Features
LCol Chris Wood — Outgoing Base Commander will miss prairie winters, seeing 1RCHA’s Gunline in action
Leaving the prairies behind as the Wood family returns to Ontario, LCol Chris Wood laments what he will miss about his two-year stint as CFB Shilo’s Base Commander. Yes, winters are on his list of likes, as well as sunsets and seeing the Northern Lights. The pace, too, will something he will have to adjust to when he hits Ottawa traffic again. Not the same when it comes driving in Brandon and its hinterland.
PHOTO ESSAY: Mucky moments in Mud Day’s mud pit
Shilo MFRC’s annual Mud Day is always popular with the youngsters who don’t mind getting mucky in the mud pit. And some adults, too, participated in mud wrestling with their kids, or spouse, as the whole family goes home covered in mud.
PHOTO ESSAY: 1RCHA CO impressed with inaugural Ex TOUGH GUNNER
Despite starting the morning off with precipitation, 1RCHA CO LCol Joe O’Donnell was impressed with the inaugural Ex TOUGH GUNNER. The event definitely tested the physical mettle of 1RCHA soldiers.
National Air Force Museum wants western provinces to participate — take flight with Ad Astra stone program
Air force veterans from Manitoba are in good company at 8 Wing CFB Trenton. Of the more than 12,000 stone markers set along the edges of walkways adjacent to the Ontario-based National Air Force Museum of Canada, there are a few of them featuring people with a connection to this province.
Army cadets recognized in front of family during fifth annual ceremonial review
CO Capt Connie Wilson looked on proudly as young people dressed in their 2502 1RCHA Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp (RCACC) uniforms marched out on to the MPFT parade square. Inclement weather forced the move indoors after initial plans for the fifth annual ceremonial review were to hold the event on the Kapyong parade square.
Enjoying lobster is not an exercise in table etiquette
My initial exposure to lobster came as a youngster when my late father was posted to now defunct CFS St. Margaret’s in New Brunswick. Who knew the five Xavier air force brats, fussy eaters we were as children, would enjoy our dad’s lobster when he offered it to us. But we did, so this meant his lobster feast was interrupted.
D-Day veteran Francis Godon trained at Camp Shilo prior to his arrival on Juno Beach
A veteran of the D-Day invasion in 1944 was laid to rest in Boissevain’s cemetery on a frigid winter afternoon. It was a few days after his death at age 94 in January 2019 when Francis Godon’s family and friends gathered for his funeral. It was a contrast to Godon’s experience on June 6, 1944, with B Coy 3 Div, when his landing craft finally reached a sandy beach in Normandy, France.
PHOTO ESSAY: 3Cdn Div C Coy Det Shilo promotions
Shilo Stag editor Jules Xavier covered a promotion ceremony for three soldiers working at 3Cdn Div C Coy Det Shilo.
Human interaction with wildlife: Leave baby animals alone
With the warm spring weather upon us on the Manitoba prairies, animals are preparing for the arrival of their young. Parenting strategies used by animals are quite a bit different then ours.
PHOTO ESSAY: 1RCHA celebrate 125th anniversary with sports day, followed by cake
Shilo Stag editor Jules Xavier covered an array of events as part of 1RCHA’s 125th anniversary activities, which included sports day, plus visit from 1CMBG Comd Col Philippe Bourque.
