Today the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) undertook the consecration of their memorial which had originally been place d at Lansdowne Park in 1974. In 2012 the memorial had been removed and placed in storage while the area underwent redevelopment. The old memorial was placed above a new plinth of black granite from India…
The 9th of August was the day chosen to honour the sacrifices of Peacekeepers because it was the day in which a United Nations Buffalo transport aircraft was shot down by a Syrian missile in 1974. With that act, Canada lost 9 Peacekeepers, the single greatest loss of Peacekeepers in Canadian history. The ceremony doesn’t…
Today I got to cover a briefing of the Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) which made a stop in Ottawa. We were given a quick briefing on Boeings presence in Canada and then the capabilities of the aircraft itself. This was followed by a tour of the aircraft where we couldn’t take pictures until the…
Today was both a happy and sad day for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in that it lost its’ old Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) but got a new one at a ceremony held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. Today, Gen Tom Lawson relinquished the CDS chair to the new CDS Gen Jonathan Vance….
Today at the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Armed Forces contingent was on parade for their departure to the Netherlands to participate in the annual Nijmegan March. This is the 99th year of the march and the 18th year the departure parade has been held at the War Museum. The Nijmegen Marches are 4 days…
On the 9th of July, the RCAF had its’ Change of Command parade where the outgoing Commander of the RCAF, LGen Yvan Blondin, turned over command to LGen Mike Hood, under the auspices of the Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Tom Lawson. The setting was appropriate as the event was held at the Canada…
This date, 99 years ago, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, as part of the 3rd wave to attack, went over the ramparts at 0915 hours into the murderous fire of the Germans. The Germans had not been badly affected by the preceeding bombardment and had devastated the two preceeding waves of allied troops. Of the 801…
Today I attended an interview of Daniel Drapeau and Jerry Kovacs, Director of the Canadian Advocacy Group, about the new proposed National Memorial to Victims of Communism, slated to be built on parkland across from the Supreme Court on Wellington Street. I must say that their views, which reflect views of many veterans and veterans…
On Sunday, there were ceremonies celebrating the 62nd Anniversary of the Korean Armistice held at the Monument to the Canadian Fallen and a second, larger, ceremony at the National War Memorial. The day started out dull and rainy but as the first ceremony began, the rain stopped. God loves the infantry! The first ceremony was…
CANSEC is the premiere military, police, and security industries tradeshow in Canada and was held this past week at the EY Center in Ottawa. Keynote speakers included the Vice-CDS LGen Guy Thibeault, Ministers of National Defence (Jason Kenney), Industry (James Moore), State – Western Developement (Michelle Rempel), Public Works and Government Services (Diane Finley). The…