New Found Gold Corp welcomes Dr. Jared Saunders (RMC 2004 B.Sc. Honours Chemistry / Ph.D. Environmental Sciences 2009) as newest Vice President, Sustainability
Jared Saunders (Ph.D., CRSP, EP) has over two decades of experience in environmental sciences and chemistry, backed by a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the Royal Military College of Canada. His distinguished career began in the Canadian Military, providing a strong foundation for his subsequent transition to the consulting sector. As a Senior Environmental Scientist with a leading global sustainable engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm Jared led projects in environmental risk assessment and contaminated site management. Over a decade ago, Jared returned to his Newfoundland and Labrador roots and joined Vale Newfoundland and Labrador, managing the environmental departments for Long Harbour and Voisey’s Bay. In 2023, Jared joined New Found as Director of Environment & Regulatory Affairs, overseeing environmental permitting, compliance, baseline studies, and regulatory processes. Jared is dedicated to implementing top environment, social and governance practices and building positive and transparent relationships with team members, local and Indigenous communities, regulators, and stakeholders.
CAE identified as strategic partner by the Government of Canada for the Future Fighter Lead-in Training program
(February 12 2025) CAE has been identified as a strategic partner to the Government of Canada to work with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to design and co-develop the Future Fighter Lead-in Training (FFLIT) program, which will prepare and train pilots to operate Canada’s advanced fighters.
Leveraging CAE’s extensive expertise and experience, this partnership will help streamline discussions and enable the acceleration of initial operational capability of the state-of-the-art FFLIT program. Additionally, the FFLIT program will support the long-term success of Canada’s CF-35A capability by providing continuous fighter-pilot training with cutting-edge technology and innovative training methods. FFLIT will equip fighter-pilot candidates with the advanced skills needed to operate the complex and significantly capable CF-35A in an ever-evolving operational environment.
“We are honoured to be entrusted by the Government of Canada to play a critical role in strengthening the 5th Generation fighter capabilities of the Royal Canadian Air Force,” says Marc Parent, CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This decision underscores CAE’s position as a global leader in training and innovation, and our steadfast commitment to those who protect our country and its allies. CAE is committed to being among Canada’s top defence partners and showcasing how private and public sector collaboration can work together to meet current and future global security challenges. For over 75 years, CAE has been at the forefront of supporting the RCAF, a legacy that will continue as we play this key role in the ongoing modernization of the Canadian Armed Forces. This is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.”
“We are proud to have been identified as a strategic partner and look forward to building on our long-standing relationship with the Government of Canada”, says France Hébert (RMC 1992) , Vice-President and General Manager, CAE Defence & Security Canada. “This collaboration will ensure that the next generation of Royal Canadian Air Force pilots receive the best possible fighter training, right here in Canada, from a leader in training that understands the mission, the responsibility, and the stakes”.
Trump complains about Canada — but new data shows spike in U.S. drugs and guns coming north
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-complaints-drugs-guns-border-1.7457605
Firearms, illicit drugs and cash that were seized last week are displayed before a news conference at RCMP headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., last October. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
“We live next door to the largest weapons market in the world, the largest drug market in the world. There are inherent — and significant — spillover effects,” said Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and an expert on border security.
Leuprecht said the spike in drugs seized in Canada is likely driven, at least in part, by shifting production methods. During the pandemic and early post-pandemic years, the transnational crime syndicates behind drug production moved some of their work from Mexico to the U.S. to get around tight COVID-related border measures, Leuprecht said. It was then easier to move those drugs from the U.S. into Canada.
An estimated 400,000 people cross the border every day, some with little scrutiny, and there’s a constant flow of vehicles that could shepherd the drugs into Canada, he said.
“Just like North American integration has worked quite well for the auto sector, agriculture and other industries, it’s worked really well for transnational organized crime and the pandemic was sort of an accelerant to that integration,” he said in an interview.
Leuprecht said the federal government’s new $1.3-billion border security package was pitched as way to assuage Trump’s concerns about drugs and migrants and get him to back off his tariff threat.
“But the real benefit is for the public safety of Canadians in terms of actually having the resources we need to interdict illicit firearms, in particular, and a host of other drugs coming north,” he said.
Canada’s Leadership Crisis: Confronting Complacency and Defending Our Future” with LGen J.O. Michel Maisonneuve, CMM, MSC, CD (Ret’d)
Despite the extreme cold, we were thrilled to see a strong turnout both in-person and via Zoom for “Canada’s Leadership Crisis: Confronting Complacency and Defending Our Future” with LGen J.O. Michel Maisonneuve (RMC 1976), CMM, MSC, CD (Ret’d).
A special thank you to LGen Maisonneuve for travelling to Calgary to speak to RAUSI and share his candid insights on Canada’s leadership, national defence, and the urgent need for cohesive national vision.
Key Topics Included:
- Global threats and Canada’s response
- The state of national defence funding
- The role of leadership and national service in Canada’s future
- How you can help effect change
If you missed the event—or want to revisit the powerful discussion—the full presentation is now available on our website! Watch Now: rmcsd.ca/maisonneuve
Contractor in charge of failed Kingston causeway fix suing feds, engineering firm for $8M
https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7453333
Trump ousts service academies’ board members, calling out ‘leftist ideologues’
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-02-11/trump-fires-service-academy-boards-16795113.html
Members of boards that provide oversight at the U.S. service academies are no longer in their posts, after President Donald Trump fired them for what he said was their promotion of “woke leftist” ideology. In a message Monday on social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the immediate dismissal of the boards of visitors at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
The 15-member boards provide oversight and advice on various aspects, including curriculum, teaching methods, financial matters, morale and discipline. “Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years,” Trump wrote. “We will have the strongest Military in History, and that begins by appointing new individuals to these Boards. We must make the Military Academies GREAT AGAIN!” It wasn’t immediately clear whether Trump was dismissing the boards in their entirety or just members who were appointed by former President Joe Biden. He didn’t name replacements.
Historically, the president appoints six members to each board for three-year terms, while the speaker of the House selects four, the vice president selects three and the House and Senate armed services committees choose one each.
In 2021, Biden dismissed 18 Trump-appointed members of the boards, six each at West Point, the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy. Biden’s six appointees to the Air Force Academy’s board of visitors included retired Air Force Maj. Gen. James C. Johnson, Jenna Ben-Yehuda and Eric Kenneth Fanning, all of whom were appointed in 2022. Johnson was described in a White House statement at the time as “a highly qualified expert on the independent review commission on sexual assault in the military.”
With a career immersed in the evolution of emerging technologies, Martin Charbonneau (CMR 1994) pioneers Quantum-Safe networking solutions at Nokia. His focus on Quantum-era cybersecurity fosters global collaborations with research and technology leaders in the quantum cryptography sphere, aiming to craft solutions for a dynamic security landscape. Martin partners with critical infrastructure organizations and enterprises, enlightening them about the urgency of securing network infrastructure through comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies. While Martin recognizes the vast potential of quantum computing technologies, his mission is to ensure a continued trust in our data and digital communication infrastructures. This commitment is rooted in a clear understanding of the transformative power of Quantum technologies and the necessity to protect our digital future. A product of Canadian education, Martin attended the Canadian Royal Military College (RMC, St-Jean, Canada). He is currently based in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Travis Homiak ’95, former commanding officer of the Naval ROTC unit at Virginia Military Institute, has been named VMI’s new chief of staff, assuming the position most recently held by Col. John Young.
As a VMI cadet, Homiak double majored in international studies and German, and was a member of the swim team. He earned the Lemuel MacKennie Long Jarman Award, and the first Jackson-Hope Medal, for highest attainment in scholarship. Upon graduation, he commissioned into the Marine Corps where he served for over 30 years.
Originally a ground intelligence officer, Homiak served as a scout sniper platoon commander before entering the reconnaissance and special operations community. He was the first ground intelligence officer to serve as a reconnaissance platoon commander in the 1st Marine Division and served at every level of command up to the regimental level. He was commanding officer of the Marine Raider Training Center at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Homiak was deployed multiple times including leading 3d Reconnaissance Battalion in combat in the upper Sangin River Valley of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; serving as a reconnaissance battalion operations officer in Fallujah, Iraq, during Operation Phantom Fury/Al Fajr; and leading a U.S./U.K. special forces team that trained Yemen’s national counterterrorism force.
Homiak holds two master of arts degrees from the Marine Corps University in Quantico and a third from the National War College in Washington, D.C. He holds a doctorate in war studies from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. Prior to his retirement last summer, Homiak oversaw the 50th anniversary of the VMI NROTC unit.
Homiak shared he is humbled and excited to have been selected for the position. “VMI was a foundational part of my journey, and I look forward to working hard so others can continue to have a similar experience,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Robert W. Moreschi, dean of the faculty and deputy superintendent for academics, who served as chair of the search committee stated that Homiak brings a wealth of skills and experience to the position. “In his capacity as chief of staff, Colonel Homiak will serve in a critical management role, coordinating the strategic and tactical decisions and actions of the senior leadership team while also functioning as a key adviser to the superintendent,” he said.
Homiak will be joined on post by his wife, Phornphan, and their two children.
A national search was conducted to identify the new chief of staff, with input from the senior leadership team and numerous faculty and staff.
New CEO for Babcock Canada
Babcock Internatio
nal Group (Babcock), the defence and security company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony March as Babcock Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. He will take up his new role on 3rd March, succeeding Jerry McLean who will be retiring in March 2025.
Canada is a key part of Babcock’s international growth strategy given our role as the through-life support partner for Canada’s submarine fleet, our aerial firefighting operations in Manitoba and new air ambulance operations in British Columbia. Tony will be responsible for leadership of these critical operations and for pursuing growth opportunities.
Tony March joined Babcock Canada in June 2018, as Director Engineering, taking an executive role as Vice President – Engineering in January 2020 and has led our Marine and Mission Systems business in Canada since January 2024 . He entered industry after retiring from the Royal Canadian Navy after 21 years of military service as a Naval Technical Officer where he served on both naval ships and submarines.
Tony holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the Royal Military College of Canada, a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University, a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and a Master of Science in Marine Engineering from University College London. He has been a licensed Professional Engineer since 2013.