Here are 10 Stag front pages from the past year, when this newspaper celebrated its 75th anniversary. There were only 16 tabloid printed newspapers in 2022. With the Base newspaper printing its final edition Aug. 11, news, sports, features, history and other stories/photo essays are now available by going online www.shilostag.ca
Jules Xavier
Shilo Stag
Quotes are the backbone for a reporter building a story for the reader — these words surrounded by quote marks provide context, or sometimes colour depending on the flavour of the news story or feature appearing up on the computer screen.
Quotes are collected when reporters scribble in their notepads or for some new generation scribes, recorded on an iPhone or tape recorder the size of a Snickers chocolate bar.
It was a memorable 2022 on the Base, and in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in general. This includes from 1CMBG and 3CDSG, to 3 Div, CFB Shilo soldiers were kept busy with training, plus deployments overseas as part of Op REASSURANCE and Op IMPACT.
This all comes after the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Base was able to shed the mask mandate and social distancing, so smiles or grins could be observed as people began to gather again at places like L25 and in the GSH’s workout areas.
2023 saw the retirement of two former BComds, with MGen Rick Goodyear and LCol Stephen Joudrey both ending their CAF careers in October. Goodyear remained in Ottawa, moving over to a federal job with Fisheries and Oceans as the DFO. Joudrey has no job plans post-CAF, instead, is building a house in the Village of Forest Home, Nova Scotia.
3 Cdn Div TC C Coy Det Shilo under the new leadership of OC Maj Melissa Marshall had a busy 12 months, with her staff hosting two DBMQs. Like the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the Canadian Army (CA) opted to have recruits train at Army Bases versus all congregate together in St. Jean, Que., for Basic Military Qualifications.
There was also a Change of Command with 1RCHA in the summer, with LCol Joe O’Donnell returning to Canada from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to replace outgoing CO Col David Brassard, who returned to Ottawa following a short stint as 3 Div A/Comd. LCol O’Donnell is no stranger to this Base, having grown up here and serving previously as 2IC and A Bty BC.
During the summer, a contingent of personnel from the USAF visited CFB Shilo, with Comd MGen Michael Lutton of the 20th Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command, arriving by helicopter. After landing on BGen Leslie parade square, the group met with BComd LCol Chris Wood before conducting an overflight of the Base’s RTA. The USAF is considering CFB Shilo as a potential training area for their helicopter escort squadrons.
In May, 1RCHA was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II to mark her 70 years on the British throne (Platinum Jubilee). Maj Matthew Stickland has the distinction of being the first Battery Commander (BC) of his renamed battery. A Bty, as the oldest Regular Force unit of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (RCA), was bestowed the honorific title of ‘The Queen’s.’
Of note looking forward to 2023, the BComd’s Downhomer Lobsterfest returns after a two-year absence June 10 at L25. There will be two Change of Command ceremonies in the summer of ’23, with LCol Chris Wood giving up his office at HQ, likely returning to Ottawa. And 2PPCLI will see a change at the helm, too, with CO LCol Jesse van Eijk on the move after his two-year posting to CFB Shilo. Six of those months were spent in Latvia as Comd during Op REASSURANCE.
The past 12 months, your Stag editor collected a few interesting quotes from sources being interviewed. To share them with you with the advent of 2023 now that 2022 is in the history books, we dug back into our newspaper archives and culled the following.
“After 32 years its time to hang the shingle somewhere else. I am moving over to DFO as their CFO, so get to stay in Ottawa.”
— Former BComd MGen Rick Goodyear on his retirement
“Our house is in the final stages of completion and we should be moving in by early December. We purchased an acre on a lake in the Annapolis Valley and we are almost there. [Wife] Penny will be moving here from Calgary at the end of November and will continue working into the New Year. I cannot see myself fully retired, so no plan on stepping back into the work force until spring [or] summer next year. I want to take a pause after doing this ‘Army stuff’ for more than 39 years and before I jump into the next thing. Additionally, a new house on an undeveloped lakefront lot will certainly keep me busy. It is time and I am leaving quite content and feel privileged to have worked with so many great people. There has never been a day when I did not want to come to work.”
— Former BComd LCol Stephen Joudrey on his retirement
Be ready. Have your passports ready. I’ve had to remove people going on deployment because they did not have their [updated] passport … it was next man up who did go.”
— BGen David Awalt talking to artillery Reservists during summer training in the RTA
“There’s something very special and irreplaceable about shooting film, holding and looking at a physical photograph. I have the intention to start shooting film again once I’m settled in CFB Shilo.”
— 3 Div photographer MCpl Brandon Liddy on film photography following his posting to CFB Shilo
“Juggling priorities, responding to urgent issues while taking deliberate steps to move boulders; I imagine bigger Bases have bigger problems. The resilience and resourcefulness of our military community of CFB Shilo is impressive, and I believe CFB Shilo has ‘led the way’ on a number of tasks which have not gone unnoticed by our Division’s and Army HQ. From last year’s Aid to Domestic wildfire fighting and the Op VECTOR, where over 5,000 vaccines were delivered, to its preparation and deployment of the Enhance Force Presence Force in Latvia, there is no doubt in my mind the soldiers and public servants of CFB Shilo have left their mark on Canadians.”
— BComd LCol Chris Wood graded himself on assessing how he ran the Base, especially dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic
“Over the ages, uniformity has been used to instil discipline. But uniformity does not equal discipline or operational effectiveness any more than the colour or length of your hair defines your commitment or professional competence. Uniforms and appearance standards are influenced by contemporary trends and tastes. So, as our society evolves, our military standards also change and evolve. We will balance our traditions with societal expectations and the needs of the service, while addressing the inherent tension created by accelerated generational change. What will not change is our need to be a disciplined and operationally effective force.”
— CDS Gen Wayne Eyre discussed the introduction of new CAF dress instructions in the summer of ’22
“The former Ops O in me would say that a good CO shouldn’t get too sucked into the details of the day-to-day operations and focus on some longer range objectives while still maintaining the ‘pulse’ of operations. I would say having experience in the Ops process is helpful combined with the ability to communicate effectively, to set a limited number of priorities, to stay even keeled, patient, to have appreciation of existing resource shortfalls and to manage the capacity of the organization. Underscoring all of his I would say would be to deploy empathy as day-to-day operations involve people.”
— New 1RCHA CO LCol Joe O’Donnell on what makes a good commanding officer when it comes to dealing with day-to-day operations
“Driving on the prairies is no problem. Wow, the driving conditions I experienced coming out of Toronto on Hwy 401 will require learning patience because of the heavy traffic when you are in the GTA.”
— Now Maj Joachim Nnanna on making the transition from being a padre in Manitoba to CFB Trenton, Ontario, especially when it comes to the commute
“My dad was an enthusiastic duck hunter. One season, he borrowed a friend’s black lab named Tammy for hunting, and later bought a yellow lab puppy he named Gunner — no surprise! Dad built a large fenced pen behind the garage, high enough that Gunner couldn’t leap over it, even with winter snowdrifts — no small challenge. I recall he also tried to tunnel his way out. Eventually Gunner grew big, and I learned to hug the wall of the house when dad let him out of his pen, since he would practically knock me over in excitement.”
— Anne Francis recalling her father Col Francis adding a puppy to the BComd’s house when she called it home during Canada’s centennial
“It sounds cheesy, based on my job, but probably heavenly hash. It has to have marshmallows in it; if it doesn’t have marshmallows then it’s not the real deal.”
— Maj Daniel Walton, formerly a padre at CFB Shilo, now senior fleet chaplain at CFB Esquimalt, on his favourite ice cream flavour
”Back in 2013, we had set the bar exceedingly high. But when [Maj] Duncan [Cornish] had presented the numbers and the bar we had set for you, you’ve gone 40 to 50 per cent above that [bar]. Looking ahead to the future as an organization in the west, and Shilo as a detachment, you proven you can responsibly spend and have the staff to deliver the programs for this Base. We’re going to continue to push and spend so we can continue to improve the portfolio [for CFB Shilo].”
— RPOU-W CO LCol Reg Sharpe praised his local RPOU-W Det Shilo staff, pointing out CFB Shilo continues to excel despite trying times when it comes to funding, and staffing
“Miigwetch to the DAAG for your invitation to be in Shilo today in sharing cultural teachings, songs, setting up a tipi and in allowing yourselves to listen. Education and awareness are so important and we were blessed to be part of the sharing, kitchi miigwetch.”
— Brandon Friendship Centre board president Jason Gobeil on being invited to CFB Shilo for Indigenous Awareness Week by the Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (DAAG)
“There is a lot of change happening and can be overwhelming, especially for our critical leadership ranks … master-corporals, sergeant, warrant officers and captains. Having their perspectives provides an overview of how well things are being received. What works. What doesn’t. Things we should consider as we move forward with Canadian Army modernization and its effect to Canadian Army force generate in support of expeditionary operations while being prepared to support at home on potential domestic operations. Change is constant, but the demand comes on the backs of the soldiers within CA units and formations.”
— The Canadian Army’s sergeant-major CWO James Smith visited CFB Shilo in May, where he held town halls to update troops on Army change and to collect their feedback so he could brief Army Comd MGen Michel-Henry St-Louis
“How many people can say they slept in Windsor Castle. I really would have liked to be there to see him march in person, but the pandemic kept me back [in Canada]. I’m a very proud mom for having him be part of this experience, especially with A Bty marking its centennial and he was part of it.”
— Proud military mom Marlene Coulson commenting on her son Gnr Chasen Coulson’s trip overseas to be part of RCA UK PDC when 1RCHA’s A Bty marched for the Queen during its 100th anniversary
“We brought this [oven] in for the recruits, knowing they would be using upstairs on Friday and Saturday nights. It gives us another option offering more than just drinks and other finger foods from our deep fryer menu.”
— Mess assistant manager Rosalind Lebel talked about the Junior Rank’s new Donna Italia oven which is being used to make pepperoni pizza for DBMQ recruits
“Any image of Camp Hughes after 1918 is rare; one with two generals is very rare indeed.”
— RCA Museum director Andrew Oakden discusses a notable family in RCA history with LCol James Stewart donating his photo collection
“The key to having a quality product coming off the press is a well-maintained press and pressmen who actually care about the finished product. You will see daily papers that aren’t lined up … that’s simply press operators that don’t care about the finished product.”
— Struth Publishing Ltd printing manager Curt Struth on printing the Shilo Stag at his family press in Killarney
“We do our winter warfare basic course, but we also developed the drills and skills for cold weather training. The military found their personnel had less and less personal life experience in the winter. The assessment was made by the Army we needed a relatively short course, three weeks or so in duration, that would train junior Army leaders how to lead well in winter operations and supervise our soldiers doing the same.”
— First of its kind, a Cold Weather Operations Leader (CWO-L) course was held in the RTA and run by co-creator and SME Capt Tyson Murray
“The Queen’s visit was hysterical post-fact. I even used it in dad’s eulogy … it lifted some spirits. I recall the sniffer dog coming to our house to make sure it was safe for the Queen. A big German Shepherd which set our little dachshund into apoplectic fits. Our dog didn’t see the humour in this majestic beast routing through our house, while our little protector turned himself inside out trying to defend. He had determination, if not sense.”
— Daughter Anne Brigham on her father Col Douglas Gunter’s post as CFB Shilo BComd from 1969 to 1971, which included a Royal visit
“Being a bit precocious, ahem, I chose to spice up my answers. One of the questions was ‘What do you drink for breakfast, lunch and supper?’ Instead of the mundane response of milk, I said for breakfast I drank coffee; for lunch I had beer and for supper I had wine. Now there was a shred of truth there, on rare occasions, but that was by no means the norm. I would occasionally get a few drops of coffee in my breakfast milk.”
— Anne Brigham recalled her Army life memories as a nine-year-old daughter of BComd Col Douglas Gunter attending Grade 4 in 1969
“I’m having my hair done just like the guys in my section. If they are having it done, then I’m having it done. My family would be surprised seeing me like this, but I said to myself if the guys are having their hair shaved off, then I’m going to do it, too. We’re a team!”
— DBMQ recruit Bailey Philip from Calgary decided to have Stefanie at Dean the Barber’s venue at CANEX in March shave her head of hair so she’d match her fellow section troops
Of note, our quotes from the Stag newspaper covered January to August, with Aug. 11 being the last print copy of the Stag in its 75-year history. With the advent of November 2022, story coverage now appears on the Stag’s new website built by the Leech Group in Brandon — www.shilostag.ca
