The remains of an unknown soldier who fought during World War One was returned from France to his home in St. John’s Newfoundland Saturday. The soldier was formally transferred by the Government of France to the Government of Canada and N.L government in a public ceremony at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France, which honours … Read more
Canada’s defence minister says steps taken last week to modernize the military justice system is part of an overhaul of military culture that is crucial to reversing the “death spiral” of shrinking recruitment. “I very strongly believe cultural change is a process, not an event,” Bill Blair said in an interview on The West Block … Read more
The parliamentary budget officer says the Defence Department is planning unprecedented capital spending in the coming years, raising concerns about the effect of inflation. In a new report, Yves Giroux assessed 20 years of planned capital spending under Canada’s 2017 defence policy, billed “Strong, Secure, Engaged.” He found planned spending is $51.5 billion more than … Read more
The military has no greater responsibility than protecting Canadians, Defence Minister Bill Blair says, and his government will continue to call in the troops to respond to emergencies when needed. In an interview on Wednesday, Blair was asked about comments from senior military leaders who say the government is overly reliant on the Armed Forces … Read more
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre is set to retire this summer, after nearly three years in the position. The Prime Minister’s Office made the announcement Friday afternoon and thanked Eyre for his service. “As Chief of the Defence Staff, General Eyre helped stabilize the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) during a period of … Read more
Three retired Canadian defence leaders say chief of defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre making the right move in sharing public statements about the challenges facing the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) around personnel shortages, aging equipment and operational readiness. This level of candor is not usually seen among military leaders when it comes to sharing issues … Read more
Dave Smith says no one in his family was too surprised when he told them he was going to quit his job as a major in the Canadian Armed Forces to fight in the muddy trenches of eastern Ukraine. “I actually never had to explain it to them. My brother, when I told him — … Read more
Even with personnel shortages, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is “confident” in the Royal Canadian Navy’s ability to meet its commitments. “The biggest challenge we face right now is personnel. So, we’re about 20 per cent short overall in the Navy,” the Navy’s commander said in an interview with The West Block host Mercedes Stephenson. “Some of the … Read more
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the amount of military aid NATO allies have been shipping to Ukraine to help its fight against Russia’s invasion means “everyone is in big trouble” with military supplies. “We have stayed strong at a time where bigger countries and countries that play by different rules have tried really hard to … Read more
Sexual assault rates within the Canadian Armed Forces saw a “significant increase” in 2022 despite promises of reform within the military following years of intense scrutiny, Statistics Canada says. The national statistical agency released on Tuesday the results of a survey that found roughly 1,960 regular force members, roughly 3.5 per cent, reported they were … Read more