adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

News

Canada’s military colleges are at a crossroads. What 2 graduates want now

Published

 on

The future of Canada’s military colleges is at a crossroads, say two veterans of the school and the military.

Defence Minister Bill Blair named the college’s review board on Wednesday after a Statistics Canada survey found “significant” spikes in sexual assault in the military in 2022 compared to two surveys done before the pandemic.

The finding comes two years after renewed focus on the military’s sexual misconduct crisis, spurred by reporting from Global News, and the resulting report from former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour report calling a significant overhaul at the institution.

The college’s first female cadet, Kate Armstrong, tells The West Block host Mercedes Stephenson that many issues with the college are carried on through a long-running tradition.

“What I wrote about a lot of the historical traditional things happening that were disturbing are still going continuing now,” Armstrong said.

“The cadets start out as recruits to the fourth year and then they go through the system … and so in that way, I think culturally that’s how things end up being carried on.”

Armstrong wrote a book, The Stone Frigate, detailing her time among the first RMC class to allow female officer cadets at the previously all male institution.

In her 403-page report, Arbour writes that the RMC has an outdated leadership structure and there are “legitimate reasons to question the wisdom of maintaining the existence of these military colleges, as they currently exist.”

“There is a real risk that the perpetuation of a discriminatory culture at the colleges will slow the momentum for culture change the CAF has embarked upon. There is enough evidence that military colleges are not delivering on their mandate that I believe alternatives must be explored with an open mind,” Arbour wrote.

Lt.-Col. Mark Popov, former RMC cadet director, told Stephenson that there is a fundamental question that the government needs to answer with the college.

“Is it going to be a degree granting institution, an academic university where the students wear uniforms, or is it going to be an officer-training institution that provides junior officers to lead the sons and daughters that serve in the Canadian Armed Forces?” Popov said.

Additionally, Popov says that there just aren’t enough leaders to properly supervise the officer cadets.

“And that shows. It’s a large, uncontrolled population of young people, many of them away from home for their first time. And they need a little bit more guidance and direction than the current staffing and organization of RMC let happen,” he told Stephenson.

All of this comes on the heels of a Statistics Canada report released last week, which says sexual assaults in the military saw significant increases in 2022. Among those who were assaulted, 64 per cent said they did not report and 41 per cent said their reason was they believed it would not make a difference.

“I believe that people that have been assaulted need to hear: ‘I believe you. I’m sorry that happened to you. How can I help you?’ And to feel that that is an honest response to them coming forward,” Armstrong said.

“The key is to create an environment where, like a culture is just a shared dream. So everybody needs to be on the same page.”

Popov sees this increase as a step toward cultural change in the military actually taking place.

“I don’t see this spike in reporting as a massive increase in rape culture in the forces. I actually think it’s that people are reporting because they’re having more confidence in the system doing what’s good for them,” he said.

While the Arbour report questions the need for RMC, Armstrong maintains that it offers an “astoundingly good” education, but needs a cultural shift.

“I think one of the other problems that we have that doesn’t get spoken about a lot is the toxic nostalgia of the folks that are still keeping their fingers in what’s happening at the college,” she said.

“Retired generals that were commandants of our RMC, they’re carrying forward, for example, some of this problem that we have with the culture. They carry it forward at the level of mentoring for the commandants.”

Popov says he will be watching the RMC review process with great interest but criticized Blair’s Wednesday announcement as vague.

“I would be very interested to see what other Canadians, what the mandate letter is, what are they trying to find out? What deliverables do they have at the end of this year? So that’s one thing that’s really lacking in this announcement is what they’re trying to see,” he said.

 

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

News

Coronato scores twice, but Flames video coach plays hero in Calgary’s win

Published

 on

MONTREAL – Matt Coronato scored the game-tying goal and the overtime winner in a dramatic finish, but video coach Jamie Pringle was the hero on Tuesday night.

Before Coronato powered a Calgary Flames comeback, Brendan Gallagher appeared to give the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 lead with 8:24 remaining in the third.

Pringle, however, instantly flagged the goal for offside. Then the Flames challenged successfully, and Coronato did the rest as Calgary flipped the script and won 3-2 in overtime.

“I was just saying that a post is normally a goalie’s best friend, but I think the video coach is now number two,” Flames netminder Dustin Wolf said.

Canadiens forward Josh Anderson had set up Gallagher on an odd-man rush, though it was unclear in real-time if Anderson had full control of the puck when he entered the Flames’ zone backward.

The Bell Centre’s roof nearly blew off with Canadiens fans celebrating like it was a sure thing, but Pringle thought otherwise.

“We’ve always been confident in Jamie,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said. “He’s the best guy in the league. So another situation where he flashed it up, challenge right away.

“We don’t get this win if it’s not for the courage that he showed. You have a great guy in that chair for a reason. And Jamie did a great job for us, keeping us in this game tonight.”

Pringle, a 49-year-old from Picton, Ont., who’s also known as “Chips,” is in his 14th season with the Flames.

And it wasn’t the first time he played a crucial role in a victory this season.

In Calgary’s 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 13, the video coach successfully challenged two goals, including one Corey Perry deflection that the hockey world was convinced should have counted.

Pringle made the snap decision anyway, even though a failed challenge would put his team on the penalty kill.

“He’s hot this year,” forward Blake Coleman said. “You know what? He needed to redeem himself after a tough last year. We had some good chats down the stretch, and he’s been on fire.

“I’d say of all the guys on our team, he’s probably the one who hasn’t missed a night so far.”

Coronato showed up at the right time on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old winger tied the game with 2:46 remaining in regulation when he cruised into the slot and went off the post and in. He then buried the winning goal seven seconds into the extra period, coming one second shy of tying the fastest OT goal in NHL history.

“He’s remarkable. He’s had so many chances to score, and he’s kind of been snaked bit a few times,” Wolf said. “To see him score on two unbelievable shots, that’s a scouting report on him, his shot’s lethal.”

“The kid can shoot it,” Coleman added. “Couple big ones.”

Coronato, a 13th overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, spent most of last season in the American Hockey League with the Calgary Wranglers.

This season, he’s played two games in the AHL and eight in the NHL. And with performances like Tuesday’s, he can expect plenty more in the big leagues.

“Sometimes with younger players, you put them in the American League for a bit and it’s hard on them,” Huska said. “There’s a long-term plan for sure. We know how good he’s going to be for us. We just want to make sure that we are putting him in situations that he’s going to be ready for and be able to have success.

“He’s done an excellent job of preparing himself to play, and we saw the result of his effort tonight.”

The Flames (7-5-1) picked up their second win in seven games to kick off a three-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Canadiens (4-7-2) dropped their fourth in a row ahead of four games away from home.

“We didn’t throw up on ourselves tonight, but we still feel a bit sick to our stomachs,” head coach Martin St. Louis said, referencing a post-game assessment he delivered after a 6-3 loss last week in Washington.

The Canadiens didn’t paint a picture of doom and gloom in the dressing room despite coming a couple minutes shy of securing two points and snapping their skid, but St. Louis said his players should leave this game “hungry” to get in the win column.

“If I was in their shoes, I’d wish we played tomorrow,” he said. “That’s what I would want to feel like. That’s what I want to be like.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Blues Dylan Holloway rushed to hospital after being struck in neck by puck

Published

 on

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway left Tuesday night’s contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning and departed the rink on a stretcher after being struck by a puck late in the first period.

Holloway was hit in the neck area by a puck with 2:37 remaining in the period, and proceeded to finish his shift, continuing to participate in the play before skating to the bench under his own power.

As play was stopped with 1:11 remaining for a high-sticking penalty that was later called off, teammates started calling and gesturing for assistance.

Blues trainer Ray Barile and medical staff from both teams tended to Holloway for several minutes before emergency medical technicians carted him off the bench on a stretcher.

“I was just sitting beside him and saw something was happening,” Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko said. “I told Ray. He knows what he’s doing. I was just kind of curious to what’s going on. Doctors came in and, like, I think everything is good right now. But we were worried, everybody.”

Holloway was seen raising his arm as he was carted off. The Blues later announced that Holloway was alert and stable and was rushed to a St. Louis area hospital for further observation.

“I think the only way I can put is if you’re at work, and you get a call, and one of your family members is sick, and you rush to the hospital,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said.

“Holly’s a family member. That was tough. I thought we, as a group, showed a lot of fortitude, and the way mentally being able to push through that, because the easiest thing to do is your head goes somewhere else. But, we were able to get updates on Holly and kind of put our minds at ease a little bit and refocus ourselves.”

Referees Wes McCauley and Cody Beach sent the teams to their locker rooms and started the first intermission after Holloway was transported off the bench due to the nature of the injury.

“It’s hard,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “It’s your teammate. Then we got news that he’s going to be fine. And then, you have to wrap your head around it a little bit and go play a hockey game again, right?

“So that’s just, unfortunately, the reality of the sport, and it took us awhile to get going.”

St. Louis rallied to score three goals after falling behind 1-0 early in the second period to beat Tampa Bay 3-2.

AP NHL:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Niederreiter scores twice in 900th career game as Jets beat Utah 3-0

Published

 on

WINNIPEG – Nino Niederreiter showed his veteran savvy in his 900th NHL career game on Tuesday.

The Winnipeg Jets forward scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves in a 3-0 victory over the Utah Hockey Club that kept the team’s early-season success rolling with a fourth consecutive win (12-1-0).

On his first goal, the 32-year Niederreiter lifted a Utah opponent’s stick in Winnipeg’s end, allowing the Jets to get the puck and head toward the visitor’s net.

Niederreiter then joined the rush, deked and put the puck around netminder Karel Vejmelka for a 2-0 lead at 7:30 of the third period with his sixth goal of the season.

“Obviously, the game wasn’t very pretty,” Niederreiter said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of flow out there. I think that is something that we knew and just had to stick with and do the little things right.

“Eventually, we would create our own luck and that’s what happened there.”

And what about his deke in front of 12,932 fans at Canada Life Centre?

“I still got it somewhere in there,” Niederreiter said with a smile. “It’s a great feeling, like I said. It’s a cool night to score a goal like that.”

His second goal — the 230th of his career — was into an empty net with 2:59 remaining. He also has 225 assists for 455 career points.

Gabriel Vilardi scored the first goal at 17:57 of the second period on the power play and Adam Lowry picked up two assists.

Hellebuyck recorded his second shutout of the season and 39th of this career.

Niederreiter signed a three-year contract extension with the Jets last December. The $12-million deal kicked in this season.

He’s now scored against 33 NHL teams, including the Jets.

“It’s a cool stat, but I think it also says that I’ve been traded a few times,” he said. “But I guess it gives me the chance to do that.”

Niederreiter was drafted in 2010 by the New York Islanders (fifth overall), becoming Switzerland’s highest NHL pick.

He’s also played for the Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators before being traded to the Jets in February 2023.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel was impressed by Niederreiter’s quick-thinking stick lift.

“We’ll throw that on the old system video,” he said. “But that’s just going the distance, coming all the way back and he creates that.

“We’re never out of it. You never know how a puck’s going to bounce. He just kept coming and obviously we turned that offence the other way.”

Arniel said the team recognized Niederreiter’s milestone.

“That’s special. That’s a lot of games,” Arniel said. “We had a little tribute to him, saw all his pictures from all the jerseys he’s worn and the places he’s played.

“He hasn’t changed a bit. He’s a big power forward and that line I thought was really good. They take that (Clayton) Keller line on, those skill guys. They did a really good job.”

Niederreiter is on a line with Lowry and Mason Appleton.

“Those guys on the PK were really strong,” Arniel added. “When that line plays like that they’re a force, they’re hard to handle. They wear teams down because they spend so much time in the offensive zone.”

Utah (5-5-3) ended a run of picking up points in three consecutive games (1-0-2).

Vejmelka stopped 25 shots for Utah in its second game of a four-game road trip.

“They know what to expect of each other. They play a really, really structured game, and they were patient tonight,” Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said of the Jets.

“I think that was a good chess game. They got one on the power play and from there they waited for the opportunity to have a killer goal. They did a good job.”

NOTES: Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey picked up his 14th assist of the season when his point shot with five seconds left in a power play was tipped in by Vilardi. … Kyle Connor had his franchise-record, season-opening points streak end at 12 games. He almost picked up an assist until Vilardi tipped in Morrissey’s shot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending