On Sunday 26 October 2025, the Vancouver Island Ex Cadet Club conducted a special celebratory brunch, where some 110 ex cadets, former military and civilian staff from Royal Roads Military College, gathered on the Quarterdeck in Grant Building of Royal Roads University to celebrate not only the 55 year military history of Royal Roads, 1940-1995, but also to acknowledge the importance of the motto: Truth Duty Valour /Vérité Devoir Vaillance, and the significant contributions made to Canada by all ex cadets.
The purpose of the brunch was summarized by 6216 LCol (Ret’d) Willy Anderson in his toast:
Gathered here this morning on the Quarterdeck of what was at one time one of a system of three proud Canadian Military Colleges is a diverse group of 110 people. Some of us served in the Canadian Armed Forces, some of us were university teachers, some of us were professional administrators, librarians and archivists. Also with us in this very significant space are members of the clergy and medical personnel. As diverse a group as this is, there is a strong bond which links us all. That bond is service as Military College Cadets in the three-college system or as those in direct support of the national aims of that system. There are some who did both. There is a 150-year tradition of service to country represented by the 110 Canadians here today, and we are but a tiny fraction of the number of our fellow country men and women who have so served. We may be only a small number here today, but we represent a continuing strong pride of long standing. Today, we are celebrating the significant part in national life played by: The Royal Military College of Canada; Royal Roads Military College and its predecessors, and College Militaire Royale St Jean.
We are gathered here today in celebration of our comradeship, to celebrate our achievements in furthering the goals of these worthy institutions, and, given the proximity of Remembrance Day, to remember those no longer with us with whom we were so proud to serve. It is my great honour to propose a toast to the three Canadian Military Colleges, to the values which underpinned them, and to the Canadians who supported them. I am, in short proposing a toast to us.
The coordinator and emcee of the brunch, 24754 Sonja Maui-Wilson welcomed everyone to the brunch, which opened with the singing of O Canada, the toast and the grace/prayer provided by Padre Al Fowler, former RRMC Chaplain from 1991-1993 and the VIECC Chaplain. There were ex cadets, faculty and staff representing every decade from 1950 to the 2020s; including the oldest ex cadet, 3265 VAdm (Ret’d) Nigel Brodeur to the most recent graduate of RMC (2025), 30233 Kenny Hammond, RCN.
The President of the VIECC, 9318 Dave Bindernagel provided some context to the reasons for the brunch and then introduced several individuals who were honoured for their significant contributions to RRMC:
- 3334 MGen (Ret’d) Dave Wightman, 3237 Dr. John Mothersill (who had passed away in Dec 2024, but his daughter Jane Campbell attended the brunch) and Paul Longtin, former RRU Alumni Coordinator, as members of the Military Heritage Committee, for their outstanding leadership and organization of the Royal Roads paver stone project which was completed this year and raised $275K since 2008.
- Jenny Seeman, former RRU Archivist, for her incredible dedication to the preservation of Royal Roads military artifacts/memorabilia and for her insightful renovation of the RAdm John Charles military museum in the basement of the Castle;
- Maurice Robinson and Bev Hall for their production in 1995 of the book: “Royal Roads: A Celebration” – a legacy of Royal Roads in words and photos which is priceless;
Several stories of ‘infamous’ former skylarks which had been conducted at all 3 military colleges were then related to the enjoyment of all who attended. Many draws for special gifts were then conducted before the emcee called on Padre Doug Freisen, former RRMC chaplain 1993-95, to say an after-brunch grace.
The brunch would never have occurred if not for the generous sponsorship of PortfolioHiWay, represented by 25915 Liam Ryan and 25397 Jhordan Dorrington, and from Jordan Marin (retired RCN) of EY, and Thrifty Foods. In addition, several local businesses provided gift cards for the draws.
As noted by Liam Ryan, class of 2013:
Dear Ex-Cadets of Canada’s Military Colleges on Vancouver Island,
Thank you for so generously hosting Jhordan and I at the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club Celebratory Brunch. We were thrilled to attend and to hear the many rich stories from your time at the Colleges. It’s clear that while our years RMC, CMR or RRMC may span across decades, the spirit, traditions, and experiences we share remain remarkably the same.
If you’re interested in learning more about Portfolio HiWay and the opportunities available to ex-cadets, please reach out to Jhordan Dorrington, CFA, at [email protected]. To learn more about our Canadian Alumni initiative with the RMC Alumni Association—and our mission to create spaces for classes to reconnect—please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Wishing you all the best in 2025, and we look forward to attending another VIECC event in the near future.
It was an incredible brunch, which displayed the true spirit of camaraderie and the sharing of wonderful memories.
Upcoming VIECC events will be the annual Christmas luncheon on Thursday 4 December in the Castle and the annual ‘host the cadets’ at the Union Club on Saturday 27 December.
Dave Bindernagel
9318
President VIECC
