Canadian Defence News

[Army Guy]

More on the cuts to the defense budget, it just gets better every day...More lies out of Blair's face who can imigine after the gun control fiasco...anything to sell the message, problem is Canadians are not smart enough to see through all the lies...

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I think that if anybody still had doubts as to whether we were or were not a serious nation, the fact that we would cut the defence budget at this moment in time is going to confirm that we do not take these international obligations seriously. 

"And I have difficulty understanding the logic, notwithstanding the fact that they need to share the pain across all of the government. But we're supporting a war in Ukraine. Perhaps that's a pause, a moment to pause for reflection and ask ourselves, is this really the time to cut the defence budget?"

 

 

Blair steals a page from the Harper playbook to justify cuts to National Defence (msn.com)

[OftenWrong]

We don't need defence in this day and age now that we have China looking after us. And China likes it that way.

[BeaverFever]

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

We don't need defence in this day and age now that we have China looking after us. And China likes it that way.

That attitude was the reality vis-vis USA 
 

Historically USA LOVES AND WANTS to be the only fully-capable military power in the west, with the other NATO countries providing token forces for the appearance of multilateralism and to maybe save USA a few bucks and a few drops of blood on some of the smaller less important missions. 
 

But now with half the Republican Party convinced that Putin is the good guy and NATO countries are the bad guys we have to step up and recognize that the world has changed and we can’t always count on USA anymore . 

[OftenWrong]

1 hour ago, BeaverFever said:

But now with half the Republican Party convinced that Putin is the good guy and NATO countries are the bad guys we have to step up and recognize that the world has changed and we can’t always count on USA anymore . 

Nicely put there, Qwai Chang. The yuan is coming in the mail.

 

[Dougie93]

3 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

We don't need defence in this day and age now that we have China looking after us. And China likes it that way.

conventional military threats to Canada are practically nil

the threat to Canada is the collapse of all institutions into complete dysfunction

resulting in the breakdown of public order and widespread civil unrest

in which the only military role would be Aid to the Civil Power

China is simply colonizing the void left in the wake of the chaos being incited from Ottawa

 

[OftenWrong]

5 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

conventional military threats to Canada are practically nil

the threat to Canada is the collapse of all institutions into complete dysfunction

resulting in the breakdown of public order and widespread civil unrest

in which the only military role would be Aid to the Civil Power

China is simply colonizing the void left in the wake of the chaos being incited from Ottawa

 

The Canadian military then would have a role, to defend us from ourselves.  

[Dougie93]

10 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

The Canadian military then would have a role, to defend us from ourselves.  

according to the Constitution Act, the role of the military is to defend HM The King

to include from the Canadian population in the event of widespread civil unrest

[Dougie93]

the Type 26 CSC program death spiral is in full swing

collapse of the program under its own weight is baked into the cake now, in typical Canadian fashion

same old, same old DND : Champagne tastes on a beer budget

John Ivison: The uncontrolled military program plundering the public purse, desperate for adult attention

Canada’s defence spending is an embarrassment, yet the massively expensive Canadian Surface Combatant program appears to have next to no cost controls

John Ivison

Published Oct 04, 2023

 

Theseus, the mythical Greek founder of Athens, is said to have rescued the children of Athens from King Minos after slaying the minotaur, and then escaped on a ship that was revered by the Greeks over many centuries.

As part of its regular maintenance, the ship was rebuilt plank by plank, resulting in the “ship of Theseus” paradox about identity over time: Is it the same vessel that existed before the replacements?

It is a thought experiment that could just as easily be applied to the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program — the 15 warships that are set to be built in Halifax but which are already years behind schedule and are massively over budget.

Informed sources suggest one reason for the delays and cost overruns is the amount of contracted changes taking place under the direction of the Canadian Navy.

The CSC program was pitched as a relatively low-cost, off-the-shelf replacement for the Halifax class of warships, with a high level of Canadian industrial content.

Yet, over time, the Navy has asked for changes that have frequently replaced Canadian-built content with U.S. technology, the net effect being the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to Canadian industry and an increase in overall cost.

As one source put it, any naval architect will tell you that once you change more than 15 per cent of a ship, you should design a new one, “and we are well past that number.”

Are Canada’s new warships likely to be Theseus ships? It’s hard to know precisely because the military won’t say.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues beloDND says its cost estimate remains $50-60 billion, but conceded in a statement to National Post that “given the inherent complexities … cost estimate revisions are expected.” One thing is certain, they won’t be coming down

 

I asked the departments of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada for a list of all the changes to the ships that have been approved or pending.

 

DND said the “operational requirements” of the CSC have not changed. When asked to list separate equipment changes, the military’s entire communications apparatus must have broken down, because silence was the loud reply.

Richard Fadden, a former deputy minister of national defence and an ex-national security adviser, testified before the House defence committee last week on the procurement issue. He said that there were many cultural and bureaucratic reasons for its notorious inefficiency under Conservative and Liberal governments. He said there are often conflicting interests between politicians and the defence industry, with a risk-averse public service in the middle, trying to balance the desires of the military and industry with the political imperative of regional development. He said in specific circumstances, regional development objectives should be suspended in support of urgent defence acquisitions.

 

But the observation that was most pertinent to the CSC program was that the military is always pushing for “gold-plated solutions” and the civilian side rarely says no.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/ivison-canadas-uncontrolled-military-program-plundering

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Dougie93

[Army Guy]

There you go people, Justin declares there will be NO cuts to the military...."he is just spending on the right things, and cutting away extra expenditures that are not needed". So no cuts just taking away the extra expenditures what ever they are...seems like a lot of double talk...or in the real world more lies...

Trudeau denies government will move forward with $1B in cuts to military | Watch (msn.com)

 

[BeaverFever]

On 10/4/2023 at 3:32 PM, OftenWrong said:

Nicely put there, Qwai Chang. The yuan is coming in the mail.

 

Huh? That doesn’t even make sense.
 

BTW China is also on Putins side so the half the Republican Party and a decent chunk of Canadian conservatives are pro-China and pro-North Korea and are simply too dumb to know it. 

[PIK]

My understanding is 90% of all military vehicles are down. They are struggling to get ready to deploy to Latvia. 

[Army Guy]

1 hour ago, PIK said:

My understanding is 90% of all military vehicles are down. They are struggling to get ready to deploy to Latvia. 

Operational rates are among the lowest they have ever been...are they at 90 % I do not know from what i am hearing the number is around 60 to 90 % and are different at each unit...Anyways they are bad... I have said here before that on some exercises we used school busses to move around...rented school busses...yes the yellow ones...as we did not have enough military vehicles or for the most part they were canceled becasue of the cost such as fuels or foods etc...This is pretty normal over the last 8 years...

These numbers could get to 100 % and still Canadians would not bat an eye...nobody cares... Besides according to the defense minster he does not see any real value or return in the investments they have already made... 99 % of them are however in new purchases not to be made well into the future...but he can't see that...as it does not fit into his narrative, which is cut...

Troops are leaving in droves, looking for a new career, becasue of how unstable the military is...things are not going to get any better until the government starts to invest in it's soldiers... and this is not just a military problem it is effecting RCMP, CSIS, Coast guard, the entire security apparatus...when we leave them to rot, people will turn to other careers...It is what the majority of Canadians want...and in the near future they will have nothing more than gutted out departments run by people worried more about social issues than defending the country...

 

[Army Guy]

Another depressing Military story, and another failure of our procurement system....Now we can't even make the Ammo we need ,to replace the stuff we gave away...

Top generals warn that allies — Canada included — are running dangerously low on artillery shells (msn.com)

[Army Guy]

Canada's complacency is being laid in front of Regular Canadians...thats right when we start giving a shi# they will , until then Canada and it's entire security apparatus is going to fail in the future, experts have been telling us that for decades...but when you really take a dive into each of those departments you see it, everyone knows it they just refuse to believe it...But it is like everything in this country, health care, immigration, welfare, justice system, shit it would be faster just to list the ones that are not broken...anyone name something that is running properly. must be one lefty out there that can name one department that is running like it is suppose to...

you know it is bad when CBC runs the story...

 

Canada needs to ditch the complacency and get serious about national security, experts say (msn.com)

Edited October 7, 2023 by Army Guy

[BeaverFever]

To maintain or replace? That is the question for Canada’s tank fleet.

David PuglieseTuesday, Oct 3

 

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Canada is deploying tanks on an overseas mission for the first time in more than a decade, but the future for the country’s armored fleet remains uncertain.

The first of 15 Canadian Leopard 2 tanks are expected to arrive in Latvia in mid-November as part of efforts to shore up NATO’s presence in that Eastern European nation. While that is taking place, work is underway in the Canadian Army to determine how best to maintain and support the aging tank fleet while trying to decide whether to replace the platforms.

An estimated CA$1.5 billion (U.S. $1.1 billion) will go toward the new Leopard long-term support contract, according to Defence Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande. That contract will see maintenance and support services for the Leopard 2 fleet in place until the tanks’ forecast end of life, currently scheduled for 2035.

“The scope of work will include key services such as maintenance support, upgrades as required, supply chain management, engineering support and technical support for the Canadian Leopard 2 fleet,” she said.

The Canadian Army had 82 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, but donated eight to Ukraine amid its fight against a Russian invasion.

Canada has identified German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann as the sole-source provider for the long-term contract.

“We expect a contract award by spring 2024,” Lamirande said.

In addition, the Canadian Army briefed industry representatives on April 3 in Ottawa about a proposed plan to modernize the Leopard fleet.

Army Lt. Col. Chloeann Summerfield noted the tank life extension would cost more than CA$850 million and deal with obsolescence issues as well as technology improvements.

The project is in its early stages but would prioritize improvements to the Leopard 2′s protection, surveillance, target acquisition, firepower and mobility, Summerfield told industry officials.

The Army would also seek cooperation and a common configuration for such upgraded vehicles with other users of the Leopard, according to the presentation, obtained by Defense News.

A request for bids from industry for the life extension effort is to be issued around 2028, with the first fielding of the upgraded tanks starting in 2030, the presentation noted.

One of the considerations is a “limited budget” for the project, Summerfield said.

Financial barriers will also impact Canada’s decision on whether to buy new tanks to replace the Leopard 2 fleet, according to Canadian defense observers.

Martin Shadwick, a professor of Canadian defense policy and the military at Toronto’s York University, said the Army has had a contentious relationship with tanks.

In October 2003, Lt. Gen. Rick Hillier, then-commander of the Army, announced Canada was retiring Leopard tanks from service and would purchase the U.S.-made Stryker Mobile Gun System, a wheeled vehicle, Shadwick noted. At the time, Hillier said the Army’s Leopards had served their purpose but were of limited use in warfare, as the enemy was no longer Russia but rather terrorists in austere environments like Afghanistan.

However, several years later, the Army’s new leadership reversed course, instead sending Leopard tanks to Afghanistan in 2006. Canadian military leaders fighting in that country had requested the tanks, as their heavy armor provided more protection against improvised explosive devices.

Since the end of the war in Afghanistan, Canadian tanks have been limited to training exercises at home. The Canadian government has committed to buying a limited number of new tanks to replace the eight Leopards it donated to Ukraine over the past two years. In February 2023, then-Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the acquisition plan, but it’s yet to move forward.

 

A Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster delivers a Leopard 2A4 tank to Poland on March 17, 2023, as a part of Canada's commitment to donate the platforms to Ukraine. (Master Sailor Valerie LeClair/Canadian Armed Forces) 

The office of Bill Blair, the current defense minister, would not provide specific details about that potential purchase. Daniel Minden, Blair’s press secretary, pointed out that “capability requirements are being reviewed by the Army to ensure capability replenishment and interoperability. Plans and timelines remain to be determined.”

For his part, Shadwick doesn’t expect the government will buy new tanks in the near future, including those meant to replace the Leopards now in Ukraine. “There is a real lack of funding for procurement, and new tanks are way down the list of priorities for the Canadian forces,” he said.

Former defense procurement chief Alan Williams agreed, noting major military purchases, such as F-35 fighter jets and the new Canadian Surface Combatant ships, leave little funds left over for tanks.

The annual budget for defense equipment acquisitions is CA$5 billion, but much, if not all, will be earmarked for the fleet of surface combatants, Williams told Defense News. The surface combatants are estimated to cost CA$100 billion over the next 20 years.

Canada has also committed to spending CA$40 billion to modernize North American Aerospace Defense Command — a figure that includes the purchase of F-35s — and another CA$6 billion on new P-8 patrol aircraft.

“I can’t see how the Army can even contemplate the acquisition of new tanks,” Williams said. “A lot of potential equipment projects will be seriously affected by programs already committed to by government.”

David Pugliese is the Canada correspondent for Defense News.
 

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/10/03/to-maintain-or-replace-that-is-the-question-for-canadas-tank-fleet/

[Army Guy]

1 hour ago, BeaverFever said:

To maintain or replace? That is the question for Canada’s tank fleet.

David PuglieseTuesday, Oct 3

 

 

Here is what we have right now, for tanks stocks, Leo IIA4, LeoIIA4M, Leo IIA6M, all three are different models, and have different systems or parts in each model...none of them are standardized for instance they all have different suspension sys, torsion bars, final drives and this is just the suspension portion, the list goes on, what remains the same is hull,. and turret shells. I mention this becasue it does not make sense to operate yet another version, or the latest Leo II A8, placing additional stress on the logistical system...which knowing how the government works would most likely be used tanks if we are going by the last purchase...

which now has to keep 3 of everything in stock...and now we are thinking about keeping 4 of everything becasue we can't afford to purchase a complete new tank...Shit according to the article we can't even afford to buy 8 more tanks.....Thats got to send up a red flag..... 

keeping in mind we have less than 76 now...shared by 1 CMBG LDSH Regt, Armored school, and a SQN of RCD in CFB Gagetown...

Each Brigade is suppose to have a complete Armor Regt, of atleast 54 tanks...at the minimum for a total of 162...

So the plan is going to be upgrade them....lets take a look at that, Military said their end of life is 2035....the upgrade process will not be finished until 2030...so we have 5 years of life left until they consider another buy...which takes 8 to 10 years historically to make...and another 5 to deliver.. It makes no sense at all..

[BeaverFever]

3 hours ago, Army Guy said:

Here is what we have right now, for tanks stocks, Leo IIA4, LeoIIA4M, Leo IIA6M, all three are different models, and have different systems or parts in each model...none of them are standardized for instance they all have different suspension sys, torsion bars, final drives and this is just the suspension portion, the list goes on, what remains the same is hull,. and turret shells. I mention this becasue it does not make sense to operate yet another version, or the latest Leo II A8, placing additional stress on the logistical system...which knowing how the government works would most likely be used tanks if we are going by the last purchase...

which now has to keep 3 of everything in stock...and now we are thinking about keeping 4 of everything becasue we can't afford to purchase a complete new tank...Shit according to the article we can't even afford to buy 8 more tanks.....Thats got to send up a red flag..... 

keeping in mind we have less than 76 now...shared by 1 CMBG LDSH Regt, Armored school, and a SQN of RCD in CFB Gagetown...

Each Brigade is suppose to have a complete Armor Regt, of atleast 54 tanks...at the minimum for a total of 162...

So the plan is going to be upgrade them....lets take a look at that, Military said their end of life is 2035....the upgrade process will not be finished until 2030...so we have 5 years of life left until they consider another buy...which takes 8 to 10 years historically to make...and another 5 to deliver.. It makes no sense at all..

I was thinking the same thing it makes no sense.   I don’t have my hopes up for anything not even replacement of the 8 donated to Ukraine. If we even get that we’ll be very lucky.  I thought I had read that it was 12RBC who was sharing a mixed squadron with RCD and the lucky Strathconas got a full squadron for themselves 

[Army Guy]

2 hours ago, BeaverFever said:

I was thinking the same thing it makes no sense.   I don’t have my hopes up for anything not even replacement of the 8 donated to Ukraine. If we even get that we’ll be very lucky.  I thought I had read that it was 12RBC who was sharing a mixed squadron with RCD and the lucky Strathconas got a full squadron for themselves 

Yes the RCD Gagetown does make room for RBC members , plus they have positions in the armor school. One thing is for sure when new political party takes over , their is always changes within the military...i hope that the procurement system gets fixed without that one piece new equipment is a dream nothing more...i also hope they kill the woke movement within the military...and they focus recruiting soldiers or people that are best qualified, and fit enough for the job... and forget about balancing the race/ gender pie chart...and fix the new hair, jewelry, and mixed dress options...it does not present soldiers as professional, their are no individuals in the military, want to be an individual join the green peace...

Wainwright is truly better suited for tanks, Gagetown does have some room, but nothing like Wainwright, or Suffield...

Edited October 8, 2023 by Army Guy

[ExFlyer]

On 10/5/2023 at 3:44 PM, Army Guy said:

There you go people, Justin declares there will be NO cuts to the military...."he is just spending on the right things, and cutting away extra expenditures that are not needed". So no cuts just taking away the extra expenditures what ever they are...seems like a lot of double talk...or in the real world more lies...

Trudeau denies government will move forward with $1B in cuts to military | Watch (msn.com)

 

The most imaginative way of making cuts I have ever read LOL

[Dougie93]

Maj.-Gen. Fortin settles lawsuit against Trudeau, military over treatment after sex assault allegation

Fortin's suit sought $6M in damages, with claims of negligent investigation, inappropriate public disclosure of private facts, conspiracy to cause damages, and more

The Canadian Press

 

Published Oct 12, 2023

 

He was charged with one count of sexual assault in August 2021, for which he was acquitted in last December after a trial in the civilian Quebec Superior Court, and the Canadian Armed Forces also cleared him the next monthFortin filed a lawsuit in March against 16 high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre, and the Liberal cabinet ministers who held the defence and health portfolios at the time that he was turfed from his high-profile position.

 

A statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which sought $6 million in damages, accused officials of negligent investigation, the inappropriate public disclosure of private facts, breach of confidence and conspiracy to cause damages.

 

A joint statement today from the Defence Department and the Canadian Armed Forces says the legal proceedings have been resolved and that the parties will not be commenting.

 

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/maj-gen-fortin-settles-lawsuit-against-trudeau-military-over-treatment-after-sex-assault-allegation

Edited October 12, 2023 by Dougie93

[Army Guy]

Who said their is no politics in the justice system....Here is a man who sacrificed for his country, and the federal government drumming him out because he was found guilty before he had his day in court, and did not fit the liberals message ruined his career and all he gets is 6 million...i guess he should have been a terrorist they get 10.5 million, 

[Dougie93]

3 hours ago, Army Guy said:

...i guess he should have been a terrorist they get 10.5 million, 

FIRST READING: The Canadian taxpayer money funding and enabling Hamas

The Trudeau government has contributed more than $100 million to a UN agency with a lengthy history of enabling Palestinian extremism

Tristin Hopper

Published Oct 13, 2023

 

An excerpt from a Palestinian math textbook in which Newton's Second Law is illustrated by way of a man launching rocks at "Zionist occupiers." Canadian taxpayer money has contributed to schools with a documented history of indoctrinating Palestinian children to violence. Photo by Impact-SE/The 2020–21 Palestinian School Curriculum

In 2016, shouts of “shame” came from the Conservative benches as the newly elected Trudeau government reinstated funding to UNRWA, a UN agency oft cited as a back door for terrorism funding.

“For years, UNRWA has been manipulated by Gaza’s corrupt Hamas government in flagrant contradiction of the UN stated policy of neutrality,” said former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Kent. He would also tell CBC News he was “horrified” at the decision.

Stephen Harper’s government cut off the UNRWA entirely in 2010, citing it as an unchecked avenue for terror indoctrination. The agency’s main focus is a network of 715 schools serving Palestinian refugees, and multiple reports both then and now have found curricula filled with materials referring to Israel as the “Zionist Occupation” and praising suicide bombers as “martyrs.”

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-canadian-taxpayer-money-funding-and-enabling-hamas

 

 

[Dougie93]

Hornby's Maple Leafs History Highlights: The 48th pipes up for another opener

Lance Hornby

Published Oct 06, 2023

 

 

They’ve been lost amid laser beams, curtailed by COVID-19 and have had their set list scissored, while a couple of their best players have hit the ice hard with only their kilts as padding.

Yet the 48^th Highlanders of Canada keep on piping, 50-strong for the Maple Leafs season opener on Wednesday. Best to arrive early, though, to see them march in full regalia and hear their oldie, but goodie, ‘The Maple Leaf Forever,’ the oft-forgotten official team anthem.

For more than 90 years, from the first game at the Gardens, down Bay Street in Stanley Cup parades and making the move to Scotiabank Arena, the puck doesn’t drop on a new campaign until the last skirl from the bagpipes, an echo of a bygone Toronto.

“The band starts asking in the middle of summer ‘when does the schedule come out, when’s the opener?’” said Chris Reesor, the 48^th’s current Regimental Sergeant Major and  its Drum Major up to 2020. “It’s a tradition we value very much, our place in the city’s history and the hockey team’s past.

“But it’s become harder for us to keep up our part in the ceremony. When the Ducks and the Sharks came into the NHL (during the early 1990s), they brought the big Disney-style light and laser shows. More and more, the NHL is controlling events like that.

“Around the Leafs’ centennial year in 2017, we were almost (deleted from the program). There was a big backlash, a call was made from our regiment to someone of great importance in MLSE and we stayed.”

The regiment had begun with a much larger role in the autumn proceedings when politicians, war heroes and celebrities took their place at centre ice. Just before the brand new Gardens, the nation’s largest tent at the time, hosted its first Leafs game on Nov. 12, 1931, club president Jack Bickell and team manager Conn Smythe brainstormed how to add pomp and ceremony to the gala event. Both were military men, Smythe a pilot in the First World War, Bickell long affiliated with the 48^th, which was created in 1891 by proud local Scottish citizenry.

The 48th has a distinctive tartan, The Old Davidson, and a falcon’s head in tribute to its first Commanding Officer, John Irvine Davidson.

Among the first units to ship out in the First World War, more than 600 Highlanders were lost in a 1915 gas attack in Ypres, Belgium. More gave their lives at the Somme, Passchendaele and Vimy Ridge, while earning 21 Battle Honours.

In the Second World War, the regiment saw heavy fighting in Italy and during the liberation of Holland. Their original full dress scarlet colours are still worn today.

Photos of the regiment taking up more than half Gardens’ ice that first night in ’31 inspires today’s players. But the modern program means they no longer stay to perform the national anthems.

“We’re on the clock,” said Reesor, who has participated since 1988 and was Drum Major 14 years before promotion took him out of the mix. “We have to be on a bus, dropped off at the rink and very conscious that we’re working on the television network’s schedule. If given seven minutes or 5:40 to play, we have to make it tight, then be back on the bus.”

No problem for this disciplined group, which practices music and counter marches every Tuesday as part of its Canadian Forces reserve training.

For many of the Leafs’ leaner seasons, such as losing seven home openers in the 2000s, the Highlanders entered from the Zamboni entrance, spread out in perfect formation of pipes, drums and brass and exited as crisply, while the team itself struggled through the night on breakouts. The 48^Th has been augmented many years on opening night by the Royal Regiment of Canada, which is headquartered at Fort York.

During the rest of the calendar, the Highlanders take part in many military ceremonies, at public schools, their regimental church and of course, their solemn Remembrance Day service. When a Leaf gets his statue on Legends Row in Maple Leaf Square, the 48^th is there, too.

Reesor accepted a request from Leafs goalie and avid piper Glenn Healy to join their 1999 parade that escorted Gardens’ memorabilia to the new Air Canada Centre along with Leafs alumni in a motorcade.

“Glenn said he didn’t want to be in a convertible, he wanted to be with us. He was a member of the Highland Creek Pipe and Drums and had a custom uniform made for the occasion, but asked us to bury him in the middle of our band so he wouldn’t distract from us.”

The 48th is made up from reservists whose day jobs are all walks of life: Infrastructure, trades, office execs, engineers and students.

Reesor was with Yamaha Music for 18 years as a product marketing manager for bands and orchestras and now does contract work as a part-time soldier in the Canadian Forces.

But he laments the band is gradually less a a part of the main event. They go out first, performing in a half-empty rink, prior to team warm-ups, with many patrons still stuck in traffic, security checks or food lineups.

“We do know the people still appreciate us. They see us in the hallway and start hurrying to their seats. And we did play a full house when the Gardens closed in 1999.”

Reesor called that night “a magical experience” where they often couldn’t hear their music with all the cheering.

“Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Eddie Shack and other players were in the VIP beer tent, they saw us and came over to say how much we meant to them. That was very rewarding.

“Johnny Bower had been in the Canadian Army and that night, as always, he stood up out of respect when we came in. We’d told him ‘please sit, you’ve done your service’.

“Shack being Shack, he was running around on the ice trying to lift the kilts of our male pipers, but one guy told him ‘Eddie, if you’re going up there, it better be to sign something for me.’”

After their few minutes of fame on Wednesday, the band will be back at Moss Park where the game will be on TV and libations opened to toast another opener in the books.

As Sergeant Major, Reesor keeps an eye on seven bands within the brigade’s family and, of course, one day hopes to plan their role in a Cup parade to City Hall.

“My God, I’d love to be there and so many of us dream of doing that. I was four months old when they won the last Cup.

“I think about what we’d look like coming down Bay with all the people watching.”

[BeaverFever]

Not the highest quality writing amd clearly PR material but a fun read nonetheless:

Canadian CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew wins 2022 Cormorant Trophy

LEONARDO PRESS RELEASE | OCTOBER 18, 2023

Estimated reading time  8 minutes, 51 seconds. 

A CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew is the recipient of this year’s Cormorant Trophy. Geoff Goodyear Photo

Leonardo has announced the winners of the 2022 Cormorant Trophy which has been awarded to Rescue 439, a CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew that pushed the aircraft to its limits in challenging conditions in an evolving remote rescue scenario in Quebec.

On Oct. 12, 2022 at 11 a.m., Rescue 439, a CH-146 Griffon helicopter at 439 Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec, was tasked by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Trenton, Ontario, with conducting a rescue of a small plane crash in a lake in a remote area of Quebec, more than 220 nm (430 km) north of the base and about 170 nm to the west of Labrador City.

In the first instance, the crew comprising Capt. Paula Findlater as aircraft commander, flight officer Capt Kevin Desjardins, flight engineer Sgt Eric Gelinas, and medical technician MCpl Maxime Chouinard, were told they were heading to a crash site with two victims.

Flying to the scene, the Griffon was just 300 pounds (136 kilograms) below its maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Getting to the scene burned off sufficient fuel to make a return trip with two additional people —  the presumed victims — on board.

However, on the way to the scene, the rescue crew was informed that there was one victim who had managed to swim to shore, but three search-and-rescue (SAR) technicians had jumped from an overhead C-130 Hercules. This dramatically changed the weight calculations and made it impossible to bring everyone back to base safely on a single return flight.

Capt Findlater and her crew made a decision that they would not leave anyone behind given the remote location. With no airport or other infrastructure near the crash site, Sgt Gelinas had to start working on multiple courses of action (COAs) to affect a rescue and recovery.

This included finding remote fuel caches owned by forestry companies and fire-fighting services, and a complex calculation of weight and distance knowing that the helicopter would be close to exceeding its maximum take-off capacity. This was further exacerbated by the fact that the helicopter had to take off vertically from a confined, wooded landing area, instead of having a runway to gradually take off and achieve altitude.

Arriving on scene, they found the victim and three SAR Techs in a small cabin 500 feet (152 meters) from the landing site. The helicopter was still too heavy to pick up the victim and three SAR Techs to take off vertically. Taking into account they needed to burn off 600 pounds (272l) of fuel and that moving the patient a long distance across sloping, snow-covered ground to the helicopter was fraught with risk, the Griffon crew took off, burned off the fuel in a hover while conducting a hoist rescue of the patient.

The crew returned to the ground and with a lighter load, picked up the three SAR Techs and had just enough fuel to take-off vertically and fly 40 nm to the first fuel cache. The remote site required another vertical take-off, so they were only able to take on enough fuel for another 73 nm hop to the next fuel cache.

Upon landing, they had to search for the barrels of fuel in the bush, some distance away from the landing strip. They rolled the drums out to the helicopter and then manually pumped the fuel into the helicopter, which is a regular landing strip for fixed-wing aircraft.

Therefore, the crew were able to take on more fuel, embark on a gradual take-off and fly the remaining 136 nm to Chicoutimi, where the patient was taken to hospital for treatment and return to base, wrapping up a 10.5-hour mission.

Capt Findlater of 439 Squadron said: “It’s really the complexity of the mission here and really pushing the Griffon helicopter to its absolute limits, with weight and given the all the unknowns and how new the crew was. It was really amazing to see. I was very, very proud to be the aircraft commander for sure for the mission.”

Dominic Howe, head of campaigns – America and Canada at Leonardo Helicopters, said: “Amidst Canada’s rugged landscapes and strong seas, the bravery of this rescue crew shines bright. Their unwavering dedication and determination in the face of extreme conditions embodies the true spirit of heroism and the raison d’etre behind the Cormorant Trophy. Furthermore, it makes us proud that Leonardo’s helicopters can support the Royal Canadian Search and Rescue crews and provide safety to Canadians.”

The recipients of the Cormorant Trophy are:

• Capt Paula Findlater
• Flight Officer, Capt Kevin Desjardins
• Flight Engineer, Sgt. Eric Gelinas
• Medical Technician, MCpl Maxime Chouinard

439 Squadron was selected out of two nominated helicopter rescue mission by a judging panel comprising representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces, aviation media, and company representatives.

The other nominated rescues included:

· The crew of Rescue 910 with 442 Squadron at CFB Comox on Labour Day Weekend 2022 were faced with three missions in 24-hours comprising two offshore medevacs and a helicopter crash rescue.

The Cormorant Trophy Award celebrates excellence and bravery in missions. In 2002, Leonardo Helicopters (then AgustaWestland), manufacturer of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters, commissioned a trophy to be presented annually to a civilian, government or military Canadian helicopter crew that had performed the most demanding helicopter rescue of the year.

Since July 2003, the Canadian Armed Forces has issued a call for nominations to all recognized helicopter operators in Canada for the award now known as the Cormorant Trophy. The following rescue criteria is applied for nominations:

• The mission occurred between January 1 and December 31, 2022;
• The mission occurred within Canada’s search-and-rescue area of responsibility;
• It was conducted by a Canadian civilian, government or military helicopter crew;
• It involved a rescue or attempted rescue where lives were saved or the potential for saving lives was high.

Last year’s winners of the 2021 Cormorant Trophy, for the first time in the award’s history, went to helicopter rescue crews from both Canada and the U.S. for the heroic F/V Atlantic Destiny Rescue on March 3, 2021. 

This press release was prepared and distributed by Leonardo.

 

https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/canadian-ch-149-griffon-helicopter-crew-wins-2022-cormorant-trophy/?utm_source=skies-daily-news-todays-news&utm_campaign=skies-daily-news&utm_medium=email&utm_term=todays-news&utm_content=V1

[Army Guy]

51 minutes ago, BeaverFever said:

Not the highest quality writing amd clearly PR material but a fun read nonetheless:

Canadian CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew wins 2022 Cormorant Trophy

LEONARDO PRESS RELEASE | OCTOBER 18, 2023

Estimated reading time  8 minutes, 51 seconds. 

A CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew is the recipient of this year’s Cormorant Trophy. Geoff Goodyear Photo

Leonardo has announced the winners of the 2022 Cormorant Trophy which has been awarded to Rescue 439, a CH-146 Griffon helicopter crew that pushed the aircraft to its limits in challenging conditions in an evolving remote rescue scenario in Quebec.

On Oct. 12, 2022 at 11 a.m., Rescue 439, a CH-146 Griffon helicopter at 439 Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec, was tasked by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Trenton, Ontario, with conducting a rescue of a small plane crash in a lake in a remote area of Quebec, more than 220 nm (430 km) north of the base and about 170 nm to the west of Labrador City.

In the first instance, the crew comprising Capt. Paula Findlater as aircraft commander, flight officer Capt Kevin Desjardins, flight engineer Sgt Eric Gelinas, and medical technician MCpl Maxime Chouinard, were told they were heading to a crash site with two victims.

Flying to the scene, the Griffon was just 300 pounds (136 kilograms) below its maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Getting to the scene burned off sufficient fuel to make a return trip with two additional people —  the presumed victims — on board.

However, on the way to the scene, the rescue crew was informed that there was one victim who had managed to swim to shore, but three search-and-rescue (SAR) technicians had jumped from an overhead C-130 Hercules. This dramatically changed the weight calculations and made it impossible to bring everyone back to base safely on a single return flight.

Capt Findlater and her crew made a decision that they would not leave anyone behind given the remote location. With no airport or other infrastructure near the crash site, Sgt Gelinas had to start working on multiple courses of action (COAs) to affect a rescue and recovery.

This included finding remote fuel caches owned by forestry companies and fire-fighting services, and a complex calculation of weight and distance knowing that the helicopter would be close to exceeding its maximum take-off capacity. This was further exacerbated by the fact that the helicopter had to take off vertically from a confined, wooded landing area, instead of having a runway to gradually take off and achieve altitude.

Arriving on scene, they found the victim and three SAR Techs in a small cabin 500 feet (152 meters) from the landing site. The helicopter was still too heavy to pick up the victim and three SAR Techs to take off vertically. Taking into account they needed to burn off 600 pounds (272l) of fuel and that moving the patient a long distance across sloping, snow-covered ground to the helicopter was fraught with risk, the Griffon crew took off, burned off the fuel in a hover while conducting a hoist rescue of the patient.

The crew returned to the ground and with a lighter load, picked up the three SAR Techs and had just enough fuel to take-off vertically and fly 40 nm to the first fuel cache. The remote site required another vertical take-off, so they were only able to take on enough fuel for another 73 nm hop to the next fuel cache.

Upon landing, they had to search for the barrels of fuel in the bush, some distance away from the landing strip. They rolled the drums out to the helicopter and then manually pumped the fuel into the helicopter, which is a regular landing strip for fixed-wing aircraft.

Therefore, the crew were able to take on more fuel, embark on a gradual take-off and fly the remaining 136 nm to Chicoutimi, where the patient was taken to hospital for treatment and return to base, wrapping up a 10.5-hour mission.

Capt Findlater of 439 Squadron said: “It’s really the complexity of the mission here and really pushing the Griffon helicopter to its absolute limits, with weight and given the all the unknowns and how new the crew was. It was really amazing to see. I was very, very proud to be the aircraft commander for sure for the mission.”

Dominic Howe, head of campaigns – America and Canada at Leonardo Helicopters, said: “Amidst Canada’s rugged landscapes and strong seas, the bravery of this rescue crew shines bright. Their unwavering dedication and determination in the face of extreme conditions embodies the true spirit of heroism and the raison d’etre behind the Cormorant Trophy. Furthermore, it makes us proud that Leonardo’s helicopters can support the Royal Canadian Search and Rescue crews and provide safety to Canadians.”

The recipients of the Cormorant Trophy are:

• Capt Paula Findlater
• Flight Officer, Capt Kevin Desjardins
• Flight Engineer, Sgt. Eric Gelinas
• Medical Technician, MCpl Maxime Chouinard

439 Squadron was selected out of two nominated helicopter rescue mission by a judging panel comprising representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces, aviation media, and company representatives.

The other nominated rescues included:

· The crew of Rescue 910 with 442 Squadron at CFB Comox on Labour Day Weekend 2022 were faced with three missions in 24-hours comprising two offshore medevacs and a helicopter crash rescue.

The Cormorant Trophy Award celebrates excellence and bravery in missions. In 2002, Leonardo Helicopters (then AgustaWestland), manufacturer of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters, commissioned a trophy to be presented annually to a civilian, government or military Canadian helicopter crew that had performed the most demanding helicopter rescue of the year.

Since July 2003, the Canadian Armed Forces has issued a call for nominations to all recognized helicopter operators in Canada for the award now known as the Cormorant Trophy. The following rescue criteria is applied for nominations:

• The mission occurred between January 1 and December 31, 2022;
• The mission occurred within Canada’s search-and-rescue area of responsibility;
• It was conducted by a Canadian civilian, government or military helicopter crew;
• It involved a rescue or attempted rescue where lives were saved or the potential for saving lives was high.

Last year’s winners of the 2021 Cormorant Trophy, for the first time in the award’s history, went to helicopter rescue crews from both Canada and the U.S. for the heroic F/V Atlantic Destiny Rescue on March 3, 2021. 

This press release was prepared and distributed by Leonardo.

 

https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/canadian-ch-149-griffon-helicopter-crew-wins-2022-cormorant-trophy/?utm_source=skies-daily-news-todays-news&utm_campaign=skies-daily-news&utm_medium=email&utm_term=todays-news&utm_content=V1

See you don't have to be in the combat arms to be someone's hero...Bravo Zulu to those guys and girls 

Maybe this is an example of why we purchased the Cormorants in the first place, added range and payload, perhaps we should have bought more and come with a SAR tech as well, the griffon was a huge mistake to buy, the army proved that, the Air force proved that...another example of politics getting involved in military purchases.

Edited October 18, 2023 by Army Guy