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At some point we are going to have to either rebuild or totally upgrade the RBCM. I put this in the category of desirable infrastructure upgrades as opposed to necessary (highways, bridges, etc). The issue here really wasn't the project itself, but how and when it was presented to the public. To...

I mentored Angus in 1998 and was impressed then with his character and leadership style. I wish him fair winds and success in leading the RCN.

I was in Calgary during that time. The big problem we had was the pay for junior ranks was never designed to support a family, but was enough to keep a single soldier in beer and cigarettes. Once we started to see privates getting married and having children, the pay was simply inadequate. As a...

I have been retired from the CF for 20 years, and maybe things have changed, but in my 32 years service I called upon the support of various padres on numerous occasions, both for myself and my soldiers. I don't recall ever being let down, and the religious affiliation of the padre in question...

Even while we don't know the outcome of the current war in Ukraine, what comes next? Are the big boys wargaming the collapse of Russia? Who gets the 6000 nukes? Will Putin 2.0 be worse? How long will sanctions last? Or will we prove Putin right that the West wants to destroy Russia. Do we? Be...

No doubt about that, but the effects of climate change are happening right now, an earthquake might not happen for hundreds of years. Regardless, nobody out here takes any of this particularly seriously. Other than those who deal with it for a living.

Very few municipalities, or the provincial government, really take emergency preparedness seriously. It's expensive and not a vote-getter. Take a look at the BC Parliament Building as a case in point. Ready to fall in even a minor earthquake. But hey! They have a log splitter.

Full disclosure. Before I retired I ran a consulting company that, amongst other things (mainly emergency preparedness) advised clients on climate change adaptation. We had on our team the previous head of the Canadian Weather Service to provide scientific input and oversight. We never claimed...

Question, brain trust. Considering the current situation, who do you think is really running Canada right now? Who is making decisions at the Federal level? Telford? Butts? The Cabinet? Freeland? I would dismiss our PM as being an intellectual lightweight and having no leadership skills at all...

Regarding spoiling ballots, I live in Elizabeth May's riding. Voting for her is essentially the same thing as spoiling a ballot, but at least I can say I did vote.

Excellent analysis of Emergency Act by Greg Taylor in the National Post. I can't post a link as it is behind a fire-wall, but he tears apart the rationale for invoking it. Essentially, between the NDA and provinces declaring a state of emergency provinces can access all the powers they need. It...

Under the NDA it was my understanding that the CDS is obliged to respond to a Provincial request for Aid to the Civil Power, per the OKA crisis. However I have been advised that during the Gustafson Lake event although the province wanted the CF to take over the response, the CDS of the day...

Hmm. Nazi flags. Confederate Flags. I think the "freedom convoy" could use a lesson in history. Not to mention irony.

I've been getting my hair cut at the same barber shop for the past 12 years, since we moved here. There are two barbers, G and S. G is the owner, S, I assume, rents his seat. I am not privy to their business arrangement. For no particular reason, S has been my usual barber since he started there...

Wishing all serving and ex-members of these two fine regiments a heartfelt Happy Birthday!

One thing I found interesting when I made the transition from military to civilian life was that the first responders I worked with (all three services) wore the rank of the position they were filling, even for short periods of time. So a police Sgt would wear SSgt badges when filling in for his...

I joined under OCTP. I picked up a BA later in my career under UTPO. In my view there was no requirement for a combat arms junior officer to have a degree. For those chosen for higher command and staff positions where critical thinking was required, absolutely. But not for cannon fodder (which...

It's reassuring to know we have a strategic reserve of something in this country.

Neither Surrey (517,000) nor Burnaby (232,00) in BC have armouries.

I sailed, briefly, on USS Anchorage in 1997. We embarked a naval HQ and a company of PPCLI for a landing exercise at Nanoose. I had previously sailed on a couple of HMC ships and understood the meaning of the word "shipshape". The Anchorage was more like a garbage scow than a naval vessel. We...