Ottawa considering ‘combination of approaches' to 20% military pay hike
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Ottawa Citizen
44 minutes ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Storey: Afghan War veterans should be eligible for Victoria Cross
In recent history, there has been no shortage of valour in the Canadian military. And yet, both the federal government and Canadian Armed Forces are apparently unwilling to fully recognize that valour. Article content Looking back, Canadians earned 73 Victoria Crosses — the highest award for military valour awarded by the United Kingdom to the armed forces of Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — during the First World War, and an additional 16 during the Second World War. The last was awarded to Royal Navy pilot Lieut. Robert Hampton Gray during the final month of the war. Article content Article content Article content Each citation was vetted by not only the Canadian military but also the British military, as the British had ultimate control over who received this most coveted award. Article content In the past 80 years, no Victoria Crosses have been awarded to Canadians, even after we adapted our own unique version of the British medal in 1993. Article content Canadians have fought two shooting wars, a 12-year war in Afghanistan that cost us 158 lives and a three-year war in Korea in the early 1950s that cost 516 lives. Since 1948, more than 125,000 Canadian soldiers have served worldwide on numerous challenging U.N. missions that at times were more peace-making than peacekeeping in nature, costing Canada 130 lives. Article content But apparently no Canadian measured up to earning a Victoria Cross. Article content The drought in awarding any Canadians the Victoria Cross for combat actions in Afghanistan is perplexing, given that our closest Commonwealth allies have been much more generous in recognizing their valour in that theatre. Article content Article content Australia deployed 26,000 soldiers to Afghanistan and awarded four Victoria Crosses. The United Kingdom deployed 150,000 and awarded three. New Zealand, which deployed 3,500, awarded one. Article content Article content Even our NATO allies were more open to recognizing courage in Afghanistan with their top awards. The United States, which deployed over 800,000, awarded 20 Medals of Honor. Germany, which deployed 150,000, awarded four Bundeswehr Crosses of Honour. Italy, which deployed 50,000, awarded three Gold Medals of Military Valour. Even the Netherlands, which deployed 20,000, has apparently awarded three Military Orders of William. Article content Yet Canada, which deployed over 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, has not awarded anyone our own version of the Victoria Cross, but has instead elected to award the next highest valour decoration, the Star of Military Valour, to 17 Canadians and one U.S. Navy Seal.
Toronto Sun
10 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Secrecy for life to be binding for thousands at DND and in Canadian Forces under new initiative
The changes affect both individuals as well as entire units under the Persons Permanently Bound to Secrecy (PPBS) provisions. Canadian troops of the 4th Canadian Division at Fort York Armoury on June 9. Photo by COLE BURSTON / GETTY IMAGES Select defence department public servants and Canadian military personnel are to receive notices that they will now be bound to secrecy for life because of changes to government security regulations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The changes affect both individuals as well as entire units under the Persons Permanently Bound to Secrecy (PPBS) provisions. The PPBS designation affects both current and former civilian staff and military personnel as well as designated private contractors, according to the Department of National Defence. No information was available from the DND on specifically how many individuals would be affected by the changes. But it is expected to be significant with notices sent out in the coming months. 'The process will take time as it impacts thousands of individuals across various levels with the military and defence agencies,' the department noted on its website. The DND put out an internal message to military personnel on April 25 and an overall message online on July 15 about the changes. DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku noted in an email to the Ottawa Citizen that 'the department takes its obligation to protect information seriously.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The PPBS designation is for life. 'DND/CAF units, sections or elements, and individuals (both current and former) are now being designated as PPBS,' according to the military and DND notice. Those individuals who work with special operational information (SOI) or whose work is deemed to be integral to national security will be nominated by their leadership for PPBS designations. The deputy minister would approve the PPBS designations for public servants and contractors, while the chief of the defence staff would deal with military personnel. The PPBS designation provides the government with additional means to punish individuals beyond existing security laws. 'Individuals that are designated as PPBS are subject to two additional offences that relate to the unauthorized disclosure of SOI,' a July 2024 briefing note for DND and military leadership pointed out. 'As a result, greater enforcement measures can be taken against those designated PPBS if they commit an offence related to the unauthorized disclosure of SOI.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The briefing was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen using the Access to Information law. Convictions for the additional offences carry potential prison sentences ranging from five to 14 years. The last several years has seen a number of retired Canadian special forces members on various podcasts openly discussing their previous missions and some of the techniques, training and weapons they used. In addition, photographs and video of some Canadian special forces operations, taken or obtained by retired military personnel, have appeared online. The U.S. military has also had to deal with a number of high-profile information leaks by its military personnel. Jack Teixeira of the Massachusetts Air National Guard plead guilty in March 2024 to releasing classified information to a group of gamers on the Discord messaging app. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Discord leaks of U.S. intelligence records painted a grim picture of the Ukraine war despite the rosy predictions from U.S. and Canadian politicians and senior defence staff. A Canadian military analysis of the Discord leaks focused on concerns that the records contained details about the arrival of Canadian Army Leopard tanks in Ukraine and the donation to Ukraine of an air defence system. But the analysis also pointed out that, while the Discord leak documents contained information about NATO special forces operating in Ukraine, there was no mention of Canadian commandos, according to the analysis obtained by the Ottawa Citizen using the Access to Information law. Details that members of Canadian special forces were operating in Ukraine had already been cited in a June 2022 New York Times article that relied on information from U.S. military officials. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When asked by the CBC in August 2022 about the New York Times report, then Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre claimed the news media was helping Russian disinformation efforts. Canadian special forces, however, did not deny the Times reporting. Eyre was asked at the time by the Ottawa Citizen to produce evidence the journalists involved were working with the Russians, but he did not provide any. David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: Read More Canada Crime Canada Canada Ontario
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg finding favour as destination for school-aged international students
Manitoba's largest school division is preparing to welcome a record number of international students in a couple of weeks. 'When I first started doing this, I thought to myself that Winnipeg would be a difficult place to promote,' said Aaron Benarroch, director of recruitment and international education for the Winnipeg School Division. The longtime Winnipegger said that he's learned over the last three years that is not the case. SUPPLIED Jaered Bacolod, who is originally from Manila, graduated from Tec-Voc High School in 2024. It turns out parents across the globe — in Spain, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Vietnam, in particular — are keen to have their children experience an authentic Canadian winter, he said. The kindergarten-to-Grade 12 system has largely been shielded from the fallout of Ottawa's cap on international student enrolment, allowing high schoolers from abroad to apply for extensions to continue their studies in Canada. Benarroch said he thinks many families simply want to send their children away on a temporary basis to practise English. WSD launched its international education program with 33 registrants in 2017-2018. This year, its school communities and homestay families are expecting upwards of 185 foreign students. The St. James-Assiniboia School Division has seen similar growth in its 27-year-old program. Senior administration is anticipating 120 registrants this year — 13 times the size of the original intake. 'I would like to try to take a risk and step outside my comfort zone,' Jaered Bacolod said, as he recalled his decision to pack his bags and move across the world in January 2023. The now-19-year-old said he traded 40 C in Manila for -40 C in Winnipeg and has no regrets. He lived with a Winnipeg relative who had told Bacolod's family in the Philippines that schools here were accepting international students. 2017-2018: 33 2022-2023: 133 2023-2024: 105 2024-2025: 165 2025-26: 185 registrants (to date) Bacolod said the local cost of living and a diverse list of elective courses — he studied aerospace technology at Tec-Voc High School — appealed to him. 'After experiencing it first-hand, I can say Winnipeg is easy-going and it's pretty cool learning about people with different backgrounds,' he said. Benarroch identified Canada's reputation for being safe, welcoming and home to a strong English-language public school system as selling points for parents. Winnipeg's relative affordability, compared with tuition rates elsewhere, and diverse extracurricular options are also attractive to exchange students, he said, adding he expects the inner-city program to continue growing through word of mouth. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Benarroch noted recruiters have recently started to say potential clients are thinking twice about sending their children to the United States because of the prevalence of school shootings and the divisive political climate. St. James-Assiniboia's program fosters 'important cross-cultural connections and lifelong friendships,' director Alexandra Humphries said in a statement. The programs also provide revenue for city school divisions and the families across the city the students live with. Depending on the division, an entire academic year's worth of international student tuition ranges from $8,500 to $13,750 in Winnipeg. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
