NATIONAL NEWS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / SOMMAIRE DES NOUVELLES NATIONALES
ADM(PA) / SMA(AP)
May 14 2010 / le 14 mai 2010
MINISTER / LE MINISTRE
Navy Cuts
Defence Minister Peter MacKay says no decision has been taken to dock some of the navy's warships
and reduce the capabilities of other vessels: “We are going to have increased naval capability in the
future as a result of the historic investments that we're making in the Canadian Navy.” However, navy
officers privately said that the directions sent out by the head of the navy, Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden,
are being implemented as ordered. Senator Colin Kenny questioned Mr. MacKay's claims: “Why would a
(vice-admiral) send a letter to his commanders if no decision has been made? … MacKay seems to be
out of touch with his own department.” Mr. MacKay asserted that the navy has more financial support
that at any other point in its 100 year history (D. Pugliese: Ctz A4, EJ A8, CH A5, NP A4).
Critics of the alleged cuts to the number of active duty ships claim that the move will diminish the navy’s
reputation, hurt recruitment and undermine security. Liberal MP Keith Martin observed: “It's inconceivable
that the government is choosing to cut funding to the navy.” Mr. Martin challenged Mr. MacKay over the
matter during the House’s question period. VAdm McFadden issued a statement to the Victoria TimesColonist that the affected ships will not be decommissioned and noted that “capability reductions are for
the [current] fiscal year and are not long-term decisions.” Roger Grouard, retired commander of Maritime
Forces Pacific said: “This has real impact – it’s not just slowing down a bit of growth.” There was some
suggestion that the cuts might affect the economy of Victoria (R. Shaw: VTC A3).
Rumours of a reduction in the navy’s fleet have been circulating for months with confirmation coming that
the reserve fleet will be cut in half. However, the remaining ships will be kept in storage rather than
scrapped. NDP MP Peter Stoffer said the cuts are a major disappointment: “I am incensed that the
Conservative government continues to promise so much in Canada's defence matters but deliver so
little.” Mr. MacKay responded to reports of the cuts with a denial that the matter was a done deal and
noted that “the navy is getting almost $200 million more than they’ve ever had in their budget.” Nova
Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter said he supports Mr. MacKay’s efforts to get greater support for the navy
(Staff: HCH A4).
CDS / CEM
Menard Court Martial
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Walt Natynczyk may be called to testify at the court martial of BGen Daniel
Menard. He is allegedly one of the eyewitnesses to an incident in which BGen Menard's gun discharged
(Staff: M. Fisher: Gaz A13, Ctz A3, SSP C11, WStar A8).
DND Allowed Trade Show Freebies: Comment
Gen Walt Natynczyk and Robert Fonberg, Deputy Minister of Nation Defence, in a letter: An assertion by
Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese that “Canada’s top solider and the Defence Department’s Deputy
Minister have suspended some of the rules” regarding the acceptance of free hospitality by defence
personnel is wrong. The government has established strict measures to ensure that officials act ethically
and are not placed in a real or perceived conflict of interest. Our approval to attend CANSEC is based
upon our view there is a clear benefit to our personnel to see the various new defence technologies on
display, network with defence stakeholders, and hear keynote speakers at breakfast and luncheon
events. Mr. Pugliese also wrote that “the Defence Department did not respond to a request for comment.”
In fact, DND officials contacted Mr. Pugliese to indicate a response was forthcoming (Ctz A13).
MILITARY POLICE COMPLAINTS COMMISSION / COMMISSION D'EXAMEN DES PLAINTES
CONCERNANT LA POLICE MILITAIRE
Detainee Controversy
The government and opposition parties have agreed in principle to use a panel of outside experts to
referee disputes over whether secret Afghan detainee records can be made public after being shown to
select MPs. However, MPs disagree over the precise role and power to be given to a panel of arbiters.
The Bloc Québécois and the NDP are adamant the final decision on whether censored documents can be
revealed to Canadians should rest with MPs (S. Chase: G&M A1; J. Bryden: HCH B6).
Another deadline for the government and opposition parties to reach an agreement on the release of
documents related to the transfer of Afghan detainees is about to pass. Speaker of the House Peter
Milliken is likely to be called to make another decision on the matter. Canadian parliamentary expert Ned
Franks said he does not favour a solution offered by security expert Wesley Wark that would see some
members of Parliament get security clearance (I. Elliot: KWS 1).
Détenus afghans
Les négociations sur la divulgation des documents au sujet des détenus afghans, qui devaient éviter une
querelle parlementaire et le possible déclenchement d'élections générales, semblaient être dans
l'impasse, hier soir. Les discussions devaient reprendre ce matin, laissant au gouvernement et aux partis
d'opposition moins de cinq heures avant la date butoir fixée par le président de la Chambre des
communes, Peter Milliken. En cas d'échec des pourparlers aujourd'hui, une motion d'outrage au
Parlement pourrait être adoptée contre le gouvernement. Ce qui pourrait entraîner une myriade de
conséquences, allant du déclenchement d'une élection à l'arrestation de ministres (Dv A2, Dr 25).
Detainee Controversy: Comment
Rosie DiManno: While the paper chase continues in Ottawa, everybody knows this: Schoolgirls are being
gassed and Canadian soldiers are still getting killed. Spare some outrage for them (TStar A2).
CANADA IN AFGHANISTAN / LE CANADA EN AFGHANISTAN
Soldier Reportedly Killed
Another soldier has been reported killed in Afghanistan. Reports indicate that Pte Kevin McKay was
struck by an IED explosion near Kandahar. A spokesperson for DND said the department was aware of
an incident and was gathering information. If Pte McKay was killed, he would be the 144th Canadian
solider to die in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002 (CP: ESun 5, HS A7).
Pte McKay was allegedly scheduled to return to Canada in two days. The circumstances of his death are
not known. A spokesperson for DND said more details would be forthcoming (CP: SSP A13, VTC A8, CH
A7, NP A6, Ctz A3, RLP A8, EJ A1, TStar A2).
DND said Pte McKay died while on foot during a night patrol (Staff: CSun 5).
Semrau Court Martial
LCol Jean-Guy Perron ruled that a cellphone video made of the alleged battlefield execution by Captain
Robert Semrau can be made public. The judge gave the military 10 days to alter the video to blur faces
and remove the sound track (Staff: HCH B8).
OTHERS / AUTRES
Col Russell Williams
It was reported that when the police were initially investigating a sexual assault in Tweed, Ontario they
purposefully did not consider Col Russell Williams to be a suspect. His neighbor claims that his status as
the commander of CFB Trenton shielded him from consideration (G. Dimmock: Ctz A1, NP A6, SSP A13,
CH A17).
Soldier Faces Sexual Assault Charges
Cpl Christopher Raymond Chaulk of CFB Petawawa will appear in court on charges related to the alleged
sexual assault of four women (Staff: VProv A37).
Cpl Chaulk faced a total of nine criminal charges (T. Peplinskie: OSun 5).
As a result of the charges against Cpl Chaulk the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is reportedly looking
into cold cases of sexual assaults in St. John’s, which is Cpl Chaulk’s home unit (Staff: SJT C11).
Assault Trial for MP
Military policeman Christopher Michael Vining, who is charged with aggravated assault, has elected trial
by a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge alone (S. Bruce: HCH A3).
PTSD
Coverage profiled former Cpl Christian McEachern, who became the face for Canadians of post traumatic
stress disorder when he drove an SUV through the headquarters building at CFB Edmonton Garrison. Mr.
McEachern expressed resentment at his treatment by the military. He asserted that he’s had no help from
DND or Veterans’ Affairs in his new venture, Canadian Veteran Adventure Foundation, which works with
suffers of PTSD. It was noted that the issue of PTSD among soldiers is getting more recognition as more
veterans of the war in Afghanistan increase the number of sufferers (B. Kaufmann: CSun 15).
NORAD and the US Air Force
US Air Force General Gene Renuart, commander of the North American Aerospace Defence Command
and the US Northern Command, who is to soon retire, said the US’s radar system needs to be replaced
and its jet fighter fleet is getting old (Staff: HS A14, HCH B11).
Memorial Cup Rededication
At a ceremony at CFB Shilo, the Memorial Cup was rededicated to include all Canadian soldiers who
have died in combat (S. Fisher: WSun S5, CSun S5, ESun S13; Staff: SSP B6).
Song to Canadian Soldiers
Canadian band The Trews have released ‘Highway of Heroes,’ a song inspired by the death of Captain
Nichola Goddard. Proceeds from the song will got to the Canadian Hero Fund (N. Aveling: NP PM9).
Commémoration à Orléans
L'écrasement d'un chasseur CF-100 sur la Villa St-Louis à Orléans, le 15mai 1956, sera commémoré
dans le cadre des célébrations du 150e anniversaire de la paroisse St-Joseph. La commémoration est
organisée par les Chevaliers de la Table ronde en coopération avec les Soeurs de la Charité d'Ottawa, la
filiale 632 de la Légion royale canadienne et la 410e escadre de l'Association des Forces aériennes du
Canada. L'événement aura lieu à 14h, demain, date exacte de l'anniversaire, au pied du monument situé
derrière la Résidence St-Louis contemporaine, au 879 chemin Hiawatha Park, à Orléans (Dr 44).
Canada’s World Leadership: Comment
Toronto Star editorial: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon praised Canada’s efforts in
Afghanistan and Haiti. However, he said Canada has much to contribute on the world stage. Canada's
leadership is falling short, by any standard. And the world has noticed (TStar A26).
Section: News
Byline: David Pugliese
Outlet: The Ottawa Citizen
Headline: No decision to dock navy ships: MacKay; But officers charge minister 'out of touch'
with own department
Page: A4
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
Defence Minister Peter MacKay says no decision has been taken to dock some of the navy's
warships and reduce the capabilities of other vessels.
"These operational decisions have not been taken," MacKay said Thursday in response to a
Citizen article about decisions to reduce the number of ships the navy has for operations.
"We are going to have increased naval capability in the future as a result of the historic
investments that we're making in the Canadian Navy."
But navy officers privately said Thursday that the directions sent out by the head of the navy,
Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, are being implemented as ordered.
Other sailors have contacted the Citizen to also say that they have received briefings from their
officers about McFadden's directions.
McFadden sent out his "Readiness Direction to Formations" on April 23, outlining how budget
issues have forced the navy to cut back on the number of ships it can send to sea. He then
detailed what ships will be affected.
"This letter provides my direction, on a class-by-class basis, on specific capability reductions
required this year to optimize operational capability both now and in the future," McFadden
wrote in the document.
The directive was sent to maritime forces on the west coast and east coast as well as to senior
officers in charge of naval reservists. The letter also went to Chief of the Defence Staff Gen.
Walter Natynczyk and other military officers as well as an assistant deputy minister at the
Defence Department.
Liberal senator Colin Kenny, the former chairman of the senate's national security and defence
committee, questioned MacKay's claims that no decision about reducing the numbers of ships
has been made.
"Why would a (vice-admiral) send a letter to his commanders if no decision has been made?"
said Kenny. "MacKay seems to be out of touch with his own department."
McFadden said the issue is that the navy is facing a budget shortfall.
But MacKay says the Navy has lots of money. "What I can tell you is that the navy, the Canadian
navy in its 100th anniversary will have more money than it's ever had in a hundred years."
Back to Top
Section: Capital & Van. Isl.
Byline: Rob Shaw, with files from David Pugliese
Outlet: Times Colonist (Victoria)
Headline: Cuts will hurt navy's reputation, critics say; Jobs, operations and security on the line,
Liberal MP warns
Page: A3
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: Times Colonist; with files from Canwest News Service
Planned cuts to Canada's navy that would remove three ships from active duty at CFB Esquimalt
will diminish the navy's reputation, hurt recruitment and undermine security in our waterways,
say critics.
"It's inconceivable that the government is choosing to cut funding to the navy," said Liberal MP
Keith Martin, Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca. "These are very serious cuts that go to the heart of
operations at our navy, because our navy isn't designed to be sitting on the dock. It's designed to
be out on the ocean."
The reductions in ships and service, announced Wednesday to deal with a budget shortfall, will
consign three Kingston-class ships from CFB Esquimalt -- HMC ships Nanaimo, Saskatoon and
Yellowknife -- to a state of "extended readiness," where they are effectively tied to the dock.
Two additional local ships, HMCS Vancouver and HMCS Algonquin, will be downgraded to
limited missions only, or "reduced readiness" status. The navy also plans to reduce the combat
capability of HMC ships Ottawa and Protecteur, also based in Esquimalt.
Martin argues the cutbacks will cost the navy jobs, hurt the technical ability of its crew, decrease
security and safety on the ocean -- where ships conduct routine patrols for illegal vessels -- and
reduce Canada's stature among naval nations.
Yesterday, the naval controversy landed on the floor of the House of Commons during question
period, with Martin challenging Defence Minster Peter MacKay to justify the cutbacks.
MacKay argued the Conservative government has increased investment in the navy compared to
the previous Liberal government.
Later in the day, he issued a statement to the Ottawa Citizen in which he said no actual decision
had been made to dock warships or reduce their capabilities.
"These operational decisions have not been taken," MacKay said.
But navy officers said privately yesterday that directions sent out by the head of the navy, ViceAdmiral Dean McFadden, are being implemented as ordered.
McFadden issued a statement to the
Times Colonist yesterday that said the affected ships will not be decommissioned, only tied up
alongside jetties in their respective home ports.
"No decision to let go of personnel as a result of national procurement constraints has been
made," said McFadden.
"The capability reductions are for the [current] fiscal year and are not a long-term decision."
CFB Esquimalt is home to more than 4,000 Canadian Forces personnel, both in base operations
and as part of the home port for the Pacific fleet.
"It's fair to say we're still, ourselves, trying to understand what the future impact will be," said
navy Lt. Michael McWhinnie, base spokesman.
The planned cutbacks come just a week after the navy celebrated its 100th anniversary with a
large parade through downtown Victoria.
The consequences of the changes could be far-reaching, both in terms of how the navy operates
in the future and how its personnel are maintained at professional levels, said Roger Girouard,
who retired as rear admiral and commander of Maritime Forces Pacific in 2007.
"At the end of the day, folks, this has real impact -- it's not just slowing down a bit of growth."
Reducing ships and services means fewer missions are possible, said Girouard. Fewer missions
mean the navy is at a disadvantage when the Canadian Forces looks to refocus after a planned
withdrawal of combat operations from Afghanistan in 2011, he said.
"If you haven't got the hardware to offer options, it looks like you're less able to offer options,"
said Girouard. "You appear less relevant and less useful and that has the potential of delivering a
downward spiral."
Canada cannot keep its navy home-bound while major powers such as China and India expand
their presence on the ocean through new submarines and warships, he said.
The navy's proposed cutbacks could also affect Greater Victoria's economy.
The Department of National Defence spends more than $234 million a year in salaries for local
military personnel, another $110 million for civilians and about $80 million on construction.
Bruce Carter, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said any military cutbacks
affect the economy, but he thinks the "gloom and doom is overstated" because the long-term
upgrade and maintenance contracts for the region represent a solid commitment by the Canadian
Forces.
rfshaw@tc.canwest.com
Back to Top
Section: NovaScotia
Byline: Our Staff
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Illustrations:
 HMCS Summerside, shrouded by fog while heading out through rough seas off Chebucto
Head in 2008, is one of 12 Kingston-class ships used by the reserves. (Tim Krochak / Staff)
Headline: Navy's reserve fleet cut; Three vessels on east coast used for patrols, surveillance will
be mothballed
Page: A4
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Just over a week after celebrating its 100th anniversary with parades and ceremonies, the
Canadian navy is cutting its reserve fleet in half.
Rumours of the reduction have been circulating for months, and the navy finally confirmed them
on Thursday, saying it can't find the funding or the sailors to operate the ships.
The fleet of Maritime coastal defence vessels will be cut to three on each coast from six, but the
remaining ships will be placed in long-term storage, not scrapped.
Sackville-Eastern Shore MP Peter Stoffer, the NDP's deputy shipbuilding critic, said halving the
reserve fleet is a major disappointment.
"The Conservative government should hang their head in shame," Stoffer said in a release. "The
government's budget cutbacks have forced the navy to make these ship reductions. What a slap
in the face to the men and women in the Canadian navy. I really feel for all sailors and military
personnel who will be affected by this decision."
He said the reductions will affect the economies of Halifax and Victoria and may have a great
impact on Canada's coastal patrol and surveillance capabilities.
"I am incensed that the Conservative government continues to promise so much in Canada's
defence matters but deliver so little," Stoffer said. "They consistently use the troops for photo
ops and then turn around and abandon their promises. It is just one broken promise after another
with this government."
Defence Minister Peter MacKay denied that the move was a done deal. "There have been no
final decisions taken," he said in Ottawa. "We regularly assess the navy's operational
requirements with a view to ensuring that we're able to patrol all three coasts. We are making
historic investments, massive investments, up to $40 billion over the next 20 years, in naval
capability. That will include new joint supply ships.
"We're investing, obviously, currently in updating both our submarine capability as well as the
frigate program. That's well underway. We're going to be receiving our fleet of maritime
helicopters. So we are investing historic amounts of money, more money than ever in the history
of the navy.
"The navy is getting almost $200 million more than they've ever had in their budget. They have
more money now than they've ever had in a hundred years."
Naval reservists hold down day jobs but work for the navy on evenings, weekends and during the
summer. It's unclear whether putting half the fleet in storage will mean job cuts. One person in
the navy speculated that no jobs will be lost because so many positions are already unfilled.
Premier Darrell Dexter, also the minister responsible for military relations, said Thursday he
didn't receive any direct indication about how this year's federal budget would affect the navy in
Nova Scotia.
"Minister MacKay would have my full support in making the case to the cabinet and prime
minister on the importance of naval operations, not just to this province but to this country, and
that anything that would lead to the paring down of operations would be of concern to us,"
Dexter told reporters.
When the federal budget was delivered in March, Ottawa said military spending wouldn't be
seriously affected this year but the government plans to reduce planned increases by $525
million in 2012-13 and $1 billion in each of the following two years.
The 12 Kingston-class ships the reserves use were delivered from 1995 to 1998. Their primary
role is coastal patrol and surveillance, and missions can include search and rescue, minesweeping
and helping with law enforcement.
In September, HMCS Goose Bay and HMCS Shawinigan sailed from Halifax for several weeks
of joint exercises with one of NATO's two standing mine countermeasure groups.
The ships are usually crewed by up to 34 reservists and two navy members. The size of the crew
can be adjusted to meet operational requirements.
The navy has 4,000 reservists, according to its website.
( 'The Conservative government should hang their head in shame. The government's budget
cutbacks have forced the navy to make these ship reductions. What a slap in the face to the men
and women in the Canadian navy.'
Sackville-Eastern Shore MP
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: MATTHEW FISHER
Outlet: Montreal Gazette
Headline: Top general may testify over gun firing; 'Negligent discharge' alleged; Canadian
commander in Afghanistan faces court martial over incident
Page: A13
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan
Source: Canwest News Service
The chief of the defence staff, General Walt Natynczyk, may be called to testify at the formal
court martial of the commander of Canada's nearly 3,000 troops in Afghanistan, who has been
charged with the negligent discharge of his weapon.
Canada's top soldier was one of several eyewitnesses to an incident at Kandahar Airfield on
March 25 in which Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard's gun went off. The case is to heard by a military
court in Gatineau on May 25.
The decision to proceed with a standing court martial against Menard was made on May 5, a
Department of National Defence website said.
Menard is accused of "neglect to the prejudice of good order and discipline." In revealing the
incident to reporters on April 17, Menard said his gun fired while he was loading it. No one was
injured in the incident. Negligent discharge violations are typically handled by a summary trial.
This is an abbreviated procedure where a commanding officer passes judgment on one of his or
her troops, typically for a minor offence.
However, officers of the rank of lieutenant-colonel or naval commander and above cannot be
tried by summary trial for any alleged offence. For officers of senior rank, such charges must be
dealt with by a standing court martial. Standing courts martial are heard by a military judge
alone, unlike general courts martial, where a panel of five senior officers is convened to consider
more serious charges. The Forces' main court is in Gatineau, which is home to the Office of
Chief Military Judge.
If found guilty, Menard is likely to pay a stiff fine.
Back to Top
Section: Letters
Byline: W.J. Natynczyk, Robert Fonberg
Outlet: The Ottawa Citizen
Headline: DND is applying our ethics rules to Ottawa show
Page: A13
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
Re: DND lets staff take trade show freebies, MAY 12.
In a front-page Citizen article, reporter David Pugliese asserts that "Canada's top soldier and the
Defence Department's Deputy Minister have suspended some of the rules" regarding the
acceptance of free hospitality by defence personnel. This assertion is wrong.
The government has established strict measures to ensure that officials act ethically and are not
placed in a real or perceived conflict of interest. Consistent with a similar letter issued last year,
this year's guidance is fully compliant with Treasury Board and defence ethics policy in
providing advance permission to participate in activities that are an integral part of the
conference program.
Our approval to attend CANSEC, Canada's largest annual defence trade show, is based upon our
view there is a clear benefit to our personnel to see the various new defence technologies on
display, network with defence stakeholders, and hear keynote speakers at breakfast and luncheon
events. We trust the integrity of the defence team and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public
Service allows us to grant such approvals in writing.
Finally, Pugliese writes that "the Defence Department did not respond to a request for comment."
In fact, DND officials contacted Pugliese Tuesday afternoon to indicate a response was
forthcoming.
W.J. Natynczyk,
Ottawa
Chief of the Defence Staff
Robert Fonberg,
Ottawa
Deputy Minister of National Defence
National Defence Headquarters
Back to Top
Section: National News
Outlet: The Globe And Mail
Byline: STEVEN CHASE
Headline: Parties closing in on deal to release Afghan records
Page: A1
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
The Harper government and opposition parties have agreed in principle to use a panel of outside
experts to referee disputes over whether secret Afghan detainee records can be made public after
being shown to select MPs.
If the parties can clinch a deal by early afternoon Friday, they can avert an unprecedented
parliamentary showdown and possible federal election. But with only hours left to go, MPs are
still haggling over the precise role and power to be given to a panel of arbiters.
The Bloc Québécois and the NDP are adamant the final decision on whether censored documents
can be revealed to Canadians should rest with MPs - not the panel.
While the Conservatives have agreed to let a select group of MPs see uncensored detainee
records - in keeping with a Speaker's ruling - they do not want these parliamentarians by
themselves to have the power to declassify secret documents.
The parties are obliged to reach a deal by no later than 1:30 p.m. Friday. That's the deadline set
by Commons Speaker Peter Milliken, who more than two weeks ago decided in a historic ruling
that Parliament has an unlimited right to demand uncensored documents on Canada's handling of
Afghan detainees.
The opposition majority has threatened to vote the minority Harper government in contempt of
Parliament, and Mr. Milliken is expected to pave the way for such a move if talks fail. A
successful vote would probably trigger an election because, experts say, it's hard to imagine the
Harper government continuing to govern after being found in contempt.
Bloc Québécois House Leader Pierre Paquette suggested the parties are still significantly divided
as he emerged from morning negotiations Thursday with the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP.
``The government put other conditions on the table,'' Mr. Paquette told reporters. ``Their position
is not the same ... so we are far from a solution.''
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe later said his party is ready for ``all possibilities'' if talks fail. ``It
would be deplorable,'' he said.
Other parties played down the notion that the Tories brought in fresh demands Thursday or that
talks had hit a snag, saying negotiations had merely progressed to more difficult issues, including
the mechanics of how a panel of jurists would operate.
This includes when the panel gets called in, as well as the balance of power between MPs and
the arbiters in such cases.
``We've crossed the Rubicon on the idea there's a panel and the government crossed the Rubicon
on the idea that they have to show un-redacted, unfiltered documents to MPs,'' one MP familiar
with the negotiations said.
``We're circling around how the panel gets triggered and how do the MPs relate to the panel.
That's where we are, sort of,'' the MP added.
NDP Leader Jack Layton said he thinks Canadians want Parliament to avoid plunging the
country into another federal election.
The four parties met twice for negotiations Thursday, and are scheduled to resume talks Friday
morning to try to clinch a deal.
Sources said what could still sink negotiations is if the parties are unable to agree on the precise
balance of power, and relationship, between MPs selected to screen the documents and the panel
appointed to referee disputes over what should be made public.
The panel may give retired Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci a role to play in this process.
He's the ex-justice hired in a controversial move by the Harper government before it was willing
to let MPs read the censored documents. Mr. Iacobucci's task was to review the records and
decide if any should be released.
The makeup and size of the panel is not set yet, but if it's a three-member board, this could give
the government the right to appoint one adviser while leaving another to the opposition and a
third to be decided by mutual agreement, MPs familiar with negotiations said.
Back to Top
Section: Canada
Byline: Joan Bryden
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: Detainee document talks hit an 11th-hour snag
Page: B6
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - Talks aimed at averting a parliamentary showdown over sensitive Afghan detainee
documents are going down to the wire after hitting an apparent snag Thursday.
Negotiations are to resume this morning, leaving the government and opposition parties less than
five hours to reach an agreement before the deadline set by House of Commons Speaker Peter
Milliken.
Failure to resolve the matter would pave the way for a contempt of Parliament motion against the
government. And that could lead to a range of consequences, from an election to cabinet
ministers being put under arrest.
On Thursday, Bloc Quebecois House leader Pierre Paquette said the Conservative government
had proposed some new conditions at the eleventh hour.
"The government put other conditions on the table," he said following a negotiating session.
"Their position is not the same . . . so we are far from a solution."
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe accused the government of acting in an irresponsible manner and
said he's "ready for any eventuality," should talks break down.
"It would be deplorable," he added.
NDP negotiators wouldn't go so far as to say new conditions had been laid down, or that there'd
been a setback in the talks. But MP Joe Comartin said opposition parties have been a bit
surprised by the details and the emphasis the government puts on some of them.
None of the parties would elaborate.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, the government's lead negotiator, would say only: "We're
progressing."
Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale said he's "still hopeful" a deal can be reached by this
afternoon.
All parties have agreed so far that a small special committee - made up of at least one MP from
each party and all sworn to secrecy - should be able to scrutinize uncensored documents related
to the alleged torture of detainees by Afghan authorities. They have not yet been able to agree on
how to resolve any disputes that might arise over which documents can be safely released
publicly without risking national security.
The talks began late last month following a historic ruling by Milliken that MPs have an absolute
right to scrutinize documents, in an uncensored form.
The documents are related to allegations that prisoners were routinely tortured by Afghan
authorities after being turned over by Canadian soldiers.
Milliken gave all parties two weeks to find a formula which would give MPs access to all
documents while protecting national security. The deadline was to have been last Tuesday but
Milliken, at the request of all parties, granted a three-day extension.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: As yet another deadline is set to pass on the issue of Parliamentary access to documents
about Afghan detainees, Kings ton and the Islands MP and Speaker Peter Milliken is set to be
called upon for another key decision.
Headline: Call him Milliken in the middle
Page: 1
Byline: IAN ELLIOT, THE WHIG-STANDARD
Outlet: The Kingston Whig-Standard
Illustrations:
 Whig-Standard file photo Speaker Peter Milliken, left, seen with Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, may be called on to rule again in the Afghan detainee documents case.
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
As yet another deadline is set to pass on the issue of Parliamentary access to documents about
Afghan detainees, Kings ton and the Islands MP and Speaker Peter Milliken is set to be called
upon for another key decision.
Milliken ruled two weeks ago that parliamentarians have an absolute right to scrutinize all
documents pertaining to the treatment of enemy prisoners in Afghanistan.
Milliken gave parliament until last Tuesday to resolve the issue. When that deadline came and
went earlier this week, he extended it to Friday.
As talks broke down again Thursday, it appeared that he would have to rule again Friday.
"I expect him to take the middle course in any decision as he did the first time," said Canadian
parliamentary expert Ned Franks, a professor emeritus at Queen's University.
Opposition parties have been demanding access to the Afghan detainee documents since early
December. The documents relate to allegations that prisoners were routinely tortured by Afghan
authorities after being turned over by Canadian soldiers.
Milliken has given the four political parties until Friday to come up with a mechanism that would
allow opposition MPs to review classified government documents on the Afghan war without
compromising national security.
Milliken's first ruling on the issue was hailed as historic and Franks compared his role in the
current parliamentary tangle as akin to breaking up a schoolyard scrap between the squabbling
political parties.
"What the Speaker will do is step in and essentially say, 'All right children, Mr. Principal will
sort this out for you.' "
The minority Conservative government could be toppled over the issue, but the three opposition
parties have been reluctant to force an election that polls show most Canadians do not want.
The Conservatives could also be found to be in contempt of Parliament by Milliken if they are
seen as refusing to abide by any deal that is worked out.
One thing Franks does not favour is an idea that has been resurrected in the past month which
would see members of some Commons committees get security clearances, allowing them access
to secret documents.
University of Toronto political scientist Wesley Wark, when he appeared before the committee
investigating the Afghan detainee issue, championed the idea recently as a way to break the
procedural logjam, pointing out the practice is common in the United States.
Franks investigated and rejected the same idea when he worked for the McDonald Commission
into RCMP spying, which resulted in the agency's security service being abolished and the
Canadian Security and Intelligence Service being formed.
"That idea has been booted about for some time, but I don't favour that," he said, pointing out
that U.S. politicians on influential committees usually serve for decades while the Canadian
system results in a constant churn of politicians, which would mean a near-constant process of
vetting them for security clearances.
ielliot@thewhig.com
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Section: Actualités
Byline: La Presse canadienne
Outlet: Le Devoir
Headline: Détenus afghans - Blocage à quelques heures de l'ultimatum
Page: A2
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Ottawa -- Les négociations sur la divulgation des documents au sujet des détenus afghans, qui devaient
éviter une querelle parlementaire et le possible déclenchement d'élections générales, semblaient être
dans l'impasse, hier soir.
Les discussions devaient reprendre ce matin, laissant au gouvernement et aux partis d'opposition moins
de cinq heures avant la date butoir fixée par le président de la Chambre des communes, Peter Milliken.
Ce dernier a statué il y a deux semaines que les parlementaires ont un droit absolu de prendre
connaissance des documents ayant trait au traitement des détenus ennemis en Afghanistan.
En cas d'échec des pourparlers aujourd'hui, une motion d'outrage au Parlement pourrait être adoptée
contre le gouvernement. Ce qui pourrait entraîner une myriade de conséquences, allant du
déclenchement d'une élection à l'arrestation de ministres.
Le leader parlementaire du Bloc québécois, Pierre Paquette, a affirmé hier que le gouvernement Harper
avait imposé de nouvelles conditions à la toute dernière minute.
«Le gouvernement a mis de nouvelles conditions sur la table», a-t-il mentionné après une session de
négociations. «Leur position n'est pas la même... alors nous sommes loin d'une solution», estime-t-il. Le
chef du Bloc, Gilles Duceppe, a accusé le gouvernement d'agir de façon irresponsable et a affirmé qu'il
est prêt «à toute éventualité» si les négociations devaient achopper.
Selon le député néo-démocrate Joe Comartin, les partis d'opposition ont été un peu surpris par les détails
et par l'importance que le gouvernement accorde à certains d'entre eux.
Le ministre de la Justice, Rob Nicholson, le principal négociateur pour le gouvernement, a été avare de
commentaires: «Nous progressons», a-t-il dit. Quant au leader parlementaire libéral, Ralph Goodale, il
est «encore persuadé» qu'une entente peut être conclue d'ici cet après-midi.
Si certains consensus ont été dégagés depuis le début des négociations, il semble que le gouvernement
soit inflexible sur un point: il souhaite qu'un groupe de juristes ou d'avocats ait le dernier mot si le comité
de parlementaires qui doit décider du niveau de censure des documents ne s'entend pas.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Outlet: The Toronto Star
Illustrations:
 A Canadian soldier from Camp Nathan Smith charged with providing security for
international aid workers pats down an Afghan civilian on the main highway into Kandahar city
this week. NICOLA SOLIC/REUTERS
Headline: News
Page: A2
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Because an insurgent's diabolical mind never rests, the ingenuity of killing, maiming and preying
on the defenceless accepts no boundaries in Afghanistan.
Many Canadians seem to have forgotten - frankly, no longer care - about the compelling reasons
that sent our troops to that benighted country in the first place: humanitarian, political and
strategic.
Tactics and objectives have changed over the past half-dozen years, most especially since a new
Washington administration redefined the assignment, narrowing its focus on the Taliban-Al
Qaeda alliance and asserting a primary obligation to protect civilians from harm. All but dumped
was the parallel vision of an Afghanistan transformed from medieval to, if not modern, then
something more closely resembling the 20th century, still out of step with global evolution yet
incrementally emergent.
As Presidents Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai hold discussions in Washington, the grim reality
of everyday life for Afghans continues unchanged. This week, the United Nation's top envoy
expressed renewed alarm over more incidents of schoolgirls falling ill from suspected gas
poisoning. Dozens have been hospitalized in several cities across the country.
While the Taliban have not taken "credit" for the chemical attacks believed responsible in these
cases, they've certainly gone down that road before to dissuade parents from educating their
daughters.
Schools continue to be a soft target for militants - the number of attacks almost tripling from 242
to 670 between 2007 and 2008.
Yet there's almost no talk in Canada of the calamities that could so easily ensue once our 2,800
troops quit Kandahar next year, or how this nation can possibly maintain security for the
development initiatives we've promised to fund - especially the signature Dahla Dam project that
was to have provided irrigation water for all of Kandahar province.
The Conservative government has all but issued a gag order on the subject of whence
Afghanistan, loathe to rekindle a debate that might hurt at the polls. Meantime, the opposition is
hysterically obsessed with detainees, retroactively mining transfer protocols that no longer exist and solely for political gain - while much of the media obliges by misreporting events and
shrieking about potential war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.
Several media outlets even sloppily conflated two separate events last week: Canadian soldiers
taking back a detainee transferred to Afghan security forces after witnessing his mistreatment
(this was three years ago) and the general knowledge that Afghan civilians were routinely beaten
by Afghan patrols, particularly one notorious rogue unit.
Our troops continue dying in Afghanistan, schoolgirls are being gassed, but the Tories have no
plan they wish to share with us about what contribution this country can make in the near future
to a battlefield on which we've expended much blood and treasure.
And yet Ottawa - via a Parliamentary committee and a military board of inquiry - is in a cloud on
the sidebar detainee issue and is engaged in political manoeuvering over the opposition's right to
see uncensored documents detailing the role of the Canadian Forces in the treatment of those
detainees.
I wish representatives from all parties would spend just 24 hours outside the wire with Canadian
troops in Afghanistan and then explain to those soldiers where Ottawa's priorities lie and why.
If politicians are so consumed with a forensic auditing of what our troops knew about detainee
abuse - which no doubt happened and which everyone suspected and which Canadian soldiers
could do nothing to avert because a previous Liberal government had signed off on prisoner
transfers minus oversight guarantees (the consequence of not turning them over to Americans at
Bagram) - then maybe they should take a closer look at the April 28 transcript from their own
parliamentary committee investigating the matter.
Testifying that day were Gavin Buchan, former political director and senior Canadian official in
Kandahar from 2006 to 2007 - except for a two-month period when future whistle-blowing
diplomat Richard Colvin filled in at the job - and Maj. Gen. (retired) Tim Grant, commander of
Canadian troops in Kandahar during roughly the same period.
(In Colvin's explosive committee testimony late last year, and again in April, he alleged having
credible information of detainee abuse within a month of arriving in Kandahar in the spring of
2006; that all transferred battlefield detainees were abused; and reports he sent to dozens of
senior government officials from May 2006 to October 2007 were ignored.)
But Buchan told the committee he only learned of the allegations in April 2007 from newspaper
reports.
"I was left wondering if I had overlooked information I should have seen. If everybody
supposedly knew, then what had I missed?"
In preparing for his committee appearance, Buchan studied all his files and notes from
Afghanistan - including the briefing notes turned over by Colvin upon Buchan's arrival.
"At no time before April, 2007, did anyone express to me that they had concerns involving
transfers, and that includes Mr. Colvin, who had ample opportunity to do so." That included
discussions Buchan had with NATO allies, the UN, the International Red Cross and the Afghan
Independent Human Rights Commission.
"In the handover note that I received on my arrival in Kandahar in July, 2006, there was no
reference to the detainee issue whatsoever ... there was nothing to that effect in the note."
Asked his opinion on why Colvin told the committee he'd warned officials in 2006, Buchan
responded: "I won't presume to speak for Richard or his motivations. What I will say is that in
April 2007, there were some very vigorous exchanges between the embassy in Kabul and
headquarters in which he (Colvin) put forward strong, and I believe entirely legitimate views, but
the key thing here is the timing. Those views were expressed in April 2007, not in the period
prior."
It was at that point that Canadians pressed for a revised agreement with Afghan security officials
to better monitor the fate of transferred detainees.
Grant also testified that he'd seen and spoken with Colvin on numerous occasions, in Kandahar
and in Kabul. "But at no point did he come and say, 'General, there's an issue."'
Further, Grant told the committee he too had face-to-face meetings with the human rights
commission and the head of the National Security Directorate after Globe and Mail stories
appeared citing extensive abuse and torture of detainees. But Grant could never find the few
official sources cited in the Globe's stories - including an individual identified as the head of the
NDS in Kandahar. "The name is not one that I recognized and it's not one that any of the senior
leadership of the NDS recognized. So I'm not sure who (the reporter) had actually spoken to, but
that caused me some concern."
Nor could Grant find the human rights commission individual quoted in the article as alleging
abuse.
"The concern there was that individual was quoted as being concerned about the fact that Canada
was not providing or it would be nice if Canada provided the names of detainees that were
transferred," said Grant. "And again, that struck a chord with me because for more than two
months, we had been doing exactly that. I signed an agreement personally with the head of the
Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission on the 20th of February at which point we said
that we would provide those details and we had been providing them."
If there was a cover-up of Canadian knowledge about detainee abuse prior to 2007, it clearly did
not involve either this country's top civilian or top soldier in Kandahar. They couldn't hide what
they didn't know and what both have sworn was never brought to their attention.
But while the paper chase continues in Ottawa, everybody knows this: Schoolgirls are being
gassed and Canadian soldiers are still getting killed. Spare some outrage for them.
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: News report say another Canadian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive
device in southern Afghanistan.
Headline: Edmonton-based soldier reportedly killed in Afghanistan
Page: 5
Byline: BY THE CANADIAN PRESS
Outlet: The Edmonton Sun
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan
News report say another Canadian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device in
southern Afghanistan.
Private Kevin McKay, of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry,
reportedly died in an IED blast near the town of Nakhonay, near Kandahar.
The reports did not list his age or hometown.
Defence Department spokeswoman Christine Callahan would only say that the department was
aware of an incident in Afghanistan and was gathering information.
If confirmed, McKay would be the 144th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the
military mission began 2002.
Meanwhile, NATO says one service member has been killed in a roadside bombing attack in the
south and another is dead after an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan.
NATO spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks says an American service member died in the attack in
the east Friday. The alliance has not indicated the nationality of the service member who died in
the bombing in the south on Thursday.
With the deaths, NATO has lost 23 service members in Afghanistan this month.
Violence has been rising in the southern province of Kandahar. NATO and Afghan government
forces are gearing up for a major operation in the region to root out Taliban insurgents in the
region.
NATO leaders say the operation will be crucial to the outcome of the war.
Back to Top
Section: National
Outlet: The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
Headline: IED kills soldier in Afghanistan
Page: A13
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan
Source: Canwest News Service
A Canadian soldier who was scheduled to return home in two days has been killed by an
improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
Pte. Kevin McKay of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, who was based at Canadian
Forces Base Edmonton, died in an IED attack near the town of Nakhonay.
The circumstances of his death are not yet known.
A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said late Thursday night that more
details about McKay's death would be forthcoming as they are released from Afghanistan.
McKay is the 144th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2002, and the sixth Canadian
casualty so far this year.
Petty officer (2nd class) Craig Blake died May 3 in Afghanistan when he was killed by an IED
just a few hundred metres from Canada's front-line base at Sperwan Ghar.
The 37-year-old Simcoe, Ont., native was the 143rd Canadian casualty and the first Canadian
sailor to die in Afghanistan. A diver and sonar operator with the Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic in
Halifax, Blake was a married father of two.
Four Canadian civilians have also been killed since the Afghanistan mission began, including a
diplomat, a journalist and two aid workers.
Canada is due to end its military mission in Afghanistan in 2011.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: Another Canadian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device in southern
Afghanistan.
Headline: Roadside bomb kills Alberta soldier in Afghanistan
Page: 5
Byline: BY CALGARY SUN
Outlet: The Calgary Sun
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan
Another Canadian soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device in southern
Afghanistan.
Pte. Kevin McKay, of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, died in
an IED blast near the town of Nakhonay, 15 km southwest of Kandahar.
The Canadian military said in a statement McKay died while on foot during a night patrol in the
Panjwaii district at 8 p.m. local time Thursday.
They did not provide McKay's age or hometown, although news reports indicate he was just two
days away from returning home.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our fallen Canadian comrade during
this sad time," the military said.
"The commitment and sacrifice of our soldiers and their loved ones are helping to make a
difference in the lives of the people of Kandahar province."
McKay is the 144th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the military mission began in
2002. Two civilians -- diplomat Glyn Berry and journalist Michelle Lang -- have also died.
The area around Kandahar has been deadly for Canadian soldiers in recent weeks.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Craig Blake, 37, was killed in the same region on May 3, becoming the
first Canadian sailor to be killed in the Afghanistan conflict.
Weeks earlier, Pte. William Todd, 26, was killed by a roadside bomb while on foot patrol.
Back to Top
Section: Canada
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: Judge: Video of alleged battlefield execution victim can be released
Page: B8
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The judge in an unprecedented court martial has ruled that a battlefield video from
Afghanistan can be made public.
Lt.-Col, Jean-Guy Perron says the cellphone video must be digitally altered to blur the faces of
Afghan interpreters and remove the sound track.
He says these steps are necessary to protect the identity of Afghans working with allied forces.
The 10-minute video shows a severely wounded insurgent who is allegedly the victim of a
battlefield execution by a Canadian officer.
Capt. Robert Semrau is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly firing two shots into
the man from close range shortly after the video was taken in October 2008.
Media lawyers successfully argued for the release of the court martial exhibit over prosecution
objections.
The judge gave the military 10 days to alter the video for release. Semrau is a 36-year-old father
of two from Petawawa, Ont., who served with the British army before joining the Canadian
Forces.
Witnesses have testified that Semrau fired two shots into the wounded insurgent and said it was a
mercy killing.
The man had been seriously wounded during a firefight with Afghan soldiers and it is not clear if
he was still alive when Semrau fired.
The Afghans on the scene refused to provide medical treatment for the wounded man and were
ready to abandon him on the ground.
The victim was never identified nor was the body recovered.
Back to Top
Section: News
Byline: Gary Dimmock
Outlet: The Ottawa Citizen
Headline: OPP initially ruled out colonel as suspect; Stature as base commander shielded
Williams from scrutiny, neighbour says
Page: A1 / FRONT
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
It was the day after the neighbour down the road had been sexually terrorized as her infant
daughter slept. A man had broken into her Tweed home in late September 2009 around 1 a.m. He
blindfolded her, photographed her and forced himself on her for two hours.
Hours later, the police knocked on doors along Cosy Cove Lane asking questions. They got to
Larry Jones's home, and after a few questions, an officer asked who owned the place next door.
Jones, 65, told him it belonged to Col. Russell Williams, 47. The police officer thought Jones
was joking. He wasn't.
"So I told him again," Jones said, "that the owner of the house next door was the commander of
CFB Trenton and then he said, 'Well, I guess we don't have to look at him then.' "
In fact, OPP detectives would first focus not on Williams, but rather on Larry Jones.
The OPP searched Jones's home and hauled him in for questioning.
Two months after the police officer said they didn't need to look at Williams as a suspect, Cpl.
Marie-France Comeau, 37, was found dead in a sex killing. Four months later, Jessica Lloyd, 27,
was also found dead after being sexually assaulted.
It wasn't until February that OPP closed in on Col. Williams.
That was after a roadside check for a unique design of snow tires matched the colonel's truck.
Williams was then asked to come in for questioning at Ottawa police headquarters in the first
week of February.
The colonel apparently thought the interview would be about his Tweed neighbour, Larry Jones,
and figured he'd be back to his Ottawa home on Edison Avenue for supper.
Nothing could be further from the truth and Williams, still being paid $12,000 a month by the
military, remains in jail charged in connection with two sex killings, two home invasions
involving sexual assault and 82 lingerie break-ins, including 34 in Orléans.
By the end of the police interview, led by an OPP behavioural sciences expert, Williams
allegedly guided detectives to where they could find hidden keepsakes -- included more than 500
pairs of women's underwear -- at his Westboro home.
On May 6, one of his alleged victims, known only as Jane Doe, filed a $2-million lawsuit against
Williams and his wife, Mary-Elizabeth Harriman.
In the statement of claim, the 21-year-old woman says she has suffered severe depression and
addiction since the alleged attack. The statement of claim also alleges that Williams fraudulently
transferred his Ottawa home to his wife to protect it from legal action.
Some reports have described the property transfer as "secret" but, in fact, the transfer was
registered with the Ontario land registry office. The transfer, according to documents obtained by
the Citizen, was signed off by Williams on March 26.
Thursday, a Belleville judge ruled that Mary-Elizabeth Harriman is prohibited from selling or
transferring the Westboro home.
Williams and Mary-Elizabeth Harriman have not yet filed a statement of defence. None of the
allegations in the statement of claim have been proven in court.
In the suit, the plaintiff known as Jane Doe, is said to have been terrified that on the night in
question she and her newborn child would be killed. The statement of claim also says that Jane
Doe has had to develop psychological mechanisms in order to survive "the horrors of the
assault."
Gary Dimmock can be reached at 613-726-6869 or gdimmock@thecitizen.canwest.com
Back to Top
Section: News
Outlet: The Province
Headline: Soldier faces four sex-assault raps
Page: A37
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: PEMBROKE, Ont.
Source: Canwest News Service
An Ontario soldier accused of sexually assaulting four women appeared in provincial court
Thursday and was remanded in custody.
Cpl. Christopher Raymond Chaulk of CFB Petawawa will appear again Wednesday by video
from the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre.
Chaulk faces four counts of sexual assault stemming from two incidents at the base last week and
two others that took place last fall.
Back to Top
Section: News
Lead: A soldier facing numerous sexual assault charges remains behind bars awaiting a bail
hearing.
Headline: Police add charges in alleged soldier sex assault case
Page: 5
Byline: BY TINA PEPLINSKIE, QMI AGENCY
Outlet: The Ottawa Sun
Illustrations:
 drawing by Jordana Globerman, Special to Ottawa Sun A courtroom sketch shows Cpl. Christ
Raymond Chaulk, the man accused oftwo sex assaults in and around CFB Petawawa. Police laid
additional charges on Thursday.
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: PEMBROKE
A soldier facing numerous sexual assault charges remains behind bars awaiting a bail hearing.
Cpl. Chris Raymond Chaulk, 25, appeared in Pembroke court Thursday, to hear police have laid
additional charges in relation to two incidents, which are alleged to have occurred over a two-day
span at CFB Petawawa.
In total, the corporal is facing nine criminal charges. Previous charges of assault and sexual
assault related to separate incidents involving two women last fall have been removed.
During his 20-minute court appearance before Justice of the Peace Nancy Mitchell, Chaulk sat in
the prisoner's box looking straight ahead. He was wearing grey overalls, appeared unshaven and
his hair was dishevelled.
FLED THE SCENE
According to police, on May 6 a man broke into a private married quarter on the base's south
town site. A woman was assaulted before the suspect fled the scene. Police also received a report
of another woman being assaulted while walking along a wooded path on the base on May 8.
Chaulk was arrested the same day.
He's charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, two
counts of break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, one count with intent to
commit an indictable offence, breaking out of a dwelling house after committing a sexual assault
and loitering.
Mitchell granted a defence-requested adjournment until May 19, when Chaulk will appear via
video from the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.
Back to Top
Section: National
Outlet: The Telegram (St. John's)
Headline: Bail hearing postponed; Soldier charged with sexual assaults remains in custody
Page: C11
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: Pembroke, Ont.
Source: CanwestNews Service; The Telegram
An Ontario soldier accused of sexually assaulting four women remains in jail.
The Canadian Forces Base Peta-wawa soldier appeared in Pembroke provincial court Thursday
and was remanded to custody. His bail hearing was postponed a second time.
Cpl. Christopher Raymond Chaulk will return to court Wed-nesday by video from the Ottawa
Carleton Detention Centre.
Chaulk was charged with four counts of sexual assault stemming from two incidents which
allegedly occurred at the base last week and two others that took place last fall.
He was also charged with two related counts of assault and two of assault causing bodily harm,
the latter pair in connection with the most recent assaults.
Chaulk also faces five charges surrounding a break-and-enter, in-cluding disguise with intent.
As a result of the charges, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary told media this week the
department is looking into cold cases of sexual assaults on women in St. John's
Chaulk's home unit is in St. John's, but he had been in Petawawa, 160 kilometres northwest of
Ottawa, since last fall for training prior to deployment to Afghanistan.
"Certainly, what we would have to do prior to (opening cases) is establish when the accused was
actually in our jurisdiction, what specific time frame the accused was here and from that we
would have to retrieve those case files and do a thorough examination of case-relevant
investigations as well," RNC spokeswoman Const. Suzanne Fitz-Gerald told reporters Monday.
Back to Top
Section: NovaScotia
Byline: Steve Bruce Court Reporter
Outlet: The Chronicle-Herald
Headline: Military policeman chooses trial by judge in off-duty aggravated assault case
Page: A3
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
A military policeman charged with aggravated assault has elected trial by a Nova Scotia
Supreme Court judge alone.
Christopher Michael Vining, 24, of Beech Tree Run in Beechville, was off-duty when he
allegedly got into a fight with a man in downtown Halifax at about 2:40 a.m. on Feb. 28.
Sean LeBlanc was seriously injured after he fell and hit his head. The fight happened in the area
of Market and Blower streets, also known as Pizza Corner. Police said the men did not know
each other. Vining made his election Tuesday in Halifax provincial court. A preliminary inquiry
will be held Sept. 15, also in provincial court. The Canadian Forces member was suspended from
active police work and had to surrender his badge after the arrest, said Lt.-Cmdr. Sherman Hinze
of CFB Halifax. Hinze said Vining has been working in a support role and occasionally has to
transport other members' weapons, but he cannot use them.
Vining has to follow a court-ordered curfew and isn't allowed to consume alcohol or drugs.With
Dan Arsenault, crime reporter
Back to Top
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Lead: More than anything, it was the drowning sensation of helplessness, futility.
Headline: Veteran battles stigma of stress
Page: 15
Byline: BY BILL KAUFMANN
Outlet: The Calgary Sun
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
More than anything, it was the drowning sensation of helplessness, futility.
In Croatia, it was staring into the barrels of automatic weapons wielded by Serb soldiers
confident the Canadians' rules of engagement rendered them powerless to respond.
In Uganda, it was standing by helplessly as a Rwandan refugee was raped in front of him.
"We could hear her screaming ... when someone's raped 30 feet in front of you, it affects you,"
says former Cpl. Christian McEachern.
Six years later, in March, 2001, McEachern became for Canadians the face of post traumatic
stress disorder when he plowed an SUV through the headquarters building at CFB Edmonton
Garrison.
In those days, Canada's mentally wounded warriors were shoved under the carpet.
"I was the only guy they couldn't cover up," says McEachern, 39.
He avoided prison time but still resents the treatment during his trial meted out by a military he
served for 14 years.
That wartime stress and courtroom anxiety left him sleep disordered and haunted by nightmares.
But the outdoor's soothing properties delivered an epiphany and McEachern's piloting into its
second official year an outdoor retreat program for PTSD vets in Kananaskis Country.
Veterans who were once reluctant to leave their homes are bonding and adjusting through
whitewater rafting, horseback riding and hiking.
"The guys are happy just standing around, chatting," says the Calgarian, who's parlayed degrees
in ecotourism and outdoor leadership into the Canadian Veteran Adventure Foundation.
"I've made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot ... in a way, I'm trying to redeem myself."
His notoriety is probably a double-edged sword, he says.
Doubts over his past can cast a long shadow over his efforts, he admits.
"I've had absolutely no help in this project from DND and Veterans' Affairs," he says, adding
funding for the venture is always an obstacle.
"If I waited for Veterans Affairs to develop it, it wouldn't happen."
On the other hand, the incident he dubs "the most shameful in my life" has since proven a
catalyst for PTSD programs and his own healing journey.
And while Canada and its military have made strides in how PTSD is handled, a stigma remains
that feeds the distrust of many ex-warriors afflicted by it.
A December 2008's ombudsman's report prepared for National Defence cites victims' lack of
trust in the system and a failure to keep track of their numbers.
It's all too familiar to McEachern, who saw friends fall away even before his 2001 Edmonton
rampage.
"That hurt more than any bullets fired at us," he says.
Only now, after eight years of Canadian troops in Afghanistan and a surge of PTSD, have
doubters come around, says McEachern.
He's expecting a bigger turnout for his outings that are expanding to B.C. and Saskatchewan.
It's an acceptance that must be therapy in itself.
Still more is the ascension of retired Col. Don Ethell to the post of Alberta's lieutenant-governor
and his vow to make that affliction and other mental illnesses a priority during his reign.
The tsunami of PTSD cases crashing across the country has seen the number of sufferers more
than triple since 2002, to well over 6,500 -- a count that doesn't include the currently-serving.
Canada continues to sacrifice the bodies and minds of its young on a bloody hamster wheel in
Afghanistan.
McEachern doesn't delve too deeply into the morality of it all, saying "I can only support the
guys who are doing their jobs.
"Unfortunately, business is going to be good for us."
BILL.KAUFMANN@SUNMEDIA.CA
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Section: Canada/World
Outlet: The Hamilton Spectator
Headline: Aging radar, fighter jets worry retiring general
Page: A14
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.
Source: The Associated Press
A four-star general, who is retiring from the military's top homeland security position, says the
nation's radar system needs to be replaced and its jet fighter fleet is getting old.
"The aging systems that we use for many of our NORAD missions is a concern for me," said Air
Force General Gene Renuart, commander of the North American Aerospace Defence Command
and the U.S. Northern Command.
NORAD is a joint U.S.-Canada command that monitors air and space threats to both nations.
Northern Command oversees the U.S. military's homeland defence and supports civilian
authorities. Both have headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs
Renuart, who has headed both NORAD and Northcom since March 2007, will end his 39-year
Air Force career on July 1.
He said the nation's radar system needs to be updated with an integrated system of sensors that
can seamlessly monitor space, maritime areas and U.S. border areas, as well as the air.
"The answer isn't just 'fix radar sites,'" he said.
Renuart believes NORAD and the Northern Command should remain under the same
commander because of what he called synergies in cyber security, intelligence and other areas.
Some divisions are necessary because NORAD encompasses both U.S. and Canadian forces,
while the Northern Command is a U.S.-only operation, he said. But even the separate operations
work together, and splitting them would risk making them dysfunctional, Renuart said.
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Section: Sports
Lead: The Memorial Cup is now dedicated to every fallen Canadian soldier.
Headline: Classic trophy is for all soldiers
Page: S5
Byline: BY SCOTT FISHER, CALGARY SUN
Outlet: The Winnipeg Sun
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: BRANDON
The Memorial Cup is now dedicated to every fallen Canadian soldier.
The trophy was originally donated to the CHL by the Ontario Hockey Association in 1919, in
remembrance of Canadian troops who died during World War I.
At a ceremony Thursday at CFB Shilo, the Memorial Cup was rededicated to include all soldiers,
past and present, who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Hosts have new look
The Brandon Wheat Kings will have a new look Friday.
Don Cherry previewed the special jersey the Wheaties will wear on Coach's Corner Wednesday
night. The jerseys will be auctioned off online with proceeds going to the Dominion Command
Poppy Trust Fund.
Wheatie champs return
The Wheat Kings are bringing back some familiar faces. Chris Dingman, who played for the
1996 club that beat the Spokane Chiefs, will perform the ceremonial faceoff Friday night.
Former Wheaties goaltender Trevor Kidd, who won a Memorial Cup with the Chiefs, was part of
Thursday's rededication ceremony.
Blues ink Shattock
It appears this will be Hitmen power forward Tyler Shattock's junior hockey swan song.
The chances of the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder returning next season as an overager all but
disappeared this week when the fourth-round pick signed with the St. Louis Blues.
Tourney on U.S. airwaves
The Memorial Cup will be on the air south of the border.
The NHL Network will air Sportsnet's coverage of all tournament games.
SCOTT.FISHER@SUNMEDIA.CA
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Section: Sports
Outlet: The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
Headline: Memorial Cup rededicated to honour all fallen soldiers
Page: B6
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Dateline: CFB SHILO
Source: Brandon Sun
With a 15-gun salute, the historic Memorial Cup was officially rededicated Thursday in honour
of every Canadian soldier who has paid the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty.
The trophy was originally donated to the Canadian Hockey League by the Ontario Hockey
Association in 1919 in remembrance of the Canadian men and women who died in service
during the First World War.
More than 200 military and civilians gathered to witness the official ceremony, which began
with a vice-regal salute and Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Philip S. Lee's inspection of a 100-person guard
of honour comprised of members of the Royal Canadian Artillery 26th Field Regiment.
Following the inspection, three veterans escorted the shining silver cup onto the parade square so
Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and CHL vice-president Gilles Courteau
could complete the official re-dedication.
"I hope that this rededication helps to remind fans of Canada's game that we have the freedom,
prosperity and security to enjoy our pastimes because of the sacrifices of the men and women of
the armed forces," Lee said.
As the memory of the First World War fades deeper into history, Courteau says such ceremonies
are important to not only educate youth, but to remind Canadians to pay their respects to those
Canadians who currently serve in the Canadian Forces.
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Section: Post Movies
Byline: Nick Aveling
Outlet: National Post
Illustrations:
 Color Photo: /
Headline: New Trews song dedicated to 'all the soldiers past, present and future'
Page: PM9
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
Source: National Post
The Trews' Highway of Heroes celebrates that stretch of road between CFB Trenton and a
coroner's office in downtown Toronto, where hundreds gather on bridges and overpasses to
mourn soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The song hits TV and radio today, and will be available for
purchase on iTunes on Tuesday. It was inspired by the 2006 death of Capt. Nichola Goddard, the
first Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan. "We decided to zoom out from the specific
details of Nichola's story and make it more general, dedicating it to all soldiers past, present and
future who are carried home on the Highway of Heroes," said guitarist John-Angus MacDonald,
pictured. Net proceeds from the song will go to the Canadian Hero Fund (see hero-fund. ca).
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Section: Franco Plus
Outlet: Le Droit
Headline: L'écrasement d'un CF-100 à Orléans commémoré
Page: 44
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
L'écrasement d'un chasseur CF-100 sur la Villa St-Louis à Orléans, le 15mai 1956, sera commémoré
dans le cadre des célébrations du 150e anniversaire de la paroisse St-Joseph. La commémoration est
organisée par les Chevaliers de la Table ronde en coopération avec les Soeurs de la Charité d'Ottawa, la
filiale 632 de la Légion royale canadienne et la 410e escadre de l'Association des Forces aériennes du
Canada. L'événement aura lieu à 14h, demain, date exacte de l'anniversaire, au pied du monument situé
derrière la Résidence St-Louis contemporaine, au 879 chemin Hiawatha Park, à Orléans. On croit que cet
accident, un des pires dans l'histoire de l'aviation militaire au Canada, était dû à un problème
d'approvisionnement en oxygène en altitude; il a entraîné dans la mort de 11 Soeurs de la Charité, une
servante, l'aumônier de la Villa et des deux officiers d'aviation. La cérémonie se veut aussi un rappel des
cordiales relations qui existent, historiquement, entre les militaires et la population d'Orléans dans son
ensemble: en effet, un des tout premiers colons à s'y établir, François Dupuis, était un retraité du
régiment des Voltigeurs canadiens. Depuis, non seulement ce secteur de l'Ottawa métropolitain est-il
devenu un endroit de choix pour un grand nombre de militaires en service dans la capitale, mais au fil
des ans Orléans s'est avéré une prédilection pour l'enracinement de familles militaires à la retraite.
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Section: Editorial
Outlet: The Toronto Star
Headline: Canada's drift is being noted
Page: A26
Date: Friday 14 May 2010
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had kind words for Canada's selfless efforts to
stabilize Afghanistan and to rebuild Haiti during his visit to Ottawa this week.
He also praised us for past glories. We wrote the book on UN peacekeeping, he noted in a speech
to the UN Association. We championed the notion that the UN has a "responsibility to protect"
those who are threatened by genocide and other evils. Promoted a global ban on land mines. And
have always been a solid aid donor.
All this makes Canada a "dynamic member" of the UN system, with an "engaged citizenry" who
stand for "justice, human rights, equal opportunity," Ban said.
Certainly, that's how we like to think of ourselves.
But when it comes to the challenges facing the world in the 21st century, Canadian activism
under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government is a pale shadow of what it
once was. We're falling behind, and our drift is being noticed as we lobby for a seat on the
Security Council next year.
Looking ahead to the Group of Eight and Group of 20 summits here in June, Ban said "Canada
has much to contribute," and he urged Harper, as host, to push an "ambitious agenda" on nuclear
disarmament, climate change and foreign aid.
Most Canadians would agree. But the Harper Conservatives show no sign of wanting to stake out
progressive ground on these issues. They look elsewhere for leadership.
That's especially true on climate change. Ban was reduced to urging Ottawa to meet our Kyoto
Protocol targets, which the Conservatives have no intention of doing. Instead, they are waiting
for U.S. President Barack Obama to lead the way.
Ban also urged Canada to lead a push for "a nuclear-weapon-free world." Here, too, Ottawa has
been content to applaud as Obama reduces American reliance on nuclear weapons and makes
cuts. The Tories seem bereft of fresh ideas, and the will to promote them.
Finally, Ban wants Harper to advocate a "bold" boost in funding to curb poverty, hunger and
disease. The G8 has fallen $20 billion short of its promises. While Harper is promoting better
maternal and child health care, he has also sparked a furor over abortion. And he is freezing aid
when we're in the bottom half of donor countries. That hardly positions us to demand more from
others.
Canada's leadership is falling short, by any standard. And the world has noticed. Ban thinks we
can do better. He's right.
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