News
Every year the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) sponsors The Ottawa Conference on Defence and Security. As the premier gathering of experts, this forum is pertinent for anyone interested in ‘beyond the headlines’ exploration of such issues affecting Canada and the world.
Veterans Affairs Canada’s magazine, Salute! is now an e-newsletter. Please share this e-mail with your friends and networks, and encourage them to register by visiting letstalkveterans.ca to keep up on issues that matter to Veterans and their families. Let us know what you think about the new Salute! by emailing [email protected]. Celebrating Black History Month—The Niagara Military Museum’s Black Military History Travelling Exhibit February is Black History Month. Often having to overcome great challenges just to enlist in the military, the sacrifices and achievements of Black Canadians over the years have shone through. The Niagara Military Museum recently unveiled the Black Military History of Niagara Traveling Exhibit to share the stories of Black Canadians who served. The exhibit is tailored to youth and features personal stories of service from the First and Second World Wars, Korean War, Afghanistan, and other conflicts. Read more about this interesting project: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/art-hub/niagara-military-museum Interested in learning more about the Black Canadians who have served our country? Be sure to visit the Peoples and Stories section on our website. 30th Anniversary of the end of the Gulf War We are fast approaching the 30th anniversary of the end of the Gulf War on 28 February. Veterans Affairs Canada has created an online […]
On 28 January 2021, four Branch members participated in the 2nd Annual AFCEA TECHNET International Capture the Flag (CTF) cyber challenge. The entirely virtual event hosted 54 teams from 14 different countries, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan and The Netherlands. There were also a few US-based college teams participating this year as well. The CTF was a 4-hr online event that consisted of various cyber challenges that pertained to digital forensics, reverse engineering, network traffic analysis, Active Directory, cryptography, and web exploitation. CTFs are common industry practice, gamification events used to exercise one’s cyber skills. The D Cyber Ops FD / CFSCE team consisted of Lt Sebastien Genereux (CELE), 2Lt Jesse Noordegraaf (CELE), MCpl Curtis Croft (CYBER OP), and Capt Mark Potvin (SIGS). They placed 15th out of 54 international teams and ranked the highest amongst all Canadian teams.
Ontario has expanded the Soldiers’ Aid Commission so Ontario Veterans of all ages and their families can access financial assistance if they are in need. Overview The Soldiers’ Aid Commission provides financial assistance to Ontario’s eligible Veterans and their families in financial need. The commission supplements support offered by the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada. The commission reports to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and is governed by the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020 and regulations made under the act . The Lieutenant Governor in Council appoints the members of the commission. The Public Appointments Secretariat lists the appointed and vacant positions. Eligibility To be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, you must: be a Veteran or their eligible family member be in financial need live in Ontario Eligible Veterans A Veteran is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who has completed basic training and was released from service. The following people are also Veterans: Any person who served in any armed force of Canada or any Allied Force during World War I or World War II. Any person who served in any armed force of Canada during World War II and who was stationed in Canada or […]
Signallers of the Battle Group (BG) Latvia participated in the exercises BEAST RAIDER and HORNED VIPER during December 2020. From 30 November to 3 December, members of the BG Signals Platoon participated with our Italian allies in the Ex BEAST RAIDER patrol concentration. During this exercise, the Signallers had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and patrol spirit during several scenarios including raids and ambushes. By establishing standard operating procedures with members of the 5th Lancieri of Novara, our soldiers conducted combat patrols at the training grounds in Strautini, Latvia. By successfully completing the tasks, the Signallers demonstrated that they can conduct patrol operations while performing their signalling duties across the spectrum of operations. On 12 December, other Signallers were able to test their combat First Aid skills during Ex HORNED VIPER. This multinational competition aimed to standardize First Aid procedures across the BG. Participants had to test their limits in multiple scenarios under realistic conditions. After giving First Aid to fictitious victims, participants were tasked with transporting a victim on a stretcher to a casualty collection point. Despite the winter period, the BG continues to train and the BG Sigs Pl has demonstrated that it can conduct and sustain […]
John Boyd, the oldest known Veteran in Canada, received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today – from another Veteran. A physician at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre, and a Veteran himself, Dr. David Shergold administered the vaccine. Upon preparing John for vaccination, Dr. Shergold said: “We’re fortnight [two weeks] away from your 108th birthday.” “No way!” responded John, a resident at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre. “Thank you for fighting this battle, this COVID-19 battle,” said Dr. Shergold. “It’s an honour,” responded John. “This is not my first pandemic,” referring to having lived through the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1920. “All of us on the team caring for Mr. Boyd are honoured to be a part of this special moment,” says Dr. Shergold, who served as a Naval Officer in submarines during the Cold War in the 1980s. “These jabs are our torpedoes!” Born in Edmonton to Ukrainian immigrants, John has devoted his life to making Canada a better place. He grew up fighting against poverty, and during the depression, he took part in left-wing youth movements. Over the years, some of his many accomplishments include: Editor of a communist newspaper, the Young Worker. Manager of a co-op creamery. […]