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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian Army brigade commander steps down amid 'Blue Hackle Mafia' investigations
The officer in charge of a Canadian Army brigade has stepped down in the aftermath of a controversy over a now-defunct Facebook group where members of an Ottawa-based reserve unit allegedly posted hateful and inappropriate content. CBC News has learned Col. James McKay, the commander of the 33 Canadian Brigade Group, told staff late last week that he has relinquished command following embarrassing revelations this month involving the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own). Members of the unit are accused of posting antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic and racist comments on the social media page along with explicit photos. The "Blue Hackle Mafia" group has now been taken down. The commander of the Cameron Highlanders, Lt.-Col. Ryan Hendy has been temporarily removed from his post and given other duties while both military police and the army conduct separate investigations. McKay was Hendy's immediate superior and was apparently involved in early discussions when concern about the Facebook group first surfaced last December."My actions in dealing with the 'Blue Hackle Mafia' Facebook group did not meet [Canadian Armed Forces] and my personal expectations," wrote McKay in an email obtained by CBC News. "Over the past 15 months I have balanced multiple obligations and took on more than I should have. This balancing act impeded my ability to make the right decisions at the right time. Therefore, I am exiting command sooner than anticipated for both the brigade's sake and to establish a sustainable balance." The Department of National Defence confirmed McKay's resignation as brigade commander, which was submitted and accepted on July 21. "Being accountable for both our action and inaction, and the respective consequences of those decisions, is foundational to the profession of arms and achieving a ready, resilient and relevant Canadian Armed Forces," Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright said in a statement released late Monday to CBC News. "The circumstances surrounding the social media group remain extremely disturbing and disappointing, but actions taken to date are important in underlining the Canadian Army's commitment to ensuring our culture meets the expectations of Canadians.'' It's unclear whether McKay will stay in the military, or who will replace him on an interim basis. McKay's note went on to suggest the controversy over the unit's behaviour has become a distraction from the brigade's core responsibility "to focus on what is truly important — training soldiers and teams." Concerns raised last year Concern about the contents of the Facebook group, which allegedly included hateful comments directed toward women, derogatory sexual comments about former prime minister Justin Trudeau, as well as discussions about raping grandmothers, were brought to light internally last year. Hendy and McKay discussed the matter and notified military police last December. But after three months of investigation, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal deemed no service offence had been committed. Hendy ordered an officer within the Cameron Highlanders to conduct an internal investigation. In late June, the Ottawa Citizen obtained screenshots of the Blue Hackle Mafia group and asked the Defence Department for comment. In his initial response, Wright said he was blindsided by the controversy. In an internal message obtained by CBC News in early July, Wright described the group's content "abhorrent," and warned of consequences. "I have ordered that any serving Canadian Army members currently on this social media group immediately cease their participation," Wright wrote in the internal note. He ordered an immediate summary investigation to examine the alleged unethical conduct of the serving members who were part of that online community. The provost marshal, in a statement also shared with CBC News in early July, acknowledged the initial investigation. "The transfer to the unit for a disciplinary investigation was considered the best use of options available in the military justice system, in this case," said the statement. The military police have since opened a fresh investigation. The file was initiated on June 27 after the Ottawa Citizen made its first inquiries. Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a defence researcher specializing in social issues in the military, said the conduct and decisions of military police in this instance need to be thoroughly examined. "If we look at other controversies that happened around sexual misconduct, the military police has been a challenge," said Duval-Lantoine, who noted that issues such as racism and homophobia in the ranks have not been given as much attention as sexual misconduct and mechanisms for dealing with them may be inadequate. In the fall of 2020, the former commander of the army, the now retired general Wayne Eyre, ordered a crackdown on hateful conduct online after a series of incidents. One of them was a case brought to light by CBC News involving a now-former Canadian Ranger who associated online with two well-known hate groups, and who referred to Trudeau as a "treasonous bastard." Additionally, an ex-reservist, Patrik Mathews, was sentenced to nine years in a U.S. prison for his role in what investigators called a violent plot to trigger a "race war" in the United States through the right-wing extremist group The Base. Eyre's response at the time was to issue a 25-page directive that requires soldiers to report to their superiors when they witness or become aware of racism and hateful conduct. If they fail to do so, Eyre warned at the time there could be serious consequences. "Is it enough?" Duval-Lantoine says of those measures. "Is it adapted for the kind of action that would lead to discipline for racist, or what the military calls hateful, conduct?" Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian Army brigade commander steps down amid 'Blue Hackle Mafia' investigations
The officer in charge of a Canadian Army brigade has stepped down in the aftermath of a controversy over a now-defunct Facebook group where members of an Ottawa-based reserve unit allegedly posted hateful and inappropriate content. CBC News has learned Col. James McKay, the commander of the 33 Canadian Brigade Group, told staff late last week that he has relinquished command following embarrassing revelations this month involving the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own). Members of the unit are accused of posting antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic and racist comments on the social media page along with explicit photos. The "Blue Hackle Mafia" group has now been taken down. The commander of the Cameron Highlanders, Lt.-Col. Ryan Hendy has been temporarily removed from his post and given other duties while both military police and the army conduct separate investigations. McKay was Hendy's immediate superior and was apparently involved in early discussions when concern about the Facebook group first surfaced last December."My actions in dealing with the 'Blue Hackle Mafia' Facebook group did not meet [Canadian Armed Forces] and my personal expectations," wrote McKay in an email obtained by CBC News. "Over the past 15 months I have balanced multiple obligations and took on more than I should have. This balancing act impeded my ability to make the right decisions at the right time. Therefore, I am exiting command sooner than anticipated for both the brigade's sake and to establish a sustainable balance." The Department of National Defence confirmed McKay's resignation as brigade commander, which was submitted and accepted on July 21. "Being accountable for both our action and inaction, and the respective consequences of those decisions, is foundational to the profession of arms and achieving a ready, resilient and relevant Canadian Armed Forces," Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright said in a statement released late Monday to CBC News. "The circumstances surrounding the social media group remain extremely disturbing and disappointing, but actions taken to date are important in underlining the Canadian Army's commitment to ensuring our culture meets the expectations of Canadians.'' It's unclear whether McKay will stay in the military, or who will replace him on an interim basis. McKay's note went on to suggest the controversy over the unit's behaviour has become a distraction from the brigade's core responsibility "to focus on what is truly important — training soldiers and teams." Concerns raised last year Concern about the contents of the Facebook group, which allegedly included hateful comments directed toward women, derogatory sexual comments about former prime minister Justin Trudeau, as well as discussions about raping grandmothers, were brought to light internally last year. Hendy and McKay discussed the matter and notified military police last December. But after three months of investigation, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal deemed no service offence had been committed. Hendy ordered an officer within the Cameron Highlanders to conduct an internal investigation. In late June, the Ottawa Citizen obtained screenshots of the Blue Hackle Mafia group and asked the Defence Department for comment. In his initial response, Wright said he was blindsided by the controversy. In an internal message obtained by CBC News in early July, Wright described the group's content "abhorrent," and warned of consequences. "I have ordered that any serving Canadian Army members currently on this social media group immediately cease their participation," Wright wrote in the internal note. He ordered an immediate summary investigation to examine the alleged unethical conduct of the serving members who were part of that online community. The provost marshal, in a statement also shared with CBC News in early July, acknowledged the initial investigation. "The transfer to the unit for a disciplinary investigation was considered the best use of options available in the military justice system, in this case," said the statement. The military police have since opened a fresh investigation. The file was initiated on June 27 after the Ottawa Citizen made its first inquiries. Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a defence researcher specializing in social issues in the military, said the conduct and decisions of military police in this instance need to be thoroughly examined. "If we look at other controversies that happened around sexual misconduct, the military police has been a challenge," said Duval-Lantoine, who noted that issues such as racism and homophobia in the ranks have not been given as much attention as sexual misconduct and mechanisms for dealing with them may be inadequate. In the fall of 2020, the former commander of the army, the now retired general Wayne Eyre, ordered a crackdown on hateful conduct online after a series of incidents. One of them was a case brought to light by CBC News involving a now-former Canadian Ranger who associated online with two well-known hate groups, and who referred to Trudeau as a "treasonous bastard." Additionally, an ex-reservist, Patrik Mathews, was sentenced to nine years in a U.S. prison for his role in what investigators called a violent plot to trigger a "race war" in the United States through the right-wing extremist group The Base. Eyre's response at the time was to issue a 25-page directive that requires soldiers to report to their superiors when they witness or become aware of racism and hateful conduct. If they fail to do so, Eyre warned at the time there could be serious consequences. "Is it enough?" Duval-Lantoine says of those measures. "Is it adapted for the kind of action that would lead to discipline for racist, or what the military calls hateful, conduct?"
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Threat to close beloved Pierce Co. Facebook group of 10K had a surprise ending
It's weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, intense political divisions and community drama. It's where you go when you've lost your dog, need a helping hand or need a laugh. It makes a peninsula spanning 65 square miles, much of which only has one dwelling per ten acres, feel a little less like an island. It's the Key Peninsula, Washington Facebook group. 'We had some marriages out of it,' Susan Freiler Mendenhall said, recalling when the group hosted a meet-up at a local restaurant, and a couple left together and later tied the knot. (She attended their wedding.) The Key Peninsula resident, age 70, has lived in the community for 38 years. After 14 years of administering the Facebook group with a small team of other admins, keeping it 'family-friendly' and prohibiting profanity or discussions of partisan politics or religion, she finally believed it was time to bring it to an end. She posted in the group on July 7, announcing her intent to close the group of nearly 10,000 members by the end of the year. She explained that an accident in April left her hospitalized and dealing with some serious health issues. She figured participants could just switch over to other existing Facebook groups for Key Peninsula residents. Her announcement sparked a flood of messages from people reaching out to tell her how much the group meant to them, she told The News Tribune. Several offered to become admins themselves. 'That surprised me,' she said. It also got her thinking. Maybe she didn't need to close the group down. On July 23, she made another post in the group, announcing her intent to let it continue, with two new admins. One of the new admins is Thomas Lancaster, a 25-year-old Key Peninsula resident who said he's been part of the group for going on a decade. His memory of the group goes back even farther, when his dad was part of the group, he said. One day, his dad lost a uniquely-designed cane that he used regularly to walk around and had owned for 30 years. The cane was special because it had grown directly off of a tree and wasn't 'something anyone carved or made,' Lancaster recalled. 'He put out posters and stuff and posted on the local Facebook page, and eventually somebody actually got back to him because they saw one of the posts,' he said. There are many other stories about how the page has helped build community. In 2023, Key Peninsula resident Connor Wiley posted a fake message for an April Fools' Day prank saying that a stalled restaurant project, 2 Margaritas, had finally opened, The News Tribune reported. After the post gained traction, Richard and Cheryl Miller added to the conversation and announced they'd be making tacos for the community in the 2 Margaritas parking lot. They served nearly 150 tacos in the first 90 minutes. 'And did I mention how many lost dogs we've reunited with owners? Often it's one a week!' Freiler Mendenhall wrote in a follow-up message to The News Tribune. She added that neighbors have helped one another through power outages, getting stuck in snow and running out of gas. Some time ago, Freiler Mendenhall started the 'Blue Tarp Awards' as a way to recognize those who did 'something outstanding in the group.' The name came after someone left the Facebook group in a fury, posting that they would 'rather not be associated with you kp elitist trash,' and members started joking about 'how the KP had a lot of blue tarps, or how you had to own a blue tarp to live in the KP,' Freiler Mendenhall wrote. They later adopted a blue tarp as the group's flag, and would put one up during meet-ups, she said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group started a new tradition: Meme Mondays, to give people something to do, she said. And they've always had Traffic Tuesdays, a designated day to share traffic-related concerns and prevent traffic from dominating the discussion every day. A particular guardrail has become a running joke on the page. The barrier is on the right side of state Route 302, a mile or so coming off of the Purdy Bridge toward Key Center. 'Someone always hits it,' Freiler Mendenhall wrote. 'We ran a contest once to guess what date it would get destroyed again.' Other community groups spawned from the Key Peninsula, Washington group, including Key Pen It Clean, a group that gathers volunteers to clean up local roads. Volunteers recently collected 50 trash bags across 3 miles on Lackey Road and the Key Peninsula Highway, the group posted on July 13. Key Pen It Flavorful was another subgroup that exchanged meal photos and recipes. Another group, KP Cares, came together after Key Peninsula resident Mindy Taylor had the idea of raising money for victims of the Oso landslide in 2014.A bake sale raised over $3,700 in two days, and additional donations through Facebook brought the total to $4,000, according to The News Tribune's archives. Taylor joined forces with Freiler Mendenhall, Sylvia Wilson and Marilyn Hartley, and they started the KP Cares group to raise funds for other residents in crisis on the Key Peninsula. KP Cares became a 501(c)(3) organization, stating that its purpose or mission was to 'help people in crisis with resources and financial assistance, primarily on the Key Peninsula,' and that funds 'will be raised primarily through bake sales, car washes, and donations from local businesses.' Taylor posted in the Key Peninsula, Washington group in 2021 that she was closing down KP Cares in September of 2021. By then, the group had raised $55,000 for residents in crisis, she wrote. 'We have been able to assist with rent, mortgage payments, power bills, funeral expenses, and Christmas gifts,' Taylor wrote in the post. 'During the heat wave we provided 25 fans for our vulnerable residents.' Freiler Mendenhall said that the community is grieving Taylor's passing from cancer this month. Hartley, one of the other founders of KP Cares, died in June 2022, according to her obituary in the Key Peninsula News. Lancaster, the 25-year-old Key Peninsula resident who offered to be a new admin, said he wants the Key Peninsula, Washington Facebook group to remain 'a good community resource.' The page has always been family-friendly, hasn't allowed profanity and asks users to steer clear of partisan politics or religion as topics of discussion, Freiler Mendenhall said. Lancaster said he believes a good admin is one who's impartial and keeps personal opinions or feelings from affecting how one monitors the page. 'I'm not too worried about it,' Lancaster said. 'You just got to police it a little bit.' Freiler Mendenhall has had to do a fair share of that. She recalled the admins years ago spending 'a lot of time personally asking people to tone it down' or trying to get them to understand the group's purpose and parameters for appropriate participation. 'We've gone through a couple of periods where people chose a subject and then hung on to it to the point where we needed to intervene and so some people were removed,' Freiler Mendenhall said. She had an experience recently where someone whom she described as 'a very decent person' took over the page and began posting in the group 'as if it was their own personal profile.' She tried talking to the person in private, but the person's constant messages took up a lot of her time. And it gets old when upset users talk badly about you in other groups, she continued. ' ... it's probably what contributed to me thinking I got to stop doing this,' she said. Asked if a recent dispute that played out on the Facebook page about flags on Purdy Bridge affected her decision, she said 'no, not at all.' The News Tribune reported that some two dozen rainbow Pride flags appeared on the Purdy Bridge in mid-June and were taken down shortly after, leading to speculation on social media about who might have removed them. The Washington State Department of Transportation confirmed that state employees took down Pride flags on the bridge between June 10 and June 11 because it is illegal to attach flags or banners to state-owned bridge structures. Most of the time the members of the Key Peninsula, Washington Facebook group know what to do, Freiler Mendenhall said. 'That's probably one of the biggest reasons I'm not as active is that the members self-regulate,' she said. 'They know the rules and they tell each other what the rules are.' The News Tribune's archives contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
RCMP end search for missing Shediac kayaker
RCMP say they have called off the water and ground searches for a missing Shediac, N.B., kayaker, but say their investigation continues and they will pursue any new leads. Luc Bourgeois, 34, has been missing for three days. The Shediac man departed on a solo fishing trip on Thursday afternoon in a kayak from the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf. "Teams have been searching tirelessly the last couple of days and have covered a lot of area with no success," RCMP said in a statement Sunday. Bourgeois is described as about five feet six inches tall and 170 pounds, with long curly brown hair, a beard and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black shorts, a blue and grey life-jacket, a Bass Pro Shops hat, sunglasses and black Under Armour sandals, according to police. A Facebook group created by Bourgeois's family remains active with nearly 6,000 members and is asking for people to help search for him.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
RCMP end search for missing Shediac kayaker
RCMP say they have called off the water and ground searches for a missing Shediac, N.B., kayaker, but say their investigation continues and they will pursue any new leads. Luc Bourgeois, 34, has been missing for three days. The Shediac man departed on a solo fishing trip on Thursday afternoon in a kayak from the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf. "Teams have been searching tirelessly the last couple of days and have covered a lot of area with no success," RCMP said in a statement Sunday. Bourgeois is described as about five feet six inches tall and 170 pounds, with long curly brown hair, a beard and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black shorts, a blue and grey life-jacket, a Bass Pro Shops hat, sunglasses and black Under Armour sandals, according to police. A Facebook group created by Bourgeois's family remains active with nearly 6,000 members and is asking for people to help search for him.
