Roll Up of CAF/Veteran/Invictus News - 24 May 24
CAF
Territorial premiers commit to building stronger North - NNSL Media
The annual Northern Premiers’ Forum was held in Pond Inlet from May 6-8, 2024. The three northern premiers -- P.J. Akeeagok, Ranj Pillai, and R.J. Simpson -- took the opportunity to meet and speak with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Elders and other community members. … Of note was the release of the updated federal policy on national defence and foreign relations related to Arctic security and sovereignty. By meeting in a community along the Northwest Passage, the premiers recognize that communities like Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) are key to Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic in the coming years. The three premiers were pleased to see their past efforts in raising the profile of northern security and the pivotal role of northern people acknowledged in the recently announced updates to Canada’s national defence policy, Our North Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence.
Federal Court certifies class-action lawsuit against military | National Post
The Federal Court has certified another class-action lawsuit against the Canadian Armed Forces filed by a man who says he faced discrimination and stigmatization because of his mental health. … The Federal Court is allowing the class-action suit to include current and former military members who served as far back as 1986. People who are eligible to join the claim have been diagnosed with a mental-health disorder “and allege they were subjected to non-sexual and non-racial discrimination, bullying, stigmatization, harassment and/or abuse” during their service.
'Bureaucratic burden' slowing progress on addressing military sexual misconduct: report | CBC News
… The government appointed Jocelyne Therrien in 2022 to report on the federal government's handling of sweeping recommendations in former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour's report on military sexual harassment and misconduct. Therrien released her latest report card on the government's work last week. In it, she writes that "a large bureaucratic burden ... weighs heavy on the organization. This is having a major impact on timelines."
Claiming they destroyed his career to score political points after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan is suing his accuser, the federal government, Canada's top soldier and other military officials for $10 million in damages. Military prosecutors withdrew the service offence charges against Whelan last year. He was accused by military prosecutors of giving a female military member a better score on her performance evaluation report in 2011 to stop her from reporting "flirtatious" emails he sent her.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces and a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J Hercules will be doing training at the London International Airport. Soldiers will be working with the Special Operations Team from Ornge, along with a team at Victoria Hospital. "The public may see the Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, as well as military personnel and staff from Ornge Helicopters working with a simulated patient and specialized medical containment equipment," said Captain Maxime Cliche.
Nunavik woman named Ranger of the Year for her work with youth (nunatsiaq.com)
Nancy Kooktook has dedicated much of her work as a master corporal with the Canadian Rangers to helping young people in her home community of Kangiqsualujjuaq. For her work, the Canadian Armed Forces recently named her Ranger of the Year for the 2nd Canadian Division, which covers all of northern Quebec, including all the regular and reserve units. … Kooktook officially became a Canadian Ranger in 2005 and began to climb the ranks with specific goals in mind, one of which was to become a role model for the youth.
Town, library marking RCAF centennial with weeklong celebration - Bradford News (bradfordtoday.ca)
2024 marks 100 years of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a distinct military element. In celebration of this momentous event, the Town of BWG and the BWG Public Library are proud to present a local weeklong RCAF centennial celebration from June 10 to 14, 2024. BWG’s RCAF centennial celebration features a flight simulator, films, a panel discussion, a community parade, and more.
Snowbirds to fly at Comox Air Show this Saturday (cheknews.ca)
A crowd of roughly 20,000 people are expected to gather at 19 Wing Comox this Saturday to celebrate the Comox Air Show, as well as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary. The free, family-friendly event takes place at 19 Wing Comox on May 18, with gates opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatics team will perform above the air show, as well as the CF-18 Demo Team and the base’s own CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and CP-140 Aurora patrol aircraft.
SEA CADETS
Future of Sea Cadets' downtown property remains murky - Barrie News (barrietoday.com)
Meanwhile, on the other side of Barrie’s waterfront, the Sea Cadets site’s future remains undetermined. City council has approved the relocation of the young sailors to a new 600-square-metre, $4.55-million addition to recently renamed General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre. But what are the possibilities for the Sea Cadets site, which is flanked by Barrie Marina and the Bayfield Street basin transient marina. “It’s important that this site either be integrated into the public parkland or be used for a public building, not exceeding two to three storeys, dedicated to community use," said Mayor Alex Nuttall.
HEROES AMONG US
The National Post has launched Heroes Among Us, a special series on Canadian military valour, celebrating courage in the presence of the enemy. Over the coming weeks, we will propose 10 heroic Canadians who could be the first-ever recipients of the Canadian Victoria Cross, created three decades ago as a homegrown version of the Commonwealth’s highest award for valour. In conjunction with the True Patriot Love Foundation, Anthony Wilson-Smith of Historica Canada, Gen. (ret’d) Rick Hillier and entrepreneur/benefactor Kevin Reed, we will celebrate them all at a June 26 gala at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
… In 2007, William H. Fletcher, whose father was in the army and mother was in the airforce, was presented with the Star of Military Valour, Canada’s second highest medal, for his “extraordinary bravery by exposing himself to intense fire while leading his forces, on foot, to assault heavily defended enemy positions.” … “On two occasions, the soldiers at his side were struck by enemy fire. He immediately rendered first aid and then continued to head the subsequent assaults. On these occasions and in ensuing combat actions, his selfless courage, tactical acumen and effective command were pivotal to the success of his company in defeating a determined opponent,” reads the official citation.
RESEARCH
Patients' 'rank' affects their medical care, study reveals - CANADIAN AFFAIRS (may require free sign-up to read)
[A] large new study published Thursday in the journal Science reveals that military doctors give more attention to higher-ranked patients, providing concrete evidence about the privileges that come with elevated status, frequently at the expense of the less powerful. “One of the things we are trying to show is that this is not a military-specific analysis,” said co-author Manasvini Singh of Carnegie Mellon University, arguing the findings are just as relevant to civilian life as they are to the rigid chain-of-command structures of the armed forces.
REPATRIATION OF NEWFOUNDLAND’S UNKNOWN SOLDIER
A military aircraft is scheduled to land at St. John's International Airport on May 25, carrying the remains of an unknown Newfoundland Regiment soldier who died in northern France during the First World War. It will be a historic homecoming for a soldier who went off to war more than a century ago, but fell in battle and was buried in an unknown grave. It will also be an important milestone in plans to mark the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the Newfoundland National War Memorial in St. John's on July 1, and the creation of a tomb of the unknown soldier. Following a brief ceremony at the Torbay Road side of the airport, the casket will be placed inside a hearse and taken on a route that includes a drive-past of landmarks with historical significance to the regiment and Newfoundland's participation in the war, including the former site of Camp Pleasantville near Quidi Vidi Lake, where soldiers trained, and the war memorial in downtown St. John's.
… From May 22 to 25, delegations from the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and a team from the Canadian Armed Forces, will participate in a commemorative program to recognize and honour all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who served in uniform, in particular those with no known grave. The delegations, supported by the Canadian Armed Forces, include Veterans; representatives of Veterans organizations, remembrance institutions, Indigenous groups and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and parliamentarians—many of them from Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government of Canada delegation will be led by Minister Seamus O'Regan, on behalf of Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and Randeep Sarai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
Rick Hillier: Newfoundland's last fallen WWI hero set to make the journey home (msn.com)
Later this month, Newfoundland and Labrador’s sons will come home. Sons who left so long ago, fought for King and country, died on a faraway battlefield and were buried in a grave marked with their name, or simply as a Newfoundland soldier, known unto God. Those sons were interred near the battlefields on which they fought or, if their resting place is unknown, their names are engraved on the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France. This year, only one son will make that poignant, final journey home, over a century after his death, but through him, physically returning to the pineclad hills of Newfoundland and Labrador, all of those lost will also be symbolically making the trip.
MEMORIALS & REMEMBRANCE
Floyd Powder receives commendation for veterans work (cabinradio.ca)
An NWT man has received federal recognition for his work to ensure Indigenous veterans who pass away receive a proper headstone with inscription. Floyd Powder has volunteered with the Last Post Fund since 2020 to locate the graves of those veterans and work with their families. The federal government says he has so far “identified 27 unmarked graves, many of which were Indigenous veterans,” while also serving institutions like the Métis National Council, its Métis Veterans Legacy Program, and the Atlas Institute for Veterans and their Families.
Floyd Powder honoured during cemetery clean-up ceremony - NNSL Media
The 2837 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps was busy performing an important service earlier this month. More than a dozen members gathered to help clean up the Field of Honour at Lakeview Cemetery on May 14. A total of 13 cadets helped to ensure the final resting place for those who bravely fought remains in the best condition possible. The cleanup is an annual event for the cadets and there was a special guest this year in the form of Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who was in the city on other federal government business before visiting the cemetery. She pitched in to help with the cleaning, but she was also there to honour Floyd Powder, a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces and current Sergeant-at-Arms at the legislative assembly.
Almost 80 years ago, Denis Denniel was among the thousands of Canadian soldiers who stormed Juno Beach on June 6, 1944. … Born in Val Marie, Sask., Denniel went on to settle in Swift Current after the war and died in 1968. His grave in the veterans' plot of Swift Current's Mount Pleasant Cemetery was marked by a wooden white cross that had his name misspelled. That is, until last Friday — when a permanent granite headstone replaced the wooden cross.