists. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces on Wednesday announced that Cpl. William Benjamin Cunningham is the soldier who has been buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium, since 1920, three years after he was killed on the battlefield.
All Military, RCMP & Police Veterans and their spouse or Signficant other is invited to attend a free lunch and social gathering at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 59 in Moose Jaw. The lunch is being held on October 10 to commemorate Veterans and their Families, and the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
50 veterans honoured by Canada’s Quilts of Valour society | Watch News Videos Online (globalnews.ca)
VIDEO: Quilts of Valour - Canada Society’s president said an event in Oromocto, N.B. was the biggest the organization has ever held. For veterans, it was an important day to remember their service and their colleagues who didn’t come home. Global’s Anna Mandin reports.
Author and historian Ted Barris is a storyteller. He’s engaging, entertaining, enlightening, and all that from just a thirty minute phone conversation. So it’s no surprise that The Book Keeper is hosting him again at the Sarnia Library Theatre on Monday, Oct. 7 starting at 7 p.m. Barris has written 22 non-fiction books, talked to over 6,000 veterans and at 75 years young hasn’t lost his love of history and writing.
Veterans identified and honoured in Medicine Hat ceremony - Lethbridge | Globalnews.ca
Veterans who previously laid beneath the soil without a headstone have now been honoured with a permanent remembrance of their service. 2024 is the centennial year for the Royal Canadian Air Force, yet Canadian soldiers still served in the skies before 1924. … On Thursday, the Last Post Fund held a ceremony honouring… 13 other soldiers who received long-overdue recognition for their service.
Hillside Cemetery's 'unknowns' receive military gravestones - Medicine Hat NewsMedicine Hat News
The grave sites of 14 previously unknown Canadian veterans that lay in Hillside Cemetery received military gravestones and were honoured for their service during a ceremony Thursday. Representatives with the Last Post Fund who work to ensure all veterans receive a dignified funeral and burial, joined MLA Justin Wright, who serves as the province’s liaison to the military, to honour the veterans who up until recently remained anonymous.
Manitoba man identified as unknown First World War soldier | CTV News
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) announced on Wednesday that Cpl. William Benjamin Cunningham has been identified as the unknown soldier. He was buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium in 1920.
15 Wing raises flag to honour national TRC day - SaskToday.ca
On Sept. 27, 15 Wing Air Base raised the “Survivors’ Flag” as part of its efforts to honour The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Col. Daniel Coutts, base commander, was present, along with Wing Chief Warrant Officer Rachel Fox, champion of the base’s defence indigenous advisory group, and Lt. (Navy) Andrew Klinger, chair of the advisory group. Master Cpl. Jonathan Porter, from the Canadian Forces’ Snowbirds, was accompanied by his children to raise the Survivors’ Flag.
From the moment Catalyst Theatre artistic director Jonathan Christenson, imagined The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, the big question was, “What would you be ready to lay down your life for?” When Catalyst first mounted The Invisible on Edmonton stages in February 2020, the theme was hypothetical. However, today as the world sits on the precipice of a potential global war, it is very real. Based on true events, The Invisible is set during the Second World War when Britain appears to be losing to the Nazi war machine.