Fighter jets for dummies, and Canadian governments

 Thinking of buying fighter jets? Here’s what you need to ask the salesperson before you decide. Is it interoperable? NATO and NORAD forces must be inter-operational, and therefore, so must their equipment. Like computers, military hardware is only useful if it can exchange data, effectively and reliably with other gear

Whither the DND/CF Ombudsman?

 There has been a great deal of discussion concerning the DND/CF Ombudsman1 over the past few days, and a lot of that discussion has been problematic or misleading. Much of that discussion has revolved around two issues or characteristics: The DND/CF Ombudsman’s independence; and Whether the DND/CF Ombudsman ought to report directly

What could the Minister of National Defence have investigated?

 There have been a great many public comments, assertions, allegations, and observations about the current ‘crisis’ in the Canadian Forces. These have been raised in news media reports and in Parliamentary Committee meetings. I suspect there has also been a great deal of ‘chatter’ in social media. I also find that many of

The Misguided Mali Mission

 I don’t like the term virtue signaling. It’s often used as a slander by the further than centre right to attack the left of centre and far left. However, I see the Ministry of Defence’s announcement that 200 Canadian troops will be going to Mali as nothing more than a

Liberals Have Plenty of Talent to Make Up Gender-Balanced Cabinet

 Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse. Justin Trudeau promises to have gender parity in his cabinet. He announced that in his Democracy package back in June and, when asked about this on the weekend, he reaffirmed his position. So who are the women who could make up his cabinet? In a 30-member cabinet, Trudeau

Honouring Our Veterans

 While members of the Métis Nation fought alongside other Canadians in wars and peacekeeping initiatives, their contribution has rarely been recognized. That is starting to change. In  the  past,  Métis  veterans,  like Métis fought in both World Wars, the Korean War and other conflicts such as Afghanistan, and have also served

The Never Forgotten National Memorial

 The inspiration for the Never Forgotten National Memorial (NFNM) came from a single gravestone. T. Truskoski was laid to rest at the age of 17 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Moro, Italy. Toronto businessman Tony Trigiani came across the young man’s gravestone while taking a detour on a business trip in

The disgusting attack on General Andrew Leslie is wrong, wrong, wrong.

 Lieutenant-General Andrew Brooke Leslie, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD is a retired Canadian Forces general officer who served with distinction and in harm’s way in many theatres in his career including Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. Among his military accomplishments and commands, he was assigned as a Canadian officer to the UN force in Yugoslavia as Chief for Sector South before

Hogsback Brewing Company Takes on the Big 5 from Dragon’s Den

 Four friends, united by service in the Canadian Forces and then as business partners are hoping to score a deal with Mr. Wonderful and the rest of the dragons on CBC's Dragon's Den. Ottawa's own Hogsback Brewing Company will appear on the January 29th episode at 8 p.m. on CBC. For

The Canadian Forces Today — Post Afghanistan

 The recently released Strategic Profile consolidates important demographic, economic and military data into a concise document that allows for a quick yet detailed overview of where Canada stands in terms of defence and development. The work was completed by the Strategic Studies Working Group (SSWG), a partnership between the Canadian Defence

Political Power Brokers of the National Capital Region

 "It would not take long for a future tax-and-spend government to imperil the economic stability Canada enjoys": An Interview with Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Nepean-Carleton) As told to Harvey F. Chartrand Pierre Poilievre is the 34-year-old Minister of State (Democratic Reform) and four-term Conservative Member of Parliament for Nepean-Carleton. After

Publisher’s Message May 8, 2011

 On election night my friend, a long-time Liberal, called me and said, “well, that’s what happens to a Party that tries to be everything to everyone and stands for nothing at all.” The great Liberal Party of Canada, the Party of Laurier, King, St. Laurent, Pearson and Trudeau had been

Canada’s Presence in Afghanistan: Why We Are There And Why We Would Do A Disservice To The United Nations And Ourselves If We Didn’t See The Mission Through

 The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is that august organization's single largest special political mission. Nineteen UN agencies are in Afghanistan to help the Afghan people and its democratically elected government establish a solid and secure democratic society. Twenty thousand troops from 37 countries (including over 2,500 Canadians

Canada’s Muscular Military: The Throne Speech Façade

 Pity the Canadian Forces. They must surely be suffering from an identity crisis. It was only a month ago that the government strutted the Forces before the public eye so we could see their biceps bulging, their pecs rippling. Just listen to the overflow of machismo in the Throne Speech

Afghanistan and the Polls: Change the Question – Change the Numbers

 Quick media conclusions on polls released regarding Canadian participation in the Afghanistan mission are flawed. Part of the difficulty in interpreting the polls lies in the fact that the two principal polling firms involved with the longest databases use very different questions in their polls. Strategic Counsel, which is the

The Cowboy Trail: A Father and Son Journey to the Calgary Stampede and Rocky Mountain Dude Ranch

 I've always dreamed of taking my son to the Calgary Stampede, visit a ranch, and then go horseback riding in the foothills and do some white water rafting in the Kananaskis River Valley. I thought it would be a great father-son trip. Knowing that my 10-year-old son loves the outdoors

Trouble in a fool’s paradise: The problems with our Canadian Forces

 By Dan Donovan and Jennifer O'Meara The HMCS Chicoutimi was only days out of port on its maiden voyage when disaster struck. An onboard fire would leave one sailor dead and an entire crew bobbing in the North Atlantic for days as they waited for a towline to take them back

Shaping the Future Part 2

 The HMCS Chicoutimi was only days out of port on its maiden voyage when disaster struck. An onboard fire would leave one sailor dead and an entire crew bobbing in the North Atlantic for days as they waited for a towline to take them back to port. Typically the national

Part 2: Gen. Ray Henault: Focus of Canada’s Defence is Shifting

 Above: General Ray Henault in the cockpit, April 2004 In this three-part series on the state of Canada's military preparedness, Ottawa Life's top writers examine Canada's peacekeeping deployments around the world, capacity and equipment challenges, and pressing infrastructure replacement needs. Here is Part 2 of an interview with Gen. Ray

An Interview with Gen Ray Henault: There’s No Life Like It

 In this three-part series on the state of Canada's military preparedness, Ottawa Life's top writers examine Canada's peacekeeping deployments around the world, capacity and equipment challenges, and pressing infrastructure replacement needs. We begin our series on national defense with the first of three interviews with Gen. Ray Henault, Chief of

Chain of command lets Rockcliffe military community down

 By  Colonel Alain Pellerin One of the outcomes of the recent tragedy that took the lives of two Canadian soldiers and injured three of their comrades just outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, was to witness the closeness of a military community as it quickly came to the support of the grief-stricken