Royal Canadian Navy warship anchors in Kingston for a day
https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/royal-canadian-navy-warship-anchors-in-kingston-for-a-day
Warship is named after Lieut.-Cmdr. Margaret Brooke, an RCN nursing sister who tried to save another person during the sinking of the ferry SS Caribou during the Second World War.
The ship, due to its size and the shallow water close to shore, had to anchor between the city of Kingston and Wolfe Island with visitors, which included RMC cadets and civilians, brought over by small navy boats.
According to the ship’s commanding officer, the tour was to showcase the Navy to Canadians.
“It’s really an amazing opportunity to connect with the local community and provide opportunities for some of the younger generations to be able to see what the Navy is and showcase everything that we can do,” said Commander Teri Share RMC 2007, who has been in the Navy for 23 years and also attended Kingston’s Royal Military College.
On October 9th, Erin O’Toole RMC 1995 was recognized and celebrated as the 15th recipient of the Albany Club Honours in Toronto. The Albany Club Honours is an annual dinner that recognizes a long-time member for their significant achievements and contributions to the Club, the community, and the Conservative Party of Canada. This event honours members for their dedication and service through significant accomplishments. Previous honourees include Amanda Walton, Hon. Peter MacKay, Premier Mike Harris, and other notable Canadians.Canada Needs a Mandatory National Service
Arcfield Canada Welcomes Luc Sabourin CMR RMC 1990 as Vice President of Canadian Operations
Arcfield Canada Corp., a premier provider of mission sustainment solutions for the aerospace and defence sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of Luc Sabourin as vice president of Canadian operations. In this role, Luc will lead the company’s business operations and strategic planning efforts, while advancing future business opportunities and growth initiatives.
“We are pleased to welcome Luc to our leadership team in Canada,” said Mark Thompson, president and general manager of Global Defense and Security Solutions at Arcfield. “With over 30 years of experience in the Canadian aerospace and defence industry, coupled with a proven track record of business performance and strategic leadership, Luc will be instrumental in advancing our strategic priorities and leading Arcfield Canada’s operations.”
Sabourin joins Arcfield from L3Harris MAS where he was responsible for standardizing operations between Cold Lake, Alberta and Bagotville, Quebec, in direct support of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) CF-18 fighter. Earlier in his industry career, he served as director of fleet management at Top ACES Inc., where he was responsible for the technical sustainment of all company fixed wing assets.
Sabourin began his career in the Canadian Forces as an aerospace engineer, serving most recently as Commander of Canadian Forces Recruiting Group. Prior to that, he spent eight years with the RCAF in a variety of roles, including: Commanding Officer 1 Air Maintenance Squadron (1 AMS) in Cold Lake, Alberta overseeing preventive and corrective maintenance operations in support of the CF-18 fighter aircraft; Wing Commander of 5 Wing Goose Bay in Happy Valley, Newfoundland and Labrador; and Director A4 Maintenance at 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarter in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he was responsible for the standards and management of all RCAF aircraft maintenance operations. Earlier roles also included leadership positions in weapon system management, aerospace and engineering management, training and maintenance and finally operational command and control.
Sabourin holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Master of Sciences in Aerospace Vehicle Design from Cranfield University.
Why U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats have Canada ‘between a rock and a hard place’
Members of HMCS William Hall and U.S. law enforcement agents return to the ship with bundles of cocaine seized from a boat in the Caribbean earlier this year. (Canadian Armed Forces)
Canada’s Department of National Defence says it will continue a long-standing operation with the U.S. Coast Guard to capture drug smugglers in the Caribbean, despite a string of deadly U.S. airstrikes in the region.
Operation Caribbe — ongoing since 2006 — sees the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force partner with the U.S. Coast Guard to find and stop suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, taking any detainees to the U.S. to face prosecution.
The U.S. Air Force has taken a much different approach in recent weeks, bombing four suspected drug boats and killing 21 people.
Tim Addison RRMC RMC 1976, director of naval affairs for the Naval Association of Canada (NAC), said he understands the distinction the department is trying to make, but it’s not enough to alleviate his concerns about the strikes and where the U.S. could go from here.
Some scholars have questioned the legality of the strikes, while Human Rights Watch called them “extrajudicial killings.”
“Were they illegal?” Addison said in an interview with CBC News on Wednesday. “Should Canada continue to contribute to Operation Caribbe if in fact it seems to be going down the path towards illegal operations?”
The NAC is a national group of retired and serving naval personnel, advocating for a stronger navy. While the group doesn’t typically weigh in on current operations, Addison said this was a “bigger issue.”
“This involves the law of armed conflict and the rules of waging war between two states,” he said.
Addison — who spent 34 years as a naval officer before working for the joint staff in Ottawa — said the Canadian government should be seeking answers from the United States on a long list of questions involving the intel and rationale behind the strikes.
“Canada needs to understand that reason and then make a judgment call as to whether they think they should continue with Operation Caribbe, or perhaps make a statement on where they stand on these activities.”
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame Unveils 2026 Inductees and Award Recipients
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) is proud to announce the induction of four extraordinary individuals who have made lasting contributions to aviation and aerospace in Canada. Each has demonstrated the remarkable leadership, vision, innovation, and dedication that is the heart of Canada’s aviation story.
The 2026 inductees are:
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Robert Banks CMR RMC 1974– Honoured for his pioneering contributions to human factors research in aviation, including decades of work on flight surgeon training and studies of physiological stresses in flight.
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Donald J. Carty – Recognized for transformative leadership and vision in the airline industry. He guided major carriers, promoted open skies policies between Canada and the United States, and strengthened cross-border cooperation in aviation.
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Ken Molson – Celebrated for his foundational role in preserving Canada’s aviation heritage as the first curator of the National Aviation Museum. He established restoration and archival standards that became models of excellence, built one of the world’s leading aviation collections, and authored pioneering research that continues to shape our understanding of Canadian aviation history.
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Michael Potter CMR RMC 1966 – Acknowledged for his passion and dedication in showcasing aviation excellence through the founding of the Vintage Wings of Canada Foundation, the creation of VinTech Aero Inc. for the restoration and repair of historic warbird aircraft, and offering Canadians hands-on experiences that connect them with aviation’s past and its inspiring legacy.
Together, their contributions to science and medicine, corporate leadership, and the preservation and promotion of Canada’s aviation heritage, are testament to why Canadians remain world leaders in aviation and aerospace.
The Belt of Orion Award for Excellence will also be presented to the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), which has been the national voice for commercial aviation for generations. Established in 1934, ATAC has supported the growth, competitiveness, and safety of Canada’s air transport sector for more than ninety years.
COLUMN: ‘Women in Aviation’ to explore possibilities of careers in flight industry
Aviation careers for women are limitless, rewarding, and inspiring—a fact that six female speakers will demonstrate when they take centre stage for the inaugural Women in Aviation event Oct. 18, at Langley’s Canadian Museum of Flight.
Jenn Charlebois, a former Army cadet and graduate of Kingston’s Royal Military College of Canada with a degree in business administration, is an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Regional Training Specialist and a “proud ATC mom” to her students. She joined NAV CANADA following her retirement from the Canadian military.
Charlebois explains, “I became a Terminal and Arrival Controller (Radar) and a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) Tower Controller. My postings took me to Comox, Trenton, Yellowknife, and Moose Jaw. My secondary roles included Workplace Relations Advisor, On-Scene Emergency Controller, and Emergency Exercise Planner, to name a few.”
What does relaxation look like with such an action-packed career?
“I travel, ride motorcycles, trap shoot—and I’ve surfed and skydived,” says Charlebois.
Attendees can expect to meet six Women in Aviation speakers who will demonstrate that the sky isn’t the limit—it’s a place to work, dream, achieve, and inspire generations to come.
I’m reminded of a quote by New Zealand’s Jean Batten, who made the first solo flight from England to New Zealand in 1936: “I was destined to be a wanderer. I seemed born to travel. In flying, I found speed and freedom to roam the earth.”
Retired Royal Canadian Air Force lieutenant-colonel handed reprimand at court martial
Retired Royal Canadian Air Force lieutenant-colonel handed reprimand at court martial
A former officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force was handed a severe reprimand and a $2,500 fine Friday at the conclusion of a court martial in Halifax where he pleaded guilty to wrongly detaining two young air cadets in 2013.
Retired Lt.-Col. Yves Therrien was charged in September 2024 with undermining good order and discipline, as defined under the National Defence Act.
The military judge hearing the case, Col. Stephen Strickey, told the court that Therrien had abused his rank and betrayed the trust of subordinates. The sentence resulted from a joint submission from the prosecution and defence.
“These incidents have had a significant impact on the victims,” Strickey said, adding that Therrien had shown a lapse in judgment that stood in stark contrast to an otherwise exemplary 30-year military career marked by many accolades.
The identities of the two victims are protected from publication by a court-ordered ban. Canadian air cadets range in age from 12 to 18 years old.
Court heard that in July of 2013, Therrien was commanding officer of the cadet flight training centre in Debert, N.S., when two cadets were separately punished for minor infractions. Each was confined to a storage room where they were isolated from other cadets.
One cadet spent a day in the room and the other, older cadet spent three days there — between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. — even though cadet training orders clearly state that confining a cadet is not accepted as a means of discipline.
According to an agreed statement of facts, when an officer at the centre told Therrien about the training orders, the lieutenant-colonel dismissed them, saying they only applied to serious matters. As well, court heard that the commanding officer had referred to the cluttered storage room as the “penalty box.”
In a victim impact statement submitted to the court, the younger cadet said he suffered “emotional harm” and later experienced “lingering fear” and “general uneasiness around authority figures.”
When the older cadet read her statement aloud in court on Thursday, she paused a few times and took deep breaths to regain her composure.
“It has taken 12 years and multiple filings of reports to hold Lt.-Col. Therrien … accountable for violating governing orders by unlawfully confining another person,” she told the court. “In those 12 years, I have recounted this story many times … and it has been exhausting and emotionally draining.”
She said her confinement in what she called a “dirty linen closet” left her in a state of shock, mainly because she was being punished for minor infractions at a time when she was excelling as a senior cadet.
“This was one of the moments when I felt the most lonely and isolated in my life,” she said, adding that she felt unsafe because she later faced ongoing harassment.
She said she suffered from insomnia, anxiety, depression and panic attacks.
As for Therrien, court heard the 64-year-old former fighter pilot had earlier apologized for his actions. And in a brief statement to the court, he acknowledged that he had failed at fulfilling some of his duties as a commanding officer.
“I regret deeply the negative feelings the cadets expressed today,” he said.
The sentence will not lead to a criminal record, which will allow Therrien to continue working at a private sector job that requires a NATO security clearance, court heard.
The military prosecutor, RCAF Maj. Olivier Vinet-Gasse, told the sentencing hearing that Therrien’s “grave lack of judgment” had left a lasting psychological impact on the young victims. But the major also noted that the senior officer’s actions in 2013 “seem to have been isolated.”
Vinet-Gasse said he hoped the sentence would “send a message” to the leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces.