Category: CAF

Ottawa Investing $1.4 Billion on Special Forces Training Centre Upgrade

The federal government is upgrading facilities for the Canadian military’s counter-terrorism unit to meet its “long-term growth … and high-readiness operational” needs, National Defence Minister Anita Anand announced March 21. The $1.4 billion upgrade to the Dwyer Hill Training Centre in Ottawa will add over 100,000 square feet and replace 89 aging and temporary structures with 23…


Tory MPs Question Ethics of Using McKinsey to Change Military’s Culture

The Department of National Defence’s contracts with consulting firm McKinsey & Company were under scrutiny on March 20, with Conservative MPs asking the minister if the firm should be advising on culture change given its track record. “How is having a company that works with Russia, that works with China—who are meeting today by the…


Military Invites Public Consultation on National Defence Policy

Canadians are being asked to provide input on the country’s defence policy by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Department of National Defence (DND). In a March 9 news release, the government said it was “launching public consultations with all Canadians” on the Defence Policy Update (DPU) announced in Budget 2022. Submissions will be accepted from March…


Canada’s Military Must Strive to Become An ‘Anti-Racist Organization’: National Defence

Canada’s military shows racial discrimination through its policies and “power dynamics,” and must strive to become an “anti-racist organization” while recognizing the presence of “white privilege,” says the Department of National Defence (DND). “Racism and discrimination still manifests in our workplaces through bias, privilege, policies and power dynamics,” reads a DND report titled “Guide To…


Behind the Agenda to Rid Canada’s Military Chaplaincy of Traditional Faith Groups

Commentary Fifteen years ago, the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service was wrestling with the corollaries of pluralism in Canada, and how to tap into the benefits of true diversity in the Canadian multicultural context. Even though I am an orthodox Lutheran, who does not believe that all religions are equally valid expressions of truth, I was…


Panel’s Advice on Chaplaincy Critical of Religious Beliefs Still Being Assessed by National Defence

The Canadian military says it is still assessing the implications of recommendations from an advisory panel that said in a report last year the armed forces chaplaincy needs to be reformed due to religious views not being aligned with the organization’s values. “The Minister of National Defence has not issued instructions, directives, or analogous decisions…


EXCLUSIVE: Confirmed Case of Legionnaires’ Disease at Ontario Military Base Prompts Building Demolition

The Department of National Defence (DND) has confirmed that there was a case of Legionnaires’ disease at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Kingston, Ont., late last year, which contaminated a building to the point that there are now plans for it to be demolished. The individual who contracted the disease was a civilian employee at…


National Defence Sends Cease and Desist to US Podcaster Over Interview With Former Canadian Sniper

A former U.S. Navy SEAL turned podcaster has received a cease and desist letter from Canadian special operations forces over an interview he released with a former sniper from Canada’s top counterterrorism unit, citing the unauthorized sharing of classified information. “I’m sure many of you are aware that I pulled the JTF2 [Joint Task Force-2]…


Defence Minister Says Roadmap in Place for Culture Change in Response to Arbour Report

Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Dec. 13 she hopes the culture change she is overseeing in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will last “our lifetimes” as she tabled her department’s report in Parliament in response to recommendations made last spring by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour. “It’s not just morally right, it’s operationally…


Defence Minister Says Roadmap in Place for Military Culture Change in Response to Arbour Report

Defence Minister Anita Anand said on Dec. 13 she hopes the culture change she is overseeing in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will last “our lifetimes” as she tabled her department’s report in Parliament in response to recommendations made last spring by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour. “It’s not just morally right, it’s operationally…