RCR_Pro_Patria_BK_2021_WEB

Maj Travis Hanes eying the ground while developing Sgt Dan Baker recommending battle positions and his plan for the MAPLE RESOLVE 22 leader’s recce. routes for the MAPLE RESOLVE 22 trace. while mitigating the ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic. The team’s efforts were also felt abroad through continuing support to Task Force Latvia on the Integrated Capstone Exercise. Overcoming the challenges of both a global pandemic, and a distant posting have made some unique demands on the team. These challenges have continued to be met and overcome, with our members punching above their weight to provide the leadership, professionalism and knowledge to CMTC which has enabled it to succeed in its mission as the Army’s Collective training authority. The CMTC Royal team saw the retirement of Maj Nick Gallagher and the posting of LCol Ross Bonnell and Maj Darren Jenkins. Remaining at CMTC were Maj Travis Hanes, Maj Jon Hebert, Sgt Dan Baker, and MCpl Matt Campbell. Posted in this summer were Maj Andy Torrance, WO Chris Dowhan, Sgt Audie, and Ste Croix. 3 CDTC 2021 was another busy year for the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre (3 CDTC) Wainwright, and the Royal Canadians posted here continued to provide high quality training to candidates on a variety of courses. LCol Greg Vander Kloet and CWO Ian [ 101  PRO PATRIA 2019 ]

LCol Greg Vander Kloet and CWO Ian Bennett with an ISCC top candidate LCol Greg Vander Kloet handing the ceremonial staff back to Vice-Chief Lerat of the FSIN, signifying returning Indigenous youth at the Bold Eagle grad parade [ 102  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Bennett formed our command team for their second year. Capt Brandon Robinson and Sgt Jesse-Leigh Kezar continued as instructors within B Coy, while Capt Shawn- Michael Wardell and Sgt Michael Stacey managed personnel awaiting training in the school’s Basic Training Platoon. As 2021 began and public health measures were relaxed, our operational tempo returned to the pace it had been before the pandemic. Basic and leadership courses continued for both the Primary Reserve and the Regular Force, which included Decentralized-Basic Military Qualification, Developmental Period 1 Infantry (DP1 Infantry), Close Quarter Combat Basic and Instructor, Primary Leadership Qualification, Army Junior Leadership Course, Infantry Section Commander Course, and the Rifle Section Commander Course. 3 CDTC’s instructors, including Capt Robinson and Sgts Kezar, made a considerable contribution to the training and development of personnel in 3 Canadian Division, ensuring over 2500 candidates successfully completed their qualifications. 3 CDSG APS 2021 saw the arrival of Col Rob McBride as Commander 3 Canadian Division Support Group. Although based in Edmonton, Alberta, Col McBride also commands CFBs Suffield, Wainwright, and Shilo. His formation is responsible for the support of lodger units at a number of garrisons across Western Canada spanning from British Columbia to Thunder Bay, Ontario, and including the Arctic Training Centre in Resolute Bay, Nunavut. 3 CDSG provides a range of services including infrastructure, ranges and training areas, personnel services, and technical services needed for western and northern regular and reserve units to train and prepare to for deployments. Col Robert McBride addresses DP 1 0089 during their graduation parade, 2 December 2021 [ 103  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

THE NORTH Royal Canadians who serve in the arctic are found at either Joint Task Force North (JTFN) or 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG). Both are headquartered in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. 1 CRPG has patrols in virtually every community in The Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, staffed by Canadian Rangers, with the only permanent post for a Royal being at 1 CRPG headquarters at the Joe Tobie building in Yellowknife. Besides the Yellowknife Headquarters, JTFN has a detachment in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and another in Nunavut’s territorial capital in Iqaluit. Throughout the North, the RCR are well represented by Senior NCO’s like MWO Roger Duquette (1 CRPG, Ranger Instructor), WO Ryan Chetwynd (1 CRPG, RI), WO Troy Goodfellow (1 CRPG, RI), WO Andrew MacLeod (JTFN, Det Yukon), Sgt Jonathan Barteaux (1 CRPG, RI), Sgt Shawn Spencer (1 CRPG, RI), MCpl Shawn Sutcliffe (1 CRPG, RI) and officers Capt Ed Vermeersch (1 CRPG’s Adjutant), Capt Alexander Gawel (JTFN J7) and Capt Rob Hendry (JTFN J3-4.) Generally, the Territories have been isolated from the worst of the pandemic, made possible due to geography, strict health protection measures imposed by the Territorial public health authorities, and within the Canadian Armed Forces units, effective discipline and leadership in health and isolation matters by the JTFN chain of command. Thus, lockdowns have been fewer and much shorter in duration for both the military and wider communities across the North. Due to deliberate planning by all levels of the Canadian Government, the decision was made to vaccinate the relatively small, if isolated and remote population of all three Territories before other regions of Canada. JTFN, under then BGen Carpentier and his staff took the opportunity to work closely with the Territorial governments in planning their vaccine roll out under Op VECTOR. Consequently, soldiers, sailors and aviators north of 60 were fully vaccinated by March. This allowed JTFN to continue to operate in a COVID environment and deploy across the North during the regular cycle of the NANOOK series operations and for the first time in Canadian history, successive domestic operations in response to multiple requests for assistance from all three Territories. Op NANOOK-NUNALIVUT 2021 deployed a scalable joint force to Yellowknife in February, 2021 which allowed JTFN to demonstrate the ability to maintain assured access within Canada’s Arctic providing defence of North America in a COVID environment. Task Force command was retained by JTFN with participants from across Canada, including a Land Task Force from 5th Canadian Division, Canadian Rangers, Fleet Dive Unit (Atlantic), and RCAF elements including CC- 138 Twin Otter transport aircraft from 440 Squadron from Yellowknife and a CH- 140 Chinook from 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron from Petawawa. Op NANOOK-NUNAKPUT 2021 is a joint, but Canadian Army focused, [ 104  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

surveillance and control operation in Canada’s Internal Arctic waters. This past summer the Royal Canadian Navy deployed the HMCS Harry DeWolf (HDW) in support of NUNAKPUT 2021. HDW transited Canada’s Arctic Archipelago from east to west and supported the Land Task Force. During this operation deployed troops in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, were transported to the communities of Pond Inlet, Grise Fiord, and Arctic Bay, Nunavut where they linked up with locally based 1 CRPG patrols, and HDW. This was HDW’s maiden voyage and is the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, of a class which will eventually number 7 RCN vessels. HDW’s transit of Canada’s Arctic Archipelago and subsequent circumnavigation of North America via the Panama Canal represents a first for a Canadian warship and a step forward in Canada’s capability in our own arctic territory and beyond. Op NANOOK TATIGIIT 2021 is an annual, joint, whole of government crisis response training event which rotates between The Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut and exercises all levels of government, the private sector and where possible, our arctic neighbours and allied forces from NATO and beyond. This past summer saw the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard conducted a live, mass rescue at sea exercise in the Davis Strait between the coast of Baffin Island and Greenland. JTFN contracted a civilian arctic ferry to play the part of a stricken cruise ship which had run aground and needed rescue. The naval task force had to extract civilian passengers, crew and casualties while dealing with the environmental fallout from the foundering vessel. Various Canadian and US boarding parties had to deploy and board the civilian ship to deal with various challenging scenarios. JTFN’s Captain Rob Hendry (3 RCR) deployed to Iqaluit, Nunavut during the operation which meant that a Royal was present in each of Canada’s three Arctic Territories during TATIGIIT 2021. For the first time ever, each of the three Territories have requested in turn or in concert, on multiple occasions, federal assistance. As a result, JTFN has Fort Simpson during the flooding of the Mackenzie River [ 105  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

planned and executed three LENTUS operations, in addition to Op VECTOR and continued support to Op LASER this past year. The Northwest Territories was first with flooding along the Mackenzie River Valley during this past spring thaw. The floods were not caused by rainfall or snowmelt, but due to ice jams causing water levels to rise many metres in a matter of hours and causing the destruction of dwellings and infrastructure in communities like Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson and onwards through the length of Canada’s Above: Members of 3 Canadian Division’s Immediate Response Unit longest river to The Beaufort providing assistance to flooded areas in the Yukon Delta. Canadian Rangers from Fort Providence to Aklavik were called out to assist their communities during the floods. This was quickly followed by The Yukon Territory requesting assistance due to flooding, this time from an exceptionally warm spring causing rapid snow melt. Lessons learned in the Mackenzie saw a larger deployment by the Canadian Army to the Yukon in 3 Division’s Immediate Response Unit where they built berms to protect critical infrastructure. As spring transitioned to summer, JTFN hoped for respite. Summer moved to autumn, but the respite did not hold when Iqaluit discovered hydrocarbons in their drinking water. Once again, another request for assistance was delivered to the Canadian Armed Forces. Another Op LENTUS stood up and 4 Engineering Support Regiment from New Brunswick deployed two Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units (ROWPU). These systems provided clean and potable drinking water to Nunavut’s capital city while the civilian works department fought to restore the town’s drinking water supply. This marked two firsts for Canada namely, the first time that the ROWPU has been deployed on a domestic operation, and the first time a ROWPU operated in the Arctic. 2021 has been a busy year from navigating COVID to responding to an unprecedented number of domestic operations. The RCRs in Team North have upheld the moto of Pro Patria, serving Canada and the Regiment proudly in this unique, beautiful, bountiful, austere and challenging Canadian North. [ 106  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

JOINT TASK FORCE UKRAINE OP UNIFIER ROTO 11 By Sgt Chris Jellicoe It has been a busy time for members of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of The Royal Canadian Regiment here with Joint Task Force Ukraine (Roto 11). We have been spread around at many different Bases and Training areas around Ukraine. Here is a few write ups of what the Royal Canadians have been teaching, advising and mentoring here in Ukraine from April to late September 2021. The CTAGs (Collective Training Advisory Group) role within JTF-U was to provide advice to Armed Forces of Ukraine trainers during collective training taking place at CTC-Shirokylan, near Mykolaiv. The primary role of CTAG was to provide advice and mentorship to the OCTs as the brigades cycled through rotational training in preparation for deployment to the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area. This is similar to Canadian Army units cycling through Wainwright, although instead of once a year, its non-stop rotations year-round. This means being an OCT at CTC-SL is a largely thankless and busy job; however, the OCTs we worked with were some of the most professional and knowledgeable soldier’s one could imagine. Each had experience in the JFO area and shared their experiences with us and training audience. They strived to prepare new soldiers, some with no training at all, for what they would encounter. The secondary task was to provide direct training to the soldiers of the AFU. The most requested type of training from the AFU, Border Guards, and other forces of Ukraine’s military was Urban Operations. They expressed great enthusiasm to learn the drills and practice as much as they could, which made for a very rewarding experience for the two UOIs (WO Balkham and Sgt Jellicoe) within CTAG. Other members of CTAG also quickly became proficient with delivering MDMP/TLP classes and training to AFU Brigade staffs. These involved weeks of in-class training, with a seemingly never-ending rotation of Brigades coming to CTC-SL. Members from 1 and 3 RCR sent a TAV to assist with Ex VOLODYMYRS TRIDENT from 3-23 Jul 21, where they assisted within, and worked with 2nd Bn 3018 Rapid Reaction Bde (2/3018) of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) and a Pl from the State Border Guards of Ukraine (SBG) both of which are full time military forces dedicated to protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The Ex lasted 3 weeks and covered MDMP training for the Bn HQ (taught by Major Vogel, Capt Purdon and WO Huckle), TLP for the Coy, Pl and Sect Comds (taught by Lt Brownlee), Urban Ops (taught by MCpl Kells, Cpl Burns, Pte Page, Pte Gagnon, Pte Brunette, Machine Gun Theory (taught by MCpl Watson, Cpl Regis-Linteau and Cpl Kilgore) and ETHAR (taught by MCpl Pichette and MCpl Frechette). These classes, which were conducted in the first two weeks of the Exercise, then came together in the final FTX where 2nd Bn 3018 took and held an urban objective. After 48 hours of probing attacks and civil disturbances by the TAV members now acting as [ 107  PRO PATRIA 2020 ]

OPFOR. After the completion of the Exercise 6 members stayed on until 16 Sep 21 to assist in the training of a NGU company conducting high readiness training. The Recce Advisor Team was initially tasked with instructing informal field classes for the AFU at the Odessa Military Academy (OMA) Royal Canadians summit of Mount Hoverla to approximately 100 recce officer cadets. The in the Carpathian Mountains. Back, left to right classes instructed at the OMA were focused on – WO Balkham, MCpl Duncan, MCpl Mott, Capt small team reconnaissance tactics that ranged Filiatrault, Capt McLean, Sgt Tremblay, MCpl Sirrs, from hand signals and movement, to the Lt Aguilar Cabrera and CWO Crawford. Front, Left to right- MWO Black and Maj Siversky. development of an objective and helicopter insertion/extraction techniques. While at the OMA, the team led discussions on tactics during airborne operations and Canadian reconnaissance tactics and doctrine with the Head of AFU Recce Faculty Department. After the initial task at the OMA, the team developed the material for and instructed the first Canadian led Basic Reconnaissance Soldier (BRS) course for the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU). Candidates on the BRS course consisted of NGU personnel from the rank of Soldier (Private) to Captain, many of which had experience fighting in the JFO. The course introduced the candidates to the basic skills required by a Canadian reconnaissance soldier with the intent to develop future NGU instructors and to grow Ukraine’s reconnaissance abilities. The Canadian team used the opportunity to build Ukraine’s reconnaissance interoperability with NATO as well as learn the tactics the Ukrainians are using in the JFO. Soldiers of the 1st Bn, 2nd Bn and 3rd Bn along with members of the Task Force and our Multi National Partners from the U.S./UK/UKR/LIT-POL participated in Ex Iron Unifier in the Carpathian Mountains. A timed event that saw these soldiers depart on a 12 km weighted ascent to the top of the mountain, the highest mountain peak in Europe. This was a very challenging yet rewarding event, in mental and physical resilience. As you can see there has been a lot of skills and knowledge passed on by our Royals here. Even with COVID-19 hampering our ability at times, our professionalism and dedication to this cause has not gone unnoticed by the Ukraine military. Slava Ukraini! Pro Patria! [ 108  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

RCR REPRESENTATION AT USASMA The United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) is located in Ft Bliss, Texas, USA. It is the premier institution of NCO professional military education dedicated to developing senior leaders who are agile and adaptable. USASMA provides the Army with senior enlisted leaders of character and competence prepared to be effective, influential leaders. The year-long Sergeants Major Course equips students with the skills necessary to develop critical reasoning, creative thinking, and decision-making abilities, as well as to express their reasoning and choices verbally and in writing. The Canadian Army is represented each year with one student and one instructor. CWO G. Seeloch from The RCR is currently the CA’s student in Class 72 (2021- 2022) and will remain at Ft Bliss until 2023. Class 72 began with 59 international students from 49 countries in addition to the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard members. Students complete a 6-week preparatory course before the Sergeants Major Course begins. Left to Right, MSG Madsen (U.S.), MSG Ramos (Philippines), MSG Fiolka (Poland), WO1 Bygrave (Jamaica), MSG Taylor (U.S.), MSG Heredia (Columbia), MSG Giardini (Italy), CWO Seeloch (Canada). [ 109  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

CADETS 2647 RCACC Ormocto A dedicated staff and strong core of returning cadets assisted with the formation of the training plan for the upcoming year 2021/2022. Enthusiastic and resilient senior cadets made the challenges of the recovery phases for both in house and virtual training easy to navigate through for all cadets in the unit. In September cadets began with an online experience reflecting the recovery phase in our area at the time. New cadets joined in and began learning about the foundations of citizenship & leadership. We were soon back training in person with the assistance of our affiliated unit, 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, who provide us with an office, a QM, and classrooms in addition to the wonderful members who volunteer and assist with training our cadets. Quite a few of our regular activities were suspended for the fall, but the Gold/ Silver Star cadets were able to take part in a one-day expedition in November, as part of their training. [ 110  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Training virtually allowed us to get the basic classes completed and leave room for more in person hands on classes when allowed. As part of our activities in December we took part in “Christmas Cards for the Troops” activity and were able to mail out 40 Christmas cards to members serving abroad. The Duke of Edinburgh Award program is offered to youths ages 14-25 years of age and fits well with the cadet program as teaching skills such as marksmanship/expedition are part of our curriculum. The award encompasses personal achievement in 4 categories: learning a new skill, volunteering, physical fitness, and expedition. In each category several hours must be competed to progress and receive the award. We had two cadets complete their bronze level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program and one cadet receive the silver level. Quite an accomplishment! 2021 began with a virtual visit from York Sunbury Search and Rescue where the cadets learned about the “Adventure Smart” program; showing the cadets the importance of a Trip Plan when they venture out and away from their homes. Another highlight for the beginning of 2021 was the 50th Anniversary of the Army Cadet League of Canada as part of the celebration provincial branches of the league presented volunteers with certificates of appreciation. MWO Koftinoff, a longtime supporter and volunteer at our unit received a certificate and an anniversary coin from the New Brunswick Army Cadet League. Our cadets were able to continue training in person until March with a brief few weeks of virtual then resuming in person training to [ 111  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

finish off the cadet year. Marksmanship training, yoga nights, with some fitness and expedition activities were included in our training. We ended our year with a walk for Disabilities Visibility Canada, and our virtual Annual Ceremonial Review where LCol Jaime Phillips joined us from Mali to address the cadets. [ 112  PRO PATRIA 2020 ]

The RCR Association CHAIR’S ANNUAL REPORT THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT ASSOCIATION Like everyone else, The RCR Association has been hunkered down this past year, but some exciting initiatives were realized. Perhaps the most popular one had to do with the question, “What do I get for my fee?” Providing a clear and compelling answer to that query was very difficult. With the support of The RCR Trust, your Association has now reached the stage where we no longer charge fees to belong. One result of this late 2020 initiative was a significant increase in membership. This graph shows the substantial increase in new members in April and May. Another popular move involved the introduction of a more substantial membership card. Early in 2021, a challenge to design a new card was opened to members. The results included five exciting proposals. These five designs were published in a survey seeking consensus on the preferred one. While opinions differed, one choice was a clear winner. Robbie Robinson’s design was the one selected. [ 113  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

The cards were professionally produced in Toronto and distributed in two batches in April and November. The mailings included a suggestion that members might consider a small donation of $5 to help offset the costs involved. The response exceeded our expectations – slightly more than $6000. Production and mailing costs were $3,668. A further initiative instituted in 2021 was the production of an Association coin. The coin selected is produced by a company in Calgary called SGS Marketing. Six hundred coins were ordered in three different batches (300, 150 and 150). Here, we decided to sell the coins at cost ($14.05 with a $4.95 shipping and handling fee.) Once again, a suggestion that a donation to the Association would be appropriate. The first two batches were snapped up quickly, producing a sales revenue of $15,306. The costs of production and mailings for the first two batches were $5,069 and $1,014, respectively. Donations received totalled $7,666. Perhaps, the significant outcome of these two last efforts is that our annual draw from The RCR Trust for Association operations will be significantly reduced in 2023, mainly due to the donations received. Your Association continues to be served by a dedicated Board of Directors composed of both serving and former-serving Royal Canadians. We lost the Vice-Chair, (Denis Thompson, now the CoTR) with his replacement being Jim Simms. John Redmon joined the Board and accepted the task of Association Treasurer. We continue to provide support to members of The RCR Family who have experienced some difficult times. The Special Assistance Fund provided a grant to MCpl Terry’s Dispatches Ride Organization, with individual members adding a further $2,500 in donations. We also supplied a further grant of $1,000 to the [ 114  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

wife of a deployed RCR soldier. (She had been attacked by a dog and needed assistance.) As in previous years, six bursary awards were provided to relatives of Royal Canadians. The recipients included Abigail Azizan, Adrienne Nicholson, Aila Nissila, Roberta Lavoie, Nathan Phillippon, and Kenna Robinson. Thanks to Anthony Jones and Mark Connolly for their hard work to assess the 15 applicants and select the winners. We continue to support the Branches to fund their ongoing activities by providing them with funds based on the number of members registered on our membership app. This year, we paid out a total of $2,700 to six Branches. The RCR Association continues to focus on all members of The Regimental Family by maintaining our focus on Preserving Comradeship. OTTAWA AND DISTRICT BRANCH By Maj (ret’d) Bob Near, OMM, CD, MA OVERVIEW Without question, the year 2021 with its continuing COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging to run a Branch program of the scope and scale we had hoped, especially our social events. Notwithstanding, frequent communication between the Ottawa Branch Executive and members was maintained, ensuring all were kept informed of Association and Regimental news. Membership in the Branch also continued to grow, giving us 77 members at the end of our operating year on 31 October. Branch President Branch Vice President Branch Secretary Bob Near Drew Halpenny Alex Leleikas Branch Treasurer Member at Large Regular Force Rep & LO to the Dave Johnston Joe McNulty Branch - Maj Jeff Lloyd [ 115  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

BRANCH EVENTS Despite the difficulties encountered with the COVID pandemic, especially the restrictions against socializing with friends, the Branch still managed to conduct or partake in a number of events honouring The RCR’s achievements while taking pride in our service to Canada. Of course, some fun was had as well! TURN TO BUSAN In Ottawa, annually on 10 November, there is a small but unique remembrance ceremony which pays tribute to Canada’s Korean War fallen, with particular focus on soldiers from Ottawa who made the supreme sacrifice. This event takes place at a small memorial just behind Ottawa City Hall and entails participants facing eastwards to the Korean War cemetery at Busan (Pusan) South Representing The RCR at the “Turn to Busan” ceremony at Ottawa City Korea. An invocation and prayers Hall were Bob Near and MGen Conrad Mialkowskie, here with Aboriginal are offered by a military chaplain Veteran Floyd Powder from Yellowknife followed by the reading of the names of Ottawa soldiers who were killed in Korea. Poppies are then laid on a large wreath for every name read out. Ottawa and District Branch represents The RCR in this ceremony, and this year we were pleased to have with us fellow Royal Canadian, MGen Conrad Mialkowskie, Deputy Commander of the Canadian Army. REMEMBRANCE DAY The next day, 11 November, we were pleased to be invited to lay a wreath at Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Chelsea Pioneer Cemetery across the river in Quebec. There, we joined with the local citizenry in paying tribute to Canada’s war dead, including recalling the actions of Pte R.R. Thompson, who won the Queen’s Scarf for bravery at the Battle of Paardeberg and who is buried in the cemetery. Also participating was a guard of soldiers from 3 RCR, and a contingent of CAF members from the Health Services Group. Last year, Chelsea’s Remembrance Day ceremony was cancelled due to COVID, so it was nice to have Branch members attending once more, along with some spouses and grandchildren. We were also pleased to be informed that the town’s public works department would henceforth take responsibility for keeping in good repair the two RCR benches emplaced at the cemetery. This includes yearly fresh painting and secure winter storage for the benches. [ 116  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Above: For Remembrance Day, a number of Ottawa Branch members attended the ceremony at the Chelsea Quebec Pioneer Cemetery, grave site of Pte RR Thompson, winner of the Queen’s Scarf for bravery at Paardeberg Right: Regimental and Association wreaths line the gravestone of Pte RR Thompson, winner of the Queen’s Scarf for bravery in the Boer War ST. ANDREWS DAY WITH THE BLACK WATCH ASSOCIATION Our annual St Andrews Day get together with the Black Watch Association resumed this year on 27 November, but in a new locale, this being the Orleans Branch of The Royal Canadian Legion. We enjoyed a good turnout of some 30 people, all properly masked and adhering to COVID-19 protocols. The haggis was properly piped in and the address made, followed by a hearty Scottish lunch of lamb stew and Scotch eggs, all topped off with some fine single malt! And, it was great to socialize in person! ORTONA TOAST On 21 December we once more conducted a virtual Ortona Toast using the Microsoft Teams program, bringing together some 40 Royals over the internet, including some from overseas. Words of welcome were given by the senior Royal Canadian present, BGen Greg Smith, while the story of the original Ortona Toast was recited by Capt Andrew Poon. Virtual attendees then raised their china cups of rum, brown sugar, and hot water from the comfort of their homes and drank the health of the Regiment. Many thanks to Maj Jeff Lloyd, our Regular Force LO, for organizing the toast and to Capt Poon for reciting the events of 21 December 1943. SUPPORT TO ORLEANS LEGION BRANCH 632 For some time there has been a close affiliation between Ottawa & District Branch of The RCR Association and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 632 in [ 117  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Ottawa Branch President, Bob Near, from the comfort of his home office, gets his virtual Ortona Toast prepared in honour of the Regiment’s 138th Birthday. The Toast was conducted using the MS Teams system, which linked together some 30 Royal Canadians for the occasion Orleans, Ontario. So, in March 2021, when the Legion was financially slammed to near insolvency because of COVID-19 and needed contributions to stay afloat, one of their projects was to seek donations of picnic tables, which would enable outdoor patio dining, thereby providing essential revenue. Ottawa Royal Canadians agreed this was a worthy cause, so we quickly donated a table with an engraved plaque noting this was an RCR Association gift to the Orleans Legion during the “Great Pandemic of 2021.” We look forward to future involvement with Orleans Legion. PACHINO DAY On 10 July, the Branch marked Pachino Day, once more virtually. Maj Jeff Lloyd again took charge of the technical set up while organizing Regular Force participation. It was a pleasant, much enjoyed event, with comrades chatting and catching up on news over glasses of wine, but with regrets that we could not enjoy the occasion together in person. BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Due to COVID-19, our AGM was for a second time conducted virtually from members’ homes using E-Mail, during 22-29 October. Forty nine members participated. Main items tabled at the AGM were the Treasurer’s Financial Report for the past year and the budget for our next operating year. A tentative Branch Calendar was also prepared, but with many events “TBC” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The last AGM item was the acclamation of the current Executive for another year. No issues of concern were raised, and the Executive will continue to seek out opportunities where and when we might all come together. l [ 118  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

ACTIVITIES DURING COVID-19 As noted at the beginning of this submission, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted Ottawa and District Branch’s intended activities program, necessitating flexibility in how we operate. This includes not being able to conduct any of our monthly gatherings in the CAF messes we have been privileged to use. Also disappointing is the cancellation two years in a row of our Regimental Birthday Gala Dinner. Similarly, our always popular Paardeberg Dinner and dance held in the Mill Street Brew Pub, also had to be cancelled. We are hopeful, though, that by the end of February 2022, the Pandemic will have run its course and there will be opportunities to bring members together. So, we look forward to the next advance in medical science that will bring us back to pre-pandemic times, hoping that COVID-19 and its many variants will soon be relegated to history! We will be Royal Canadian optimists! REQUIESCAT IN PACE / MEMBERS “GONE WEST” IN 2021 Sadly, in 2021 Ottawa and District Branch suffered the loss of four members due to either health issues or upon reaching the end of a long life. These were: • T im Orange on 13 February. Tim’s passing was especially sad due to his young age and being a family man with two young daughters, while bravely fighting the deadly POEMS disease. See Pro Patria 2017 page 98, and Pro Patria 2019 page 117. • Les Peate on 25 Feb, a Korean War vet who became a prolific writer of military history; • J ohn Pearman on 10 May, devoted to the Regiment, and after suffering from multiple health problems; • Elburn Duffy on 21 Nov, our last active Korean War veteran in Ottawa Branch, who served as a bren gunner in 12 Platoon Dog Company, 2 RCR, and took part in the intense battle of Chail-Li / Kakhul Bong. It seems that Elburn died of a broken heart, his loving wife Jeannine, having pre-deceased him just a few weeks earlier in October. • Our final loss was Marion Commerford who passed away on 20 September after a long battle with dementia. Marion was the loving wife of the Branch’s sole WW II veteran, Jack Commerford. Lest we forget / Pro Patria [ 119  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Clockwise from top left: Elburn Duffy, Ottawa Branch’s last surviving Korean War veteran, shows off his veterans motorcycle jacket. Elburn passed away 21 November 2021. Branch President Bob Near, here with Elburn just prior to his passing on 21 November 2021. Elburn was a much-loved member of the Branch and a regular attendee at our gatherings. He will be much missed. Just prior to his passing, Branch President Bob Near and his wife Vera visited Elburn in Cornwall. Here pictured with Elburn are his daughters Ruth Ann and Carol. Absent is Elburn’s third daughter, Carol. [ 120  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

KINGSTON BRANCH The Kingston Branch continued to keep its head down during the lockdowns and restrictions in 2021, conducting Paardeburg Day celebrations via Zoom and trying to plan other events only to be cancelled. There was one notable event that we were able to host between lockdowns. We held Pashmul Day at Legion 560 on Saturday, 19 September. Attendance exceeded expectations, and there were 62 Branch and serving members assembled to share each other’s company. We are fortunate to have the Chair Senate, MGen Aitchison, the Regimental Colonel, Col Brian Healey, and the Regimental CWO, CADTC Sgt-Maj Tom Verner, as Kingston Branch members. It was a rare opportunity, and their words about the Regiment and its leadership were well received. The only other event was a smaller gathering of about eighteen people to commemorate the battle of Kwong San. We gathered at a local brewery, shared some lies, and toasted our Regiments’ sacrifices during the Korean Conflict. We were fortunate to have the CotR, MGen (Ret’d) Thompson present Maj (Ret’d) Tim Robinson CotR, MGen (Ret’d) Thompson, with his Silver Beaver. in attendance to provide sage words of wisdom and present regimental departure gifts to two notable Royal Canadians. Maj Tim Robinson and Capt (former RSM, 3rd Bn) Bill Fudge were presented their Regimental scrolls and beavers. They were allowed to say a few words to those assembled as they had yet to have their official DWD CotR, MGen (Ret’d) Thompson present Capt (Ret’d) Bill Fudge with events due to COVID. his Coin and Scroll. Also present were Sandy McQuarrie, Chair of the RCR Association and Rick Ried, Membership Chair, who drove from Ottawa to attend our Pashmul event. Sandy presented Tom Tarrant with a certificate of merit for his work as both President of the Kingston Branch and Chairman of The RCR Trust. This year the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery celebrated its 150th anniversary. [ 121  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Kingston is considered the Chair of The RCR Association, Col (Ret’d) Sandy McQuairre presents ‘home’ of the RCHA as the bulk Col (Ret’d) Tom Tarrant with a certifdicate merit. of the Regiment was recruited in and around Kingston in the Fall of 1939. In City Park, there is a 25-pounder artillery gun in front of a stone monument dedicated to the fallen of the Regiment. This gun deployed with A Battery, RCHA and supported 1 RCR during its tour in Korea in 1952. It was erected as a monument in the early 90s. The Kingston Branch, led by then-president MWO (Ret’d) Jack O’Brien, raised funds to have a plaque affixed to the armour plate recognizing this fact. Jack worked alongside the RCHA Association President, LCol (Ret’d) Bob Chamberlain, to make this happen. Throughout the year, the RRCA was fundraising to commit funds to refurbish both the monument and the 25 pdr. The RCR Association Board of Directors voted to donate $500 to this cause. In October, the RCHA MWO (Ret’d) Jack O’Brien and LCol (Ret’d) Bob Chamberlain at a Association held a ceremony to combined RCR and RCHA Association gathering. unveil the names of their fallen from the Korean and the Afghanistan conflicts. Branch President Jim Davis represented the RCR Association, and our Regiment was given particular kudos for our donation and continued support to the RCHA. The Branch continues to grow slowly. The current strength of the Branch has gone from 32 registered association members to 62. Some of this jump was due to former long-serving members’ data being scrambled when the Association changed software and had not aligned members with the Kingston Branch. However, I am pleased to report that the Branch is getting healthier, and we look forward to a time when we can all gather in safety and comfort. [ 122  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

HOME STATION LONDON AND DISTRICT BRANCH By Michael P. J. Stapleton, C.D. GENERAL The year 2021 followed in the footsteps of the previous with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to restrict our branch activities. I took on the role of Acting Branch President in June 2021 and look forward to that being ratified as soon as possible while continuing as Recording Secretary and Membership Representative. At the next Branch AGM, I will stand for President and hope to have a volunteer(s) identified for both a Vice President and the open Recording Secretary position. We have a large branch with an aging membership but are continuing our efforts to recruit more members and in parallel with the National Association keep our membership informed via regular emails and social media (Facebook). The current Executive Committee consists of myself, Mike Stapleton (Acting President, Recording Secretary and Membership) and Barry Graham (Treasurer). We continue to strengthen our ties with 4th Battalion through involvement with the 4 RCR Council, which regularly meets via ZOOM. Several serving members of the 4th Bn leadership team joined the Association this year furthering our goal to educate serving members on the benefits of membership in the Regimental Association both during their active service and afterward, post retirement. AGM AND PAARDEBERG CELEBRATION Both the AGM and Paardeberg were cancelled this year due to the pandemic restrictions in February. PACHINO CELEBRATION With COVID-19 restrictions easing in July we managed to gather a small number of members 15 to brave the seating restrictions and masking requirements to attend our Pachino Celebration held 10 July 2021 at the Victory Branch Legion in London. PASHMUL CELEBRATION Due to the uncertainty about gatherings the Executive Committee decided to forgo the Pashmul Celebration this year. KOWANG SAN CELEBRATION After skipping Pashmul the Executive supported by consultation with other members decided to organize a Kowang San luncheon which we held 23 October [ 123  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Left: L to R: Mike Stapleton, Jack Meigs, Harold Kelly, Don Riley and George Lafond Right: L to R: George Lafond, Leo Young, Bob “Rags” Doherty and John Currie 2021 at the Victory Branch. A good response from the membership bumped up our attendance from Pachino to 29 as the membership become more comfortable with the COVID-19 protocols. REGIMENTAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION As the COVID-19 pandemic and its restriction on our daily and social lives continued and with a new variant in the offing the membership were very happy to get together for a celebration of our 138th birthday on 21 December 2021. The Victory Branch once again provided a turkey dinner to the (53) who attended, and several new members came for the first time to one of our celebrations. The Ortona Toast was prepared by me per Capt. Mike O’Leary’s recipe on his blog site “The Regimental Rogue”. My observation of the crowd and the feedback received during and afterward suggested that everyone thoroughly enjoyed getting together despite the general trepidation related to gathering in large groups during this pandemic (we followed all the rules). SCOTIAN ISLE COFFEE CLUB The Scotian Isle Coffee Club has met on Wednesday mornings on a regular basis for over 20 years. It was initiated by members of 1 RCR who retired in the London area as a method of keeping in contact with their regimental comrades. It follows in the tradition of the morning coffee breaks in the mess which in some cases was not always optional. The regular attendees also provide support to the branch leadership with needed advice and direction which for the most part is highly appreciated. THE PASSING OF OUR BRANCH PATRON Sadly, and with great regret we lost our branch patron LCol James William “Scotty Martin”. He was one of our dwindling numbers of Korea veterans and like a small handful of others was at Kowang San (eg. Jim Thistle, Sam Carr and Tom Smith). Scotty will be greatly missed and like Sherry Atkinson the previous Branch Patron [ 124  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

a true character in his own right, their presence and company are sorely missed. SUPPORT TO THE REGIMENTAL MUSEUM To the point in time when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of its doors, the Regimental Museum continued to be ably supported through the provision of volunteer service by members of the Branch. These dependable and very knowledgeable greeters and guides form an important part of the Museum team introducing visitors to the rich history of our Regiment. We continue to owe these selfless volunteers our sincere thanks. REQUIESCAT IN PACE Sadly, the passage of time brings us a few more blank files. This year in addition to Scotty Martin, we also said farewell to notable local Royal Canadians; Life Member, Duncan Daniel McMillan, Douglas “Moose” Cavener, Alexander Edward “Skinny” Bennett, Joseph Arthur Ernest “Ernie” Matchett, Joseph C. “Joe” Poirier, Neil Richard Reece, and Colby Glen Shaw, may they rest in peace. I apologize to any family of our fallen who I may have neglected to mention here. LOOKING FORWARD I’m not sure what the “new normal” will look like but it will certainly include restrictions to us gathering as comrades. However, and despite the restrictions we will continue as a branch to grow and prosper for as long as we as “The Royal Canadians” want to remember our comrades in arms and the fellowship that ensues from that bond. LCol James W. “Scotty” We will continue to keep the lamp lit in the window for all Martin former members seeking the assurance of comradeship within the regimental family and to keep our branch alive so that in the future they have a home to return to. Our Branch personally thanks the Association President Col (Ret’d) Sandy McQuarrie for the visit he made in October to both the branch and Scotian Isle Coffee Club. It was appreciated by both the membership and me. I’d also like to thank the Colonel of the Regiment MGen (Ret’d) Denis Thompson for his visit and interest in the Home Station London District Branch and its activities. We are looking forward to a more eventful year, perhaps one free of the tiresome COVID-19 restrictions that hampered us through 2020 and 2021, and knowing that the next Regimental Association Reunion, to be held here at London, is looming larger and larger on the horizon. [ 125  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

WINDSOR-ESSEX COUNTY ASSOCIATION By LCol (Ret’d) Hardy Wheeler GENERAL Greetings to all Royal Canadians from the Windsor-Essex County Branch. Our Branch Executive was unchanged in 2021 with Hardy Wheeler as President, Bob Papak as Secretary and Zane Handysides as Treasurer. We are a small group of serving and past serving Royal Canadians in the extreme SW corner of Ontario so we reach out to other members of the regimental family like wives and adult children of members who have “attended their last parade” and army veterans who may not have served in the Regiment. The no fee option has been popular almost doubling our official membership numbers although many others also join us when we are able to meet. GATHERINGS Without doubt COVID-19 had a significant impact on our Branch this year either restricting meeting in groups or discouraging close contact to limit transmission of the disease. With an abundance of caution we cancelled our spring/summer gathering. In October we surveyed our members to determine whether it was worth the effort to organize a Regimental birthday event in December. The response was overwhelmingly to have an informal dinner. As it played out, the Association Royal Canadian members of the Windsor-Essex County Branch, friends and family met for dinner on 21 December at Branch 255 RCL in Windsor, ON. Seated L to R: Lynn Girard, Andra McDonald, Les McDonald, Jeanne Papak. Standing L to R: Hardy Wheeler, Rosie Denny, Jack Goddard, Pauline Zimmer, Eric Skelton, Dave Mimnagh, Bob Papak, Bruce Tribute, Joyce Tremaine, Zane Handysides. (Photo credit Hardy Wheeler) [ 126  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

pandemic restrictions and infection rates were such that a smaller group than usual met at Branch 255, Royal Canadian Legion on 21 December to celebrate our Regiment’s 138 years of service to Canada and, since we had not been together as a group in a year, we also recognized our other Regimental days like Paardeberg (1900), Pachino (1943) and Pashmul (2006). It was nice to be together again, albeit carefully due to COVID, and to toast The Regiment with Ortona Port. The port was especially good this year having been made in December 2019. Like old soldiers, old port gets mellow with time. We end the year with the hope that we can meet a couple of times in 2022. ALBERTA ASSOCIATION THE “BOBBY GIROUARD BRANCH” 2021 a year to remember, most of the year we were unable to do much of anything. We had to post-pone our AGM 3 times, but finally managed to get a group together to celebrate the Regimental Birthday in between COVID 19 restrictions. In early November the President was active with distribution of the Poppy’s: The Branch continued to celebrate the return to the wild, many members met at Jim Thomson’s acerage near Evansburg, Alberta for a weekend of fund and enjoyment of a gathering of Royal Canadians, the Brother-hood. A good time was had by all. Below: Left to Right: Roger Alexander, Bruce Given, Keith Davis, Peter Albert, Jim Thomson, John Wendover, Bev Sesink, Alex Ewan Front Row, Leo Boyd, John Pickett, and our honoured Guest a Korean Veteran Mr. Norm Arthur. Above: The President of the “Bobby Girouard Branch” distributing poppies on November 2nd 2021. [ 127  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

THE RCRM IN 2021 By Dr. Georgiana Stanciu, Executive Director A second year into the pandemic, 2021 brought another generous donation from Jack Peltier, saw the return of staff on site, and the museum re-opening to the public. In 2021, the museum continued digital development in order to engage with our patrons. The museum strategic plan reached its 3rd year, which coincided with efforts to advance on Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Accessibility. This strategic line will be carried in 2022, with several projects targeting First Nations, ethnic groups in our community, and individuals with disabilities. A second extremely generous donation from Jack Peltier and the annual disbursement from the Directorate of History and Heritage, Museums and Historical Collections Section 5 have brought the museum in an excellent financial position. The influx of funding stimulated the progress on the second- floor galleries as well as some of the programming projects. The collections project continued, with more artefacts catalogued, some uploaded to the on-line data base, others captured in a variety of Stories from the Collections. A new section was added to the second-floor gallery: The RCR at Home and Abroad. 1951 to 1991 (part 1). The re-opening of the museum for on-site visits has brought a very positive vibe, albeit reduced numbers. With COVID-19 restrictions in place for the foreseeable future, the return of the volunteers for on-site work is problematic. COLLECTIONS More progress has been made to catalogue and relocate artefacts, some are already uploaded onto the online data base, others are highlighted in the Stories from the Collection, on the website. An exceptional addition to our collection: the sword presented to Sergeant Major Thomas McKenzie (1830-1910). • 399 catalogue records added in Past Perfect database. [ 128  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Infantry Officer Sword (1822/45 British pattern), RCRM2021.003.0001a-c. • 507 records changed • 1322 records uploaded to on-line Data Base. https://www. thercrmuseum.ca/en-ca/Collection/Online-Collection • 12 new Stories from the Collection https://www.thercrmuseum.ca/en-ca/ Collection/Stories The online database offers an opportunity to browse the collection, with more artifacts added in 2021. It is a very popular page on our website. The Stories feature artefacts that are not on display; they are related to events and individuals historically significant to the regiment. Among last year’s Stories: The Royals of CFB Baden Soellingen; 1RCR in Cyprus, 1970; Making Peace in Korea; and Prince Philip at Wolseley Barracks. A bequeath from the estate of the late Richard Segee brings us to RSM Thomas McKenzie. The name is familiar to all those who serve, or served, with The Royal Canadian Regiment as the “first recruit.” Initially a member of a regimental band, McKenzie raised through the ranks, participated in the Persian War (1854) and the Indian Mutiny (1856), then sailed to Canada. He arrived in St. John, NB, in 1862 and settled there after a long career in the Imperial Army. McKenzie continued to be active in the Canadian Militia as the Regimental Sergeant Major of “A” Company of the Infantry School Corps (established in 1883). McKenzie’s name is indeed entered in the Enlistment Ledger of “A” Company of the unit, with service Infantry Officer Sword (1822/45 British pattern), RCRM2021.003.0001a-c. [ 129  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Infantry Officer Sword (1822/45 British pattern), RCRM2021.003.0001a-c. number 2001, age 53 and date of enlistment, 7 January 1884. He remained the RSM until 1895, when he retired from the Army. McKenzie is also the author of My Life as a Soldier, an autobiographical account of exploits in the British, and the Canadian Armies. According to the inscription on the blade, the sword was presented to Thomas McKenzie by the officers of the St. John 62nd Volunteer Battalion in 1866. At the time, McKenzie was a Captain in this unit. The sword is an 1822/45 British infantry pattern, marked “Reynolds and Johnson/69”, it may have been commissioned (and purchased) at 89 High Holborn, London, UK. The item is in fair condition, with the scabbard damaged at the bottom and some corrosion of the brass guard. EXHIBITIONS The RCR at Home and Abroad. 1947 – 2001 is the exhibit project of 2021 and 2022. The first phase came to completion in November 2021. This larger project that will see the period 1946 to 2001 re-branded on the second-floor gallery by the end of 2022. • 77 artefacts The Canadian Armed Forces peacetime establishment, with a new regimental structure, The RCR at the 38th Parallel, United Nations: One Country, One Vote and NATO Brigade are just the main storylines of the addition to the museum’s gallery. The result of several month collaborative work between museum staff and Galadriel Enterprises, this new exhibit brings forward artefacts forgotten in storage, but most importantly, introduces new topics in the general flow of the gallery. The visitors’ experience is now improved by offering a better understanding of the historical background to major international military operations since the Korean War until the relocation of the NATO Brigade from Soest to Baden Soellingen (West Germany). The museum recognizes the generous contribution from Jack Peltier and DHH – Museums and Historical Collections, Section V who made the project possible. Several other companies and individuals have contributed to a successful completion, including museum staff and volunteers, Art Bank, Parker Plastics and PTN Electrical and Automated Solutions all of London, ON. [ 130  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

PEACETIME ARMY AND A NEW REGIMENTAL STRUCTURE 1947 – 1991 The Canadian Armed Forces peacetime establishment was announced in 1946, a total of 51,000 men and women in the active force. The Canadian Army held half of this strength, and was built around an infantry brigade formed of three regiments: The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), and the Royal 22e Régiment (Van Doos). Perpetuated to present days, this structure is based on the idea of a mobile striking force, airborne, parachute trained, with support troops such as signals, artillery, engineers, and medical units. The RCR began the transition from a wartime formation to an Active Service peacetime unit in Brockville, ON. Before 1RCR and 3RCR were established at Garrison Petawawa (4th Canadian Division Support Base) and 2RCR at Garrison Gagetown (5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown), each of the battalions served and/or trained in various locations across the country such as Winnipeg (MB), Wainwright, (AB), Churchill (MB), Ipperwash, (ON), London (ON). In addition, they deployed overseas for duty under UN banner or as part of Canada’s NATO commitments during the Cold War. 1RCR The RCR wartime formation was disbanded on 1 March 1946 and re-formed as a unit embodied in the post-war Permanent Force several months later. In 1952 it was re-designated to become the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment or 1RCR. Detail of “The RCR at Home and Abroad. Peacetime Army and a New Regimental Structure (1947 – 1991).” [ 131  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

2RCR Authorized on 7 August 1950 in the Active Force, the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment or 2RCR, was initially part of the Special Force. 3RCR The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment or 3RCR was authorized as an Active Force unit embodied in the Special Force. In 1954, the battalion was disbanded, but in 1970 it was authorized again as a regular force unit. 4RCR A reserve force battalion was established in 1954, when the Department of National Defence consolidated several units across the country. The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and the Oxford Rifles were joined to become initially 3RCR (The London and Oxford Fusiliers). In 1970, with the authorization of 3RCR as an active force formation, they became 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers); in 1990, the reference to the local lineage was dropped and the unit known henceforth as 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment or 4RCR. THE CANADIAN AIRBORNE REGIMENT More a tactical formation manned from other regiments and branches, the Canadian Airborne Regiment was established in 1968 and disbanded in 1995. During this period, the personnel was recruited from all three active force regiments with Royals maintaining 3 Airborne Commando. UNITED NATIONS: ONE COUNTRY, ONE VOTE The United Nations Organization (UN), was established in 1945 as a world-wide agency with a mission to maintain the international peace and security, to protect human rights, and to deliver humanitarian aid. The General Assembly counts 193 states. All members have the right to vote on important decisions, such as those on world peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters. All members are committed to achieve international cooperation in solving problems and to promote human rights. Five permanent members and 10 other Collections Registrar, Jessica Stevenson and Volunteer Don Riley bringing finishing touches to “The RCR at Home and Abroad – United Nations: One Country, One Vote (1947 to Present).” [ 132  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Detail of “The RCR at Home and Abroad. 1950 – 1953 The RCR to the 38th Parallel.” countries participate by rotation to the Security Council, which is responsible for taking collective action when the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression world-wide have been identified. When and if UN involvement is not feasible, the Council can authorize regional organizations or coalitions to implement certain peacekeeping or peace enforcement functions. Several other specialized agencies, funds and programs are in place to support UN mission, i.e. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), WHO (World health Organization), etc. 1950 – 1953 THE RCR TO THE 38TH PARALLEL After the Second World War, the Korean Peninsula had been split in two, with communist countries backing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the north, and the western countries supporting the Republic of Korea in the south. On 25 June 1950, the former invaded the latter, starting a 3-year combat period that ended with an armistice still in place. Signed on 27 July 1953, the armistice put an end to hostilities and established a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel which continues to be the border between the two countries. the Korean Peninsula as part of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade. In an international force under United Nations Command, together with the R22eR and PPCLI, The RCR was involved in operations assigned to the 1st Commonwealth Division formed of British, Canadian, Australian and New Zeeland units. This sector was on the western flank of the frontline, north of Seoul, capital city of South Korea. NATO BRIGADE 1953 – 1970 One of Canada’s commitments to NATO was sending troops in western Europe to stand by in the event of a Soviet attack. Between 1953 and 1970, The RCR battalions were deployed as part of Canadian Infantry Brigade Group (CIBG) located in the city of Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia region. For almost two decades, The RCR camp was known as “Fort York.” [ 133  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Detail of “The RCR at Home and Abroad. NATO Brigade 1953 – 1970.” PROGRAMMING Programming continued online, with several modules targeting various categories of public. On 8 September 2021 the museum reopened to visitors modified hours, pre-booked appointments and reduced capacity. • 545,966 social media interaction • 3.4 to 6.5% rate of engagement on social media channels • Increased performance with digital marketing contract • 4,800 views on YouTube • 3,575 ‘likes’ on Facebook • 2,463 followers on Twitter • 468 followers on Instagram • 197 members RCRM DIGITAL • 7 members Teacher’s Corner • 342 digital interaction, education programs or pre-scheduled tours • 339 downloads RCRM Speakers Series • 579 visitors on site Overall, museum programming in 2021 was dominated by the virtual engagement. The museum participated in community driven on-line events such as Historic [ 134  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Museum programming in 2021 showing the main trends for digital engagement Places Day or Doors Open London. On 10 Nov 2021, a museum live event on-line was held to launch the new exhibit “The RCR at Home and Abroad. 1947 – 1970.” RCRM DIGITAL EDUCATION is a spin off the museum’s education programs adjusted from in-person delivery to on-line. The material was prepared for synchronous and asynchronous delivery, with a very successful twist for Destination: Dawson City featuring the Yukon Field Force (1898-1900). RCRM DIGITAL gained very few new members, and RCRM Speakers Series, although popular, saw a decrease in downloads compared with 2020. Overall reach on all social media platforms is on a slow and steady upward trend. With no obvious type of “most successful posts”, the increased numbers of our virtual engagement are a blend of #OTD posts and posts featuring current events (such as the passing of Prince Phillip or of volunteers associated with the museum for a long time). Twitter has a solid engagement and a dramatic reach, compared to the other behemoth Facebook. Instagram is steadily growing, hoping for 500 followers in 2022. YouTube views are varied and no obvious trends could be found based on the nature of message/topic. The average YouTube view duration is more than 2:00, which is encouraging as consumers are accustomed to “skipping” videos. If viewers are opting to watch more than 2:00 of a video by choice, it indicates [ 135  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

From left to right, Public Programmer Sarah Coates, Retail Clerk Mara Mohaupt, Executive Director Georgiana Stanciu, Intern Emily Clink, Collections Registrar Jessica Stevenson, Regimental Archivist Michael O’Leary. October 2021, London, ON. the content is engaging enough to keep their attention. Paid ad campaigns are effective, but they did not dramatically increase the number of viewers or engagement; they are most effective when a specific event is promoted rather than the museum or the website in general. It is to be noted that the rate of engagement on-line has grown significantly since September 2021, when the museum requested the services of a marketing expert company. STAFF Staff navigated well the second year into the pandemic, with a lot of professional development, many lessons learned, and more experience in engaging with our patrons on-line. • 3 full time • 2 part time • 2 students CSJ • 1 intern With no choice but to continue engaging with our patrons on-line, staff continued to develop new content for the social media channels, in addition to enjoying the work on site, when that was possible). Professional development was available through various programs offered on-line. This included a wide range of classes, but most notable is the participation in a pilot course on emergency preparedness organized by the Canadian Conservation Institute: “Response Ready? Providing [ 136  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Resources for Effective Emergency Response. With the museum re-opening to visitors in a new format and increased requirements to manage bookings, and check vaccination status, it became obvious that the reception desk responsibilities cannot be handed over exclusively to volunteers. In addition, the prospect of re-opening normal hours, which include at least one weekend day and evening when volunteers are not available, generates the need to add a casual position to our org chart. This position will be activated when the museum is ready and authorized to re-open normal hours, and is intended cover reception desk responsibilities on Thu evening and Saturday. LOOKING AHEAD After a long period of uncertainty, being mandated to work remotely and engage with patrons on-line only, staff maintains a positive attitude about what 2022 may bring. We are hoping to refine the ‘rough edges’ of the booking system for patrons, resume normal hours, and perhaps events on site. More progress is expected with the second-floor gallery, which will hopefully see completion of the entire section The RCR at Home and Abroad: 1951-2001 by the end of 2022. Strategic partnerships to engage with local communities, new comers, First Nations, and people with physical disabilities are also on the agenda. [ 137  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

[ 138  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

[ 139  PRO PATRIA 2021 ] Visit The RCR website at: www.thercr.ca

The Royal Canadian Regiment Voluntary Contributions Program The purpose of the Voluntary Contributions Program (VCP) is to provide funding for regimental initiatives benefitting individual members of the regiment, as well as to support major regimental projects and operations. A portion of the contributions received will be invested in order to aid in the financing of longer-term projects, thus ensuring that the regiment retains the capability of maintaining historical traditions and of defining and promoting the distinctiveness of the regiment. All members of the regiment are encourages to read RSOs, Chapter 9, Regimental Finance and Members Benefits for a detailed description of the VCP. Only members contributing the correct amount into VCP, in accordance with their rank, will receive regimental departure gifts upon retirement. These Regimental departure gifts include the regimental coin and scroll after two years service in the regiment; and the Soldier of the Queen statuette for 20 years or more of regimental service. Monthly VCP Rates by rank will be as follows; • Pte $5.00 • Cpl/MCpl $6.00 • Sgt/WO/MWO $10.00 • CWO $15.00 • OCdt/2Lt/Lt/Capt $12.00 • Maj/LCol/Col $20.00 • General Officer $35.00 What does VCP support? Enhanced Departure Gift • F ree initial issue of accoutrements (e.g. cap Soldier of The Queen badge, buttons, PT shell, Sergeant’s sash) • Regimental Departure Gifts • T ributes (e.g. flowers or gift cards) sent on behalf of the Regiment • Support to The RCR Association Bursary • Support to The RCR Pipes and Drums •  S upport to Regimental operations Enhanced Departure Gift •  B ookkeeping/Accounting/Banking Soldier of The Queen For more information visit: www.thercr.ca [ 140  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

THE RCR ASSOCIATION SERVICE & ASSISTANCE FUND General 1. T he RCR Association Service and Assistance Fund does not form part of The RCR Fund, however, support from this fund is applicable to the regimental family and as such information regarding the Service and Assistance Fund is provided here for information. 2. T he Service and Assistance Fund is held within The RCR Trust and administered by the Trustees. Monies accrued in this fund may be used as grants to be paid out to Service and Assistance applicants. Upon recommendation by The RCR Association Standing Committee on Service and Assistance, a letter will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Trust requesting that a grant be made payable to the applicant. The letter should include the name, address, contact information of the applicant and a copy of the application. Based on the committee’s recommendation, grants up to but not exceeding $2000.00 may be approved. Standing Committee on Service and Assistance 3. T he RCR Association Standing Committee on Service and Assistance will convene at the discretion of the Chairman of The RCR Association Board of Directors (BoD) to approve applications for financial assistance. The Standing Committee will consist of the Chairman of the Association and at least two Directors from the BoD. 4. All applications for assistance will be treated confidentially. Applications for Service and Assistance 5. A pplications for Service and Assistance for retired members of the regiment shall be submitted directly to the BoD at [email protected]. Serving members may request assistance from the Service and Assistance Fund through their chain of command. The request is then forwarded to RHQ who forwards to The RCR Association Service and Assistance Fund Committee. Note: Service and Assistance Funds must be staffed by a serving members’ chain of command; direct applications from a serving member to the Service and Assistance Fund committee will not be actioned. 6. U pon receiving a request for assistance, the Chairman of The RCR Association will convene the Service and Assistance Committee. The Committee will consider each case in accordance with the following criteria: [ 141  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Eligibility 7. Eligible applicants must be: • A retired member of the CF whose former service would qualify the individual to be a member of The RCR Association, or • A widow of a member of the regiment, or • A member currently serving with a unit of The RCR or on ERE, or • A ny individual who has been on the posted strength to a unit of The RCR, or • A wounded member of the regiment who has been medically released and it has been determined that, as a result of the release the individual has lost an entitlement that would have normally been covered by DND, DVA or SISIP, or • A n individual who served with the regiment in a theatre of operations where their medical problem was acquired. Review 8. In reviewing each application, the Committee will take into consideration: • The current financial situation of the applicant, • Whether all other avenues of assistance have been exhausted and if not, advise the applicant where to go for other forms of assistance, and • The recommendations of the chain of command, if any. 9. In assessing eligibility, note that the following persons do not qualify: • Those who have already been provided financial assistance through this program to the maximum amount of $2000; and • Those whose financial situation would be alleviated through other forms of assistance provided by DND, VAC or SISIP. [ 142  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

REGIMENTAL SPORTS SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM 1. Intent. The intent of the program is: • To demonstrate the regiment’s support for the personal endeavours of its individual members in competitive sporting activities which demand physical exertion, stamina and intelligence and which promote a healthy and active lifestyle consistent with the expectations and demands of service in the infantry or the Canadian Army generally; and • T o provide positive public exposure for The RCR as a goodwill partner in the support of its members. 2. Policy. The RCR supports its serving members’ personal competitive sporting endeavors by providing a small ex gratia grant in order to defray the personal costs associated with such competitions. Such a grant constitutes a goodwill gesture and is neither service-related Temporary Duty nor duty travel, however, a separate decision to support an activity by providing TD (e.g. for a CISM event) need not necessarily prejudice selection for a grant under this program. A member accepts all personal risk associated with the sporting activity and signs an acknowledgement to this effect as a pre-condition of application, however, nothing in this regimental policy supersedes or affects existing CAF regulations and policies concerning a members’ requirement to engage in physical activities and physical training, nor does it limit normal CAF and/or CAF member responsibility or liability as established by CAF policies. A serving member is any member of the regiment embodied in the Regular Force, including a member of an attached arm serving in an RCR battalion, or the Primary Reserve or Supplementary Reserve who is actively parading at their place of employment. 3. Qualifying Activities. In order to qualify for a grant a member of the regiment must be actively engaged as an individual or as a team member in a competitive sporting activity organized under the authority of a recognized professional or amateur sporting authority in which participation reflects credit on the Canadian Armed Forces and the regiment. There is no minimum or maximum time in which the member has been involved in the sport, however, the member must show, to the satisfaction of the Selection Committee, that their effort is reasonable and sustained. Such activities include, but are not limited to traditional individual athletics (running, cycling, triathlon, skiing, martial arts, swimming, tennis, etc), individual members of a team sport (hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc), motor sports (Targa, Stock Car, Chump car, etc) and extreme sports (skateboard, BMX, snowboarding, etc). Activities which clearly contain no [ 143  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

physical or stamina component such as pub darts or poker, or which are merely for personal recreation (i.e. there is no element of sustained competition such as a one-off golf tournament), or which would in the judgement of the Selection Committee tend to bring the Canadian Armed Forces and the regiment into disrepute will not be considered. 4. Eligibility. A member submitting a request under this program must be a contributing VCP member at the appropriate level for their rank. The annual grant may be received by a member up to a maximum of four times, consecutively or non-consecutively, in a member’s career. Members must make application through their battalion chain of command or ERE mentor who will verify that the activity qualifies and forward the application to RHQ for selection. Selection is not automatic and must be reapplied for in subsequent years. The member’s rank, MOS and gender are not selection factors. 5. Every RCR battalion and the regiment’s ERE community may each nominate up to three personnel annually for a total of 15 grants. 6. Funding. Each individual annual grant is $500.00, supported by The RCR Trust to a yearly maximum of $7,500.00, or as subject to review by the Regimental Executive Committee. Unused battalion and ERE allotments do not accumulate; any budgeted funds not used in a given year remain with The RCR Trust. 7. Calculation of Time. The annual grant year is based on the NPF fiscal calendar of 1 January to 31 December. The deadline for annual applications to reach RHQ is 31 October for the following year. Applications prior to 1 September, late applications or applications in arrears will not be accepted. 8. Application. Battalion COs or ERE Mentors must forward to RHQ//Regimental Adjutant: • the member’s completed Regimental Sports Sponsorship Application and Undertaking, found on the RHQ ACIMS Sharepoint site at: https://acims.mil.ca/org/rhq_the_rcr/default.aspx; and, • p roof of the applicant’s past involvement (progression in the sport) and upcoming involvement in the qualifying sporting activity (registration documents or other relevant documents such as photographs if necessary). 9. S election. On receipt of the applications, RHQ will verify the applicants’ contribution to the VCP and convene a committee consisting of the Regimental [ 144  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Secretary, Regimental Major, Regimental Adjutant and the Regimental Warrant Officer to consider the applications. The committee makes its decisions based on the recommendations received from Battalions COs or ERE Mentors, however, it will advise the Chair of the REC to reject any application which clearly does not meet the criteria of this order. Each battalion may submit a maximum of three nominations; should a battalion not use some or all of their allotment, the Selection Committee will draw straws to determine the re-allocation of vacancies among the other battalions and ERE, after which the relevant battalion/ERE will be asked to submit an additional nomination. As the widely dispersed ERE mentors do not operate under a single unit HQ, RHQ will act in this capacity and accept any number of ERE applications for referral to the committee and ultimately the selection of three ERE names. 10. Notification and Disbursement of Funds. The Selection Committee will notify applicants through their Battalion chain of command or ERE Mentor. Disbursement of funds will follow immediately by cheque, to be presented by the CO or ERE Mentor with photographs to be forwarded to the Regimental Adjutant for publishing in Pro Patria. There is no subsequent requirement to retain or submit receipts. 11 Publicity. As a condition of receiving a grant, the member must agree to wear the regiment’s authorized blue PT shirt or running jacket or otherwise display The RCR cypher/cap badge in a suitable location (not provided as part of this program). In cases where an individual athlete has obtained sponsorship other than from the regiment, the Selection Committee will determine whether the symbols of the regiment may be appropriately displayed in combination with those of the other organization(s) and may direct reasonable restrictions or conditions based on the specific circumstances. Subsequent photographs of the competition event are always welcomed for inclusion in Pro Patria or for publication to the regimental web site. [ 145  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

Corporal Brent Poland “Children of the Fallen” Education Fund Background: 1. The Children of the Fallen Fund does not form part of The RCR Fund, however, support from the Children of the Fallen Fund is applicable to the regimental family and as such information regarding the Children of the Fallen Fund is provided here for information. 2. In response to a bequest by the family of Corporal Brent Poland following his death in Afghanistan in April 2007, The Royal Canadian Regiment established the Children of the Fallen Education Fund to provide support for the post- secondary education of the children of soldiers of the regiment who died in the service of Canada. Purpose and Objective: 3. T he objective of this program is to financially assist those eligible students studying at a degree or diploma granting post-secondary institution, on a full or part time basis. Value: 4. T he maximum value an applicant can receive from this bursary is $1000 per academic year to a maximum of four years. 5. If the number of applicants exceeds the monies available to provide the $1000 bursary for each request, the bursary amount will be split accordingly on a priority basis to provide for more applicants, but will not be reduced below $500 per applicant. 6. T he bursary can be used at the discretion of the recipient, and is intended for, but not limited to, tuition, books, equipment, transportation, etc. 7. The bursary is paid by cheque from RHQ, direct to the applicant. The bursary is taxable. Eligibility: 8. The following guidelines will be used to determine eligibility and priority of award for education support: • Applicants must be the child or stepchild of a soldier who has died, ‘on duty’ (operations or training), or has died as a result of injuries or an illness attributable to service while a member of the regiment, or serving in a unit of the regiment. Such a determination is made based on the supporting documentation, as required, provided by the applicant and may include the findings of a Medical Officer or Veterans’ Affairs. [ 146  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

• Priority will be given to those children attending their first year of post- secondary studies; those attending later years will be considered only when all first year applicants have received education support; and 9. Those eligible for this bursary are not excluded from also applying for the Association Education bursary. Application Process: 10. A pplicants must fill out the requisite application form (available from RHQ) and submit to RHQ which verifies the dependent status of the applicant in relation to the deceased member. 11. Submission may be direct to RHQ, or through any regimental element which will forward it to RHQ on the applicant’s behalf (i.e., units, serving and retired regimental personnel, regimental mentors, etc). 12. All applications are to include proof of academic enrolment for the fall session of the calendar year. 13. L ate applications will not receive bursaries or be considered for bursaries in the current year unless funds remain from the current year’s disbursable earnings. Timelines: The deadline for applying is 31 July of each calendar year. Approval Process: 15. Disbursement of funds is procedural and dependent on monies available to disburse. Approval is not based on academic merit, standing, or personal financial circumstance. Applicants must only prove eligibility through the application process in order to be considered, no other supporting documentation is required. 16. T he Regimental Major, Regimental Adjutant and Regimental Warrant Officer sit as Bursary Committee members in order to compile the necessary information and verify particulars. Once this process is complete, the committee recommends approval to The RCR Trust for the disbursement of funds, based on the eligibility guidelines. 17. C oordination of bursary disbursements will be coordinated between RHQ and The RCR Trust. [ 147  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT Children of Fallen Soldiers Bursary Program APPLICATION FORM 1. Name of Applicant: Address: Postal Code: Phone: ( ) Date of Birth: 2. Secondary School(s) attended & dates: 3. What grade or University year did you or will you complete this June? 4. School from which final marks were obtained previously or will be obtained for the current scholastic year: 5. Courses you intend to complete in the current scholastic year: School Activities: 6. Community Activities: 7. Name the institution you plan to attend in the next scholastic year. If this is your first year, please include a copy of your letter of Acceptance: 8. I am the child (or Stepchild) of: (Rank, Initials, Name) Who died on while serving in (or with) the Royal Canadian Regiment (Date) 9. All sections of this form must be completed and all pertinent documents, including the acceptance to the institution of higher learning, submitted to the bursary committee with the application (with the exception of the final marks, if not available at the time of application). 10. Signed: Applicant: Parent/guardian: Place: Date: [ 148  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY 30 JULY TO: Regimental Headquarters, The RCR Victoria Barracks Petawawa, ON K8H 2X3 Tel: (613) 687-5511 Ext 5086 Fax: (613) 588-5932 Attention: Regimental Adjutant PLEASE FORWARD A COPY OF YOUR FINAL MARKS BY 1 AUGUST OF THE YEAR OF APPLICATION. CHECKLIST. Have you enclosed: Application Form Final Marks (if available) Acceptance document from University/College Proof of eligibility [ 149  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]

THE RCR ASSOCIATION EDUCATION BURSARY Background 1. T he RCR Association Education Bursary does not form part of The RCR Fund, however, support from The RCR Association Education Bursary is applicable to the regimental family and as such information regarding The RCR Association Bursary is provided here for information. 2. The Royal Canadian Regiment Association will award bursaries of $1,500 each. The number of bursaries awarded in a given year will depend upon the number of applicants and their suitability. Eligibility 3. Eligible applicants must be: • a child or grandchild of a serving, former serving or deceased member of The Royal Canadian Regiment; or • a serving member of The Royal Canadian Regiment or a spouse of a serving member; or • a member in good standing of a Cadet Corps affiliated with or sponsored by The Royal Canadian Regiment; and • in his or her final year of secondary schooling and preparing to attend an institute of higher learning (University, Trades School, Teachers’ College, Technical College, Nursing School). 4. In the case of a serving member or serving member’s spouse the above criteria applies except there is no time limit between completing secondary school and commencement of attendance at an institute of higher learning, however, marks for high school graduation must be supplied. 5. Potential applicants should note that the following persons do not qualify: • former serving members themselves; and • anyone who has already commenced a post-secondary school education program. Application Process 6. A pplicants must complete a bursary application for the current year, which may be found at: https://thercr.ca/the-association/the-bursary-program/ 7. Failure to provide the following documentation will invalidate an application: • S econdary School Principal’s recommendation. A letter from the applicant’s home room teacher in lieu of the Principal’s recommendation is acceptable; • letter of acceptance for first year enrolment from a college or university; [ 150  PRO PATRIA 2021 ]