On the afternoon of 17 December, 2014, the General Officers and Flag Officers (GOFO) of DND, led by the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Tom Lawson, met a team of defence attachés from various embassies in Ottawa in a spirited hockey game at the University of Ottawa hockey arena. Although closely contested, the GOFOs emerged…
On Sunday, 07 December, 2014, the Wreaths Across Canada organization had their ceremony at Beechwood Cemetery with the stated goal to place a wreath of the grave of every veteran. It was a cold and bright day, a nice change from last year which was miserable, and the event was well attended. Cadets placed the…
Today marked the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong where “C” Force (1,975 personnel of The Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada) were the first Canadian soldiers to see action in WWII. They were undergoing training and not yet fully equipped when the Japanese attacked without a declaration of War. After…
On Saturday, a hockey game was hosted by the Korean Embassy which pitted the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) against the Royal 22e Regiment (Vandoos) in a commemoration of hockey games played by Canadian troops on the frozen Imjin River in Korea during the Korean War. It also celebrated the special friendship that now…
I was on my way back from a shoot this morning at the Press Gallery on Parliament Hill and decided to walk by the National War Memorial to see what was left on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as to check out the additions to the Memorial itself. The memorial now sports…
Today was the day to remember those who served and sacrificed on our behalf and the ceremony I attended was at the National Military Cemetery, part of Beechwood Cemetery. The day was sunny and warmish (for November in Canada) and the ceremony went off well. Normally I would post the entire event of pictures and…
The Turn Towards Busan Ceremony is a ceremony for Korean veterans and is unique in that it has a sister ceremony that, according to the Special Theory of Relativity, takes place 14 hours apart yet takes place at the same time. To further explain, this ceremony takes place at 9:00 P.M. on the 10th of…
Today was the 19th Annual Veterans Appreciation Day in Ottawa and the ceremony was held at the Billings Bridge Mall and open to the public. There were various military displays in and around the Mall, including military vehicles outside in the parking lot, as well as music provided by five members of the Central Band…
On Tuesday night (4th) the Annual Candlelight Tribute to Veterans was held at the Centrepoint Theatre in Ottawa. As with each year, the city names a street after a deserving veteran and this year the veteran was Helen Rapp, a champion of womens’ rights and the first female veteran to have a street named after…
Today started off Remembrance Week with the Ceremony of Remembrance held in the Senate Chamber of the Parliament of Canada. New this year is the monument in front of which the wreath will be laid. In the past, it has been a replica of the St. Julien Memorial but this year is a headstone of…