Besides promoting his wife Tina to major when she was with 2PPCLI, BComd LCol Rick Goodyear signed off his command during a CoC ceremony held at L25. As Base Commander, he was active when it came to playing sports, experiencing what units like 1RCHA or 2PPCLI did in the RTA or challenging himself on the confidence course. Photos Jules Xavier/Shilo Stag

Jules Xavier

Shilo Stag

“After 32 years it’s time to hang the shingle somewhere else. I am moving over to DFO as their CFO, so get to stay in Ottawa.”

Now MGen Rick Goodyear shared his CAF retirement news with those words above with the Shilo Stag.

Currently, the DND’s Chief Financial Management boss in our nation’s capital — his replacement is Commodore Ruth Dagenais —  will be leaving his post this month for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Then LCol Rick Goodyear was CFB Shilo BComd from 2011 to 2013, replaced by LCol Stephen Joudrey. Ironically, as MGen Goodyear was announcing his retirement after more than three decades in the military, so too was LCol Joudrey.

The latter 2PPCLI officer will retire and return to Calgary, Alberta — he’s on IR as the COS with 5 Div out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Looking back on his two years as BComd, then LCol Goodyear shared these words with the Shilo Stag in July 2013:

“As my last week fast approaches, it’s hard to believe my time in Shilo is coming to an end. My ninth posting in Canada, this has been without a doubt the most rewarding personally and professionally.

“In an attempt to organize my thoughts I decided to stick to several themes that encapsulate my last two years.”

PRAIRIE LIFE

“Having spent my entire career in Ontario and east, coming to CFB Shilo also meant adapting to prairie life. The transition was seamless. Prairie life, I pleasantly discovered, is very similar to life in small town Newfoundland: subtract the fish, add farming and keep the friendliness.

“With two kids in hockey I had the opportunity to freeze in countless small town rinks from here to Bottineau and all points in between. Each small town had its own charm and a great sense of community.

“This is true for our great neighbours in Brandon as well. A very progressive city that doesn’t feel or act like a city. I will even miss prairie seasons — well not all of it.

“Beautiful long summer days and sunny winters with enough snow to actually do winter things with the kids.

“I won’t miss the mind-numbing cold in the winter or the panic of having to remove a wood tick from the inside of my youngest son’s ear.”

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

“Shilo has a true community feel, more than I’ve ever experienced at other Bases. My family and I felt it from the beginning and we marvelled throughout our two years at the great sense of belonging and care and concern for the community.

“People that live and work here genuinely care about the community. Shilo is not simply a stopover for the majority of families, it is home.

“Our civilian workers that see us come and go year after year share our enthusiasm for the community and their dedication is what keeps Shilo looking as great as it does.”

FITNESS

“I’ve always felt fitness was very important no matter where I’ve been posted. With the Base leadership team we set about to create a culture of fitness at the ASU.

“It has been amazing to see the improvements amongst many of our soldiers during the last two years. With opportunities like [Ex] MOUNTAIN MAN, [Ex] TOUGH MUDDER, Army Run, Marine Corps marathon and Nijmegen to name a few, we challenged our soldiers physically and mentally and created an appreciation for the benefits of fitness.

“If that wasn’t enough, I did my best to push people to their limits on each Friday morning BComd PT. The vast majority of soldiers took up the challenge and have dramatically improved their fitness to a point where we have arguably the fittest group of Base soldiers in the Canadian Army.

SUCCESS & CHALLENGES

“As a Base we had many successes during the last two years. I won’t go into a laundry list of improvements, but most notably from a community perspective was the increase in daycare spaces and the creation of a family dental clinic.

“From an operations perspective, we started a comprehensive UXO clean-up program and successfully supported the mounting of Task Force 2-13.

“Of course there were challenges along the way. A freeze on civilian hiring meant we constantly had to ask our small civilian team to do much more than their fair share of work. As a result of cutbacks, we also lost very valuable employees who had been a critical part of Shilo’s success for years.    

FINAL THOUGHTS

“It has been an amazing two years for [my wife] Tina, the boys and I.

“I’d like to thank all the soldiers and their families for the outstanding support we received during our time here and for making Shilo the best place in the Army to train soldiers and raise a family.”

Then LCol Goodyear’s legacy as BComd at CFB Shilo won’t soon be forgotten, acknowledged former Personal Support Programs (PSP) senior manager Mike McEwan during an informal gathering of PSP staff at the Junior Ranks Club with LCol Goodyear.

“On arrival in 2011 you told me to ‘use’ you to make improvements to the community,” McEwan opened with his address to staff and the BComd. “And we did to great effect and would have done much more if time allowed. In fact, many changes during your command have been a direct result of your vision for the Base and community.”

He added, “I am not over stating the case when I say your efforts will long be remembered and enjoyed by this community and that your legacy will be varied and widespread because you have directly and positively affected virtually every aspect of our community.”

McEwan highlighted some of LCol Goodyear’s notable contributions to the Base: Increased daycare capacity; opened a dental clinic; vastly improved the Base’s fitness, sports and recreation programs and facilities by re-equipping the weight room, adding a surfaced outdoor running track and improved the arena operations. He also added community activities to the annual calendar, most notably the Christmas show, with George Canyon twice performing at the GSH to an appreciative audience.

LCol Goodyear’s list of accomplishments during his two-year posting at CFB Shilo, according to McEwan, also included:

• Improved the language school by providing French learning on site and the French daycare;

• Moved and improved the Shilo Stag operations and added the At A Glance magazine;

• Renovated CANEX Mall and many of its businesses.

“Believe me when I say I could go on and on because these are just a few of your accomplishments,” offered McEwan. “Many are not readily apparent to the community, but very important none the less such as new fridges and freezers in the Garrison Grill at CANEX and the Community Centre, plus a new roof for CANEX and new storage buildings at FS&R and the SCC.”

McEwan also pointed out LCol Goodyear fought hard and was successful in his efforts to minimize the national level reductions to NPF staff and services on Base.

“Others will not be seen or felt until after you are gone, but would not have happened without your efforts,” he said.

These include renovations at the Shilo Country Club, the new campground; and repairs to the Officers’ Mess following flooding in December 2012.

McEwan said. “You can take comfort and pride in the fact that you are leaving Shilo a much better place than you found it.”

LCol Goodyear received a number of departing gifts from his NPF staff, including a No. 1 driver from the golf club, and his own CFB Shilo Sentinels hockey jersey with the No. 9 on the back.

He was instrumental in having two versions of the minor hockey jersey designed using the two CADPAT colour schemes, plus a name change from the Storm to Sentinels. These jerseys were first worn in exhibition games as the 2012-13 minor hockey season ended at Gunner Arena.