Editor’s note: Your Shilo Stag celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022, the inaugural newspaper published on July 18, 1947. From our Stag archives, here is a message from BComd Col D. Francis from a front page story in the Sept. 14, 1967 edition. Col Francis served as BComd from 1966 to 1968 and lived at 1 Royal Place. When he was done, with the advent of the 1970s, he was military attache to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, calling Oslo home for four years. According to daughter Anne Francis, who was six or seven during his posting to this province, her dad was with 4RCHA during his initial posting to CFB Shilo. Retiring before he attained the rank of BGen in Kingston, Ont., Francis lived to age 73. He died in 1994, flying an ultralight plane which crashed in Florida. After leaving the CAF he worked for Emergency Planning Canada on contract for a number of years.

Col D Francis

I am very pleased to have been appointed to command Canadian Forces Base Shilo and the Royal Canadian School of Artillery.

I first came to Shilo 28 years ago as a gunner in the militia; since then as a regular army artillery officer, I have been resuming regularly on postings and courses.

My family and I lived here from 1949 to 1951. My first recollection of Shilo is of a flat plain containing a water tower, three or four buildings, and acres of bell tents. There were no streets, no houses, and no trees. Today the picture has changed greatly.

We have, perhaps, more than our share of “temporary” wartime buildings which seem to have become permanent. However, we also have permanent barracks and messes, a shopping centre, recreation facilities, schools and married quarters — indeed, everything needed to make this a modern community, of which I am happy to become a part.

My job here is twofold. First, it is to supervise the training of artillerymen for the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. I must point out here that the training of artillerymen is the primary function of the whole base; all other functions and activities are secondary and must contribute to this main aim.

My second job is that I am responsible for the personnel and property on the base. As such, I am vitally interested in the people and their activities.

This brings me to the main point of my message. In the short time since my arrival in CFB Shilo, I have been appalled by the amount of vandalism and petty thievery.

It seems that whenever the opportunity exists, someone has to damage or steal property not his own. Most of this damage and pilfering is of a petty nature, ranging from breaking windows to pilfering in the MLS.

However, it adds up to a considerable amount and all of it must be paid for out of funds which could otherwise be used for the benefit of the whole community.

I cannot believe that this state of affairs is caused by adults; our adult population is no less law-abiding or responsible than in any other community.

It appears then, that the culprits are mainly children, or, at worst, people with the minds of children. In any case, the adult population is not without blame.

In the first place, parents are legally responsible for the actions of their children at all times. Secondly, we are responsible for bringing up our children to be law-abiding citizens.

Thirdly, I find it hard to believe that this type of lawlessness can go on unless the citizens of the community are turning a blind eye to it.

It is my intention to put a stop to this state of affairs as quickly as possible, and here the steps I propose to take.

Firstly, new and determined efforts will be made to increase the scope of community youth activities in an effort to channel young peoples’ energies in the right direction.

Secondly, additional security and law enforcement measures will be adopted to safeguard property and to apprehend offenders.

Thirdly, offenders will be punished severely.

However, no program of this nature can succeed without the co-operation and support of every citizen.

If we leave it to the police, the chaplains and a few public-spirited leaders, it will never get off the ground. We can expect to continue the present state of affairs with broken windows in our buildings, broken glass on our streets, twisted traffic signs, and everything stolen that is not locked up or nailed down.

I therefore ask every citizen of this community to take an active interest in the problem of exercising proper control over your children and by apprehending or reporting those who are doing wrong.

If, in addition, you have a desire to help actively in promoting supervised youth activities on the base, please let me have your name so that we may fit you into our organization.

Between us I believe we can lick this problem. In doing so we shall make the community a better place to live and we shall be doing our young people a great service by helping and encouraging them to become better citizens.