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Global News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canadian military's new recruitment tool faces rollout problems
The Canadian military has launched a new online recruitment portal to try to modernize the application process and address a personnel crisis. But technical glitches emerged during the launch, prompting concerns that frustrated applicants may be discouraged from joining at a time when the ranks are short more than 14,000 troops and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Canadian sovereignty. 'Issues were discovered in early March, shortly after the new portal's initial rollout,' Department of National Defence spokesperson Derek Abma said in a statement to Global News. DND acknowledged that initially, the new system was not able to handle the volume of traffic. 1:51 Canada election 2025: Carney promises to revamp defence procurement One applicant who spoke to Global News described the portal as 'very slow and not remotely state of the art.' He asked not to be identified because of concerns it could jeopardize his application, and says it took dozens of attempts over multiple days to set up a profile. Story continues below advertisement Given the military's 'recruitment challenges,' he thought the process would have been quicker. 'I applied two months ago and haven't heard a thing. I was hoping to be in uniform by summer, and it's clear that's optimistic,' he said. 'Any enthusiasm I had for re-enlisting has completely evaporated.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Any enthusiasm I had for re-enlisting has completely evaporated." Abma said the problems have since been 'rectified' and that 'growing pains' are expected. 'We are aware that some users experienced error messages with the new online applicant portal. Our technical team has since worked to address these issues,' another spokesperson said. 1:57 Canada election 2025: Carney vows to bolster Canada's military But more issues were reported in mid-April, not with the portal, but with an internal system used by military recruiters. Story continues below advertisement 'A limited number of internal Canadian Armed Forces' users experienced difficulty accessing' an internal system on April 15, due to 'unusually high demand within the department,' DND said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Charlotte Duval-Lapointe, vice-president of Ottawa operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, says the military didn't anticipate such a 'large number of applicants' after the switchover. 'All the glitches that are happening have been creating a lot of confusion and frustration for applicants … and can deter people from continuing to move forward with their application,' she said. The problems with the rollout come as Prime Minister Mark Carney vows to secure Canadian sovereignty by 'strengthening our military' to counter what he has described as 'the greatest threats in a generation.' 4:53 Former Canadian diplomat on Carney-Trump White House meeting Since his inauguration, the U.S. president has mused about making Canada the 51st state, including in the Oval Office during Carney's visit earlier this month to Washington. Story continues below advertisement Carney responded to Trump by saying, 'As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.' But the annexation talk has renewed questions about the readiness of the Canadian military as it faces what previous defence minister Bill Blair described as a 'death spiral' in recruitment. To fix the crunch, Carney has vowed to update the recruitment process, bump pay for existing members and build more 'on-base' housing. In an interview with the West Block last November, Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, told host Mercedes Stephenson that boosting personnel is her primary focus. 'Going back to our full strength is priority No.1,' Carignan said. The military's goal is to reach 71,500 regular forces members and 30,000 reserve members in the next four years. The Canadian Armed Forces recently eased medical standards for new recruits and changed the rules around security screenings to fast-track the application process and widen eligibility. 23:22 The West Block: Chief of Defence expresses concern over 'multi-disciplinary' foreign threats Duval-Lapointe says the portal is the first of its kind for the government of Canada and that switching from a largely paper-based system to a digital one is a huge endeavour that will require patience. Story continues below advertisement 'What they could have done is communicate to applicants better, saying 'We are rolling this thing out for the first time, there are going to be issues, here's a number or an email you can reach out to if you're encountering any issues.'' Global News asked DND if any application data was lost during the transition to the new recruitment system. DND responded that 'no completed application data was lost.' The DND spokesperson added that the portal's technical issues did not slow the processing of applications. Attracting new members and retaining current ones represent some of the biggest challenges for newly appointed Defence Minister David McGuinty, who takes over from Blair. 'There's a lack of resources. The portal can help fix some of that,' Duval-Lapointe said. '(My advice is to) look further down the processes and the recruitment pipeline in order to make sure that all those little glitches get fixed before there are more bottlenecks.' — with files from Sophall Duch
Cision Canada
05-05-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
Statement - Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence mark 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands Français
, May 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence issued the following statement: "Over the course of eight grueling months from September 1944 to May 1945, the First Canadian Army played a major role in liberating the Netherlands from German occupation. "Town by town, canal by canal, Canadian soldiers pressed forward against a fierce and determined enemy. From the Battle of the Scheldt, to the Rhineland Campaign, to the push north to liberate the Netherlands, those who fought to free the Dutch people achieved and sacrificed much in their efforts to bring peace to Europe. " Private Léo Major became a legendary figure for his actions in April 1945. In a single night, and with the help of Dutch resistance fighters, he liberated the town of Zwolle without the need for large-scale Allied assaults. For his extraordinary gallantry, Major was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. "In the 80 years since the liberation of the Netherlands, Canada has worked within the rules-based international order to live up to the legacy of bravery, commitment and sacrifice demonstrated by Private Major and soldiers like him. Our commitment to upholding global peace and stability has been unwavering, with active participation in international peace support missions, humanitarian efforts, and consistent advocacy for human rights and diplomacy in conflict resolution. "Today, we remember the more than 7,600 Canadians who died in the 8 dreadful months it took to liberate the Netherlands. In their memory, and in honour of all those who served in this vital operation, we pledge to always stand up for peace, prosperity, and a safe and just world for all."
Vancouver Sun
02-05-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Kingfisher: A new plane is ready to come to the rescue in B.C.
The first of the Canadian military's long-awaited new search-and-rescue aircraft is now on-call in B.C. Article content Article content The fixed-wing CC-295 Kingfisher officially took to the skies on Thursday. Article content But the medium-range plane — which is equipped with sensors capable of spotting people and objects from about 40 kilometres away — has already been used to search for missing boaters in Finlayson Arm two weeks ago and near Port Alberni in March. Article content Article content The first Kingfisher, based at 19 Wing Comox, has reached 'SAR alert' status, which means the air force will have the plane with trained crew ready to respond to emergencies on the west coast and across B.C. and the Yukon. Article content Ordered nearly a decade ago, the twin-propeller planes replace Canada's aging fleet of Buffalo search-and-rescue aircraft. Article content 'Canadians should feel assured that as of [Thursday], a fully capable and crewed CC-295 Kingfisher will be available 24/7, 365 days a year throughout Canada's western territories and waters to support SAR activities,' said a statement from the Department of National Defence. Article content A $2.4-billion contract for 16 new Kingfisher aircraft was awarded to Airbus in late 2016 with costs covering 11 years. Article content Article content The first six years were for acquisition, transition and set-up, and the following five years were for in-service support, with an option to extend the contract by another 15 years up to 2042. Article content Article content The first planes were expected to be operational in 2020, but delays because of the pandemic pushed back the rollout and hiked the cost to $2.9 billion. Article content Article content The initial deal with Airbus included a new training facility, plus $2.3 billion to maintain the planes for 15 years. Article content Five of the planes are now at 19 Wing Comox, where a simulator-equipped training facility for 418 Squadron was built to prepare pilots, crew, technicians and maintenance personnel, said a public affairs spokesperson. Each of the Kingfisher planes is crewed by six personnel with several on the ground for support. Article content Once the planes are given the green light in Comox, the other Kingfishers are expected to be rolled out at 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia, 17 Wing Winnipeg and 8 Wing in Trenton, Ontario.
Al Jazeera
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Japan, Philippines pledge to deepen security ties amid China tensions
The leaders of Japan and the Philippines have pledged to deepen their security ties, including increased intelligence sharing, as they grapple with territorial disputes with China. On his first visit to the Philippines since assuming office in October, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that the two countries oppose 'attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea by force or coercion'. Speaking after talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in Manila, Ishiba said the two leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a defence pact formally known as the Acquisition and Cross-servicing Agreement. The deal would allow the provision of food, fuel and other necessities when Japanese forces visit the Philippines for joint training under a major defence accord that was signed last year and is expected to be ratified by the Japanese legislature. The Philippine Senate ratified it in December. Ishiba said he and Marcos 'also confirmed the start of government-to-government talks towards sealing a security of information agreement in the future'. The Philippine president added that Tokyo's previous security assistance had 'allowed our security agencies and especially the Department of National Defence to achieve meaningful upgrades' and praised a 'golden age' in their relations. The talks in Manila were held as both Japan and the Philippines have faced increased tensions with China. Chinese-Philippine ties have been tested repeatedly by confrontations involving the two nations' coastguard vessels in the disputed South China Sea. Japan has its own dispute with China over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, which are claimed by Beijing but administered by Tokyo. The Philippines and China are also at loggerheads over a disputed sandbank in the South China Sea. On Monday, Beijing accused six Filipinos of illegally landing on the Tiexian Reef, also known as Sandy Cay, despite 'warnings and dissuasion' from the Chinese side. Beijing said the action 'violated China's territorial sovereignty'. Their shared grievances over China's territorial claims have seen Japan and the Philippines draw increasingly close to each other as well as towards the United States. Late last year, Marcos and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington for a trilateral summit with then-US President Joe Biden. Ishiba said he and Marcos had 'affirmed the importance of Japan-US-Philippines cooperation' during Tuesday's meeting. On the economic front, the Japanese premier said the two men had also talked about the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz. 'We discussed the current measures taken by the United States as well as the impact felt on … the world economy because of the reciprocal retaliation seen between the United States and China,' Ishiba said.
Al Jazeera
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Japan, Philippines pledge to deepen security ties as China tensions simmer
The leaders of Japan and the Philippines have pledged to deepen their security ties, including increased intelligence sharing, as they grapple with territorial disputes with China. On his first visit to the Philippines since assuming office in October, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that the two countries oppose 'attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea by force or coercion'. Speaking after talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in Manila, Ishiba said the two leaders agreed to begin negotiations on a defence pact formally known as the Acquisition and Cross-servicing Agreement. The deal would allow the provision of food, fuel and other necessities when Japanese forces visit the Philippines for joint training under a major defence accord that was signed last year and is expected to be ratified by the Japanese legislature. The Philippine Senate ratified it in December. Ishiba said he and Marcos 'also confirmed the start of government-to-government talks towards sealing a security of information agreement in the future'. The Philippine president added that Tokyo's previous security assistance had 'allowed our security agencies and especially the Department of National Defence to achieve meaningful upgrades' and praised a 'golden age' in their relations. The talks in Manila were held as both Japan and the Philippines have faced increased tensions with China. Chinese-Philippine ties have been tested repeatedly by confrontations involving the two nations' coastguard vessels in the disputed South China Sea. Japan has its own dispute with China over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, which are claimed by Beijing but administered by Tokyo. The Philippines and China are also at loggerheads over a disputed sandbank in the South China Sea. On Monday, Beijing accused six Filipinos of illegally landing on the Tiexian Reef, also known as Sandy Cay, despite 'warnings and dissuasion' from the Chinese side. Beijing said the action 'violated China's territorial sovereignty'. Their shared grievances over China's territorial claims have seen Japan and the Philippines draw increasingly close to each other as well as towards the United States. Late last year, Marcos and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington for a trilateral summit with then-US President Joe Biden. Ishiba said he and Marcos had 'affirmed the importance of Japan-US-Philippines cooperation' during Tuesday's meeting. On the economic front, the Japanese premier said the two men had also talked about the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz. 'We discussed the current measures taken by the United States as well as the impact felt on … the world economy because of the reciprocal retaliation seen between the United States and China,' Ishiba said.
