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Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Canadian Forces controversy
On yet another sad day when one of our brave, young soldiers has fallen in action, we learn that Victoria, the proud home of Canada's west coast fleet, is also the site of a boiling controversy about Canadian Forces recruitment.
The University of Victoria Student Society has voted to ban active recruiting by CF at a career fair, leading to a wave of protest by rank-and-file students and a subsequent decision to review the ban. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Posted by Terry O'Neill on September 25, 2007 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
Terry,
You are a couple steps behind the times on this one. Check out Small Dead Animals (http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/) for new details. As reported at SDA The UVic ban has already been overturned as students stood up against the small minority of leftists who were trying to give their school a bad name.
Posted by: meinbc | 2007-09-25 10:23:18 AM
To Meinbc,
Thanks for the feedback, but I think my post covers the ground fairly accurately, in that it notes that there was a student backlash, which led to a decision to review the ban. Perhaps the word 'review' is a bit weak. Students will now have the final say on the issue at the society's AGM next month. The Times-Colonist story, to which I provided a link, has all the details.
Posted by: Terry O'Neill | 2007-09-25 10:37:44 AM
...over at SDA they got a student rep talking and I guess so far this proposal of excluding military recruiters from UofV has been halted.
Hey it's a Left Coast university, what do you expect?
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-09-25 10:57:35 AM
It is indeed refreshing to see Canadian values and common sense prevail on a university campus - especially UVic in Victoria. Still I must say that the idea that a student association would be able to ban who participates in a career fair is ridiculous. In fact the whole concept of "student unions" is ridiculous.
Posted by: Alain | 2007-09-25 11:10:37 AM
Typical Leftoid university. Columbia in NY banned similar folks from their property, yet invite terrorist Imanidiot from Iran to step foot on their campus.
Posted by: obc | 2007-09-25 11:18:06 AM
Terry,
From the sounds of the article it is likely that the writer hit the deadline hour and had to submit the story for the TC before the vote took place.
Thankfully the internet doesn't share this limitation....no deadlines to meet printer's needs here.
This is a big thing on the West Coast where national nightly news is often "in the can" before our night even gets started.
Posted by: meinbc | 2007-09-25 11:30:17 AM
. . . as are your votes election night unless it's close.
Posted by: obc | 2007-09-25 11:35:26 AM
Canadian Forces introduced Regular Officer Training (ROTP) to Universities in 1947, and were more concerned about recruiting graduate students into the Reserves. Present CF will not find the "recruits"they seek on any University campus in Canada. In fact here in the Real East of Canada CF Recruiters concentrate on High Schools and Community Colleges -Military friends here tell us they are getting all the warm bodies they need and recruitment for "There's No Life Like It" is not a
problem. Maritimers have been a major source of CF personnel since 1939. Macleod
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-09-25 11:52:32 AM
"Maritimers have been a major source of CF personnel since 1939"
...truth be told, and so was the Roman Catholic priesthood.
They were the only alternatives to a dead end fishing-for-livelihood existence in the Maritimes.
I think when I joined, you needed grade 12 in BC but grade 8-10 in NFLD to join.
That said something else.
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-09-25 12:11:28 PM
Well a Newfoundlander is now the Chief of Staff, not bad for a Grade 8 Grad - Name is Rickey Hiller, General Canadian Forces, but his Mother calls him Rickey, Real Soldiers call him Sir - Don't matter
much where you come from but I noticed the Maritimers are getting most of the Medals and Promotions -Recruiting in Quebec a few miles up the road from here is going very well, and the Royal Twenty Second Regiment is doing extremely well in "The Ghan" which is no surprise to me, and our partners -great Regiment despite what Private Scott Taylor says, Macleod in Moncton waiting for the Parade to start -.
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-09-25 2:17:11 PM
Why is there a Canadian general commanding US troops in Iraq?
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-09-25 3:16:51 PM
...kudo's to Gen Hiller. Umm, how many others?
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-09-25 3:24:19 PM
Just Lucky I guess Zeb - But the US publication Armed Forces Journal (AFJ) formerly the Infantry Journal published since 1861 has had several well researched and equally well written articles about
problems with General Officers serving in the Army and Navy which is not a critical problem. US Corps of Officers suffered from media mistreatment when
they returned from fighting in Viet Nam -but time heals all wounds - General Hiller spent a lot of his career in the CF serving with US Army Units where he
held a Command position at Fort Hood Texas as I recall. Hillier is the best CofS in the past forty plus years Canada is fortunate that he is still serving -his associates like LtGeneral Vernon are
excellent General Officers -thanks to PM Harper
the Canadian Forces are an organization greatly appreciated by it's NATO Allies. Macleod
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-09-25 3:29:31 PM
...definitely good for the CAF. Don't get me wrong about Maritimers, they can be down to earth and good soldiers, but at the same time arrogant and limited.
To triumph them over other Canadians is a sore point with me, having served and watched Quebec types get promoted faster for some reason, as well still upset my buddy from Cape Brit drunk me under the table...
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-09-25 3:38:24 PM
"Just Lucky I guess Zeb"
Great answer Jack!
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-09-25 4:06:49 PM
I hear you tomax7 - there was a move by the Chretien Government to accelerate certain promotions for
French speaking personnel, but we could all understand why. There were no French Canadian Naval
Officers in the RCN or RCNVR during World War II, nor were there any Black Officers or Ratings, But common sense says, Canada has to be an equal opportunity employer. A lot of Quebecers in the post World War II RCAF, and a lot in the Wartime RCAF
Chretien was not by any means a CF supporter but
Rene Levesque as a CBC Reporter in Korea, right up front with the Troops with the cigerette hanging out of the side of his mouth did a lot to advance the French fact in the Canadian Military. But accelerated promotions always cause problems,
especially on TGIF Drunkups - Macleod
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-09-25 4:30:28 PM
I knew Nathan and hung out with him a day or two before he shipped out. A good man with a clear mind whom I was glad to have represent and defend our nation. This is what Canada is to me. Not some impulsive kids who feel nothing at stake in following political fashion.
RIP Nathan. You Honor this Country and this generation.
Posted by: Timothy Zak | 2007-09-25 5:29:43 PM
I just found out that a former co-workers was Corporal Hornberg's sister. Condolences to their family.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-10-03 8:54:50 PM
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