Cameron Highlanders top officer removed in wake of Blue Hackle Mafia controversy
He did not provide the names of those individuals involves in the investigation.
Article content
Complaints were made in December to military police about the Blue Hackle Mafia group. In addition, complaints about the private Facebook site and the contents being posted by soldiers were made to Lt. Col. Hendy, as well as 33 Brigade Commander Col. James McKay, according to whistleblowers interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen. The inappropriate contents of the Facebook account and its existence was also reported to officials in the Judge Advocate General's office.
Article content
At the time military police were also provided with videos and screenshots of the Blue Hackle Mafia material but decided not to launch an investigation. Instead, military police turned over the investigation to the Cameron Highlanders. A reserve force captain who serves with some of those involved in the Blue Hackle Mafia was assigned to investigate their behaviour.
Article content
Article content
After the Ottawa Citizen provided Wright with the screenshots of some of the Blue Hackle Mafia material on June 24, military police opened a new investigation.
Article content
On June 27, Wright spoke with all division commanders about the Blue Hackle Mafia group, reinforcing what he said was 'the Army's commitment to uphold its values and the importance of applying military disciplinary and administrative processes in cases of alleged misconduct.'
Article content
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) serve as the city of Ottawa's official regiment, according to the Canadian Forces. The regiment is tasked, as needed, to provide ceremonial guards of honour for visiting dignitaries and for national ceremonies and events. The reserve unit operates out of the Cartier Square Drill Hall on Queen Elizabeth Driveway.
Article content
In his statement sent to army personnel, Wright pointed out that the organization 'will continue to ensure that our culture reflects the values and ethics of the Canadian Armed Forces, and I expect the chain of command across the Canadian Army to deal immediately with any inappropriate behaviour that deviates from those values and ethics.'
Article content
Article content
'This incident has damaged the reputation of the Canadian Army at a time when we are engaged in important modernization work as part of a ready, resilient, and relevant Canadian Armed Forces,' he added.
Article content
The Blue Hackle Mafia has operated its Facebook group with around 200 participants since at least 2007.
Article content
As the Ottawa Citizen reported the soldiers on the Facebook page knew what they were doing was wrong but their focus was on not getting caught. They warned each other not to take photos of the wild antics that were taking place at the Cartier Square Drill Hall.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Community rallies to support son, family of Teulon murder victim
A 37-year-old man who was fatally shot in his Teulon home has been identified, as community members raise funds to support his family. Sean Lawson, 37, was found in his home by Stonewall RCMP on 7th Avenue Southeast in Teulon on July 13 with life-threatening injuries. He was transported to hospital and later pronounced dead. A donation fund has been created to support Lawson's 12-year-old son, according to a Friday Facebook post. The money raised will pay for counselling and other resources for the son and family members, along with contributing towards a post-secondary education fund. Richelle Rae-Anne, a friend of Lawson, said his death robbed people of their father, son and brother. 'It's heart-shattering that this senseless and horrific crime could happen to such an amazing human being,' she said in separate Facebook post. 'Sean was one of the best humans I've ever known.' Donavin Skogan, 24, of Traverse Bay has been charged with second-degree murder. fpcity@
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Disturbing video captures alleged kidnapping attempt in Florida
A woman is pictured fighting off her attacker in a surveillance video released by police. Photo by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office / Facebook A shocking kidnapping attempt caught on video has led to the arrest of a man in Florida. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In the surveillance video released by police, the suspect is seen dragging a woman, while holding her in a chokehold, into a dark grey pickup truck in a parking lot in St. Augustine. The woman can be heard screaming for help. As the suspect opens the door of the truck and is about to shove the terrified woman inside, she is able to fight off her attacker and run out of the camera's view. The suspect is seen chasing after her before the video cuts off. While the incident happened on June 29, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJSO) released the video of the frightening ordeal on Tuesday. Police said officers responded after a person who witnessed the incident called 911 at around 3:30 p.m. 'Deputies learned the male suspect committed a robbery inside the business, then forcefully removed a female employee from the store, and dragged her outside where he began to push her into his vehicle,' police said in a Facebook post. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ On Sunday, June 29, 2025, at approximately 3:30pm, deputies were dispatched to a business at 1054 SR 206 East. A 911 caller advised a male subject was attempting to force a female inside a vehicle outside in the parking lot. Deputies learned the male suspect committed a robbery inside the business, then forcefully removed a female employee from the store, and dragged her outside where he began to push her into his vehicle. The victim fought her attacker and attracted the attention of a nearby citizen who came to her aid and called SJSO as the suspect abandoned his kidnapping attempt and fled. Florida Fish and Wildlife Officers (MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife) located the suspect driving recklessly near Marineland on A1A. The defendant fled from FWC but was subsequently captured. Theodore Michael Tundidor (31) was charged by SJSO detectives with kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto. FWC added additional charges for driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. The victim in this situation did everything right โ scream/yell, fight, attract attention. ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ข ๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ (๐ช๐๐ฉ๐) ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐: โ Observe and be aware of surroundings and people โ Know your 'Danger Zone', the distance between people that can jeopardize personal safety โ Trust your instincts and life experiences. If you think something is wrong, it usually is. โ Get away / Create distance โ Prepare for worst case scenario -mental rehearsal โ learn from examples (like this incident) โ Attitude, mental commitment, and preparation are keys to success WAVE is a SJSO initiative led by women law enforcement officers to educate women on threat awareness combined with basic self-defense techniques to respond to potential threats. To learn more visit: Posted by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 'The victim fought her attacker and attracted the attention of a nearby citizen who came to her aid and called SJSO as the suspect abandoned his kidnapping attempt and fled.' Police said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officers located the suspect 'driving recklessly near Marineland' on State Road A1A. He allegedly fled, but was subsequently captured, police said. Theodore Michael Tundidor, 31, has been charged with with kidnapping, robbery, and grand theft auto. The FWC have added additional charges for driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. Read More MMA Toronto & GTA Tennis Celebrity Sunshine Girls
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Military asked to consider dismissing members after 1st offence of unwanted sexual touching
Social Sharing Defence Minister David McGuinty wants the military to review a trend in civilian court toward judges supporting workplaces firing Canadians for any unwanted sexual touching on the job โ even if it happened once. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is launching new advisory panels this fall to discipline military members for sexually inappropriate behaviour. The minister is supportive, his office said, of an external monitor's recent recommendation that if the military wants to modernize its conduct process, it could look at a clear pattern in civilian court over the past decade. "Now, more than ever, any type of non-consensual touching of a sexual nature within the context of one's employment is likely to lead to dismissal, even for a single event and even if there are mitigating factors," external monitor Jocelyne Therrien wrote in her June report. Victims and experts have long raised concerns that the military has moved members involved in cases like groping to other units, given them warnings or other remedial measures. Therrien wrote that gone are the days where that's a "viable solution" and it could expose the victim or other staff to risk. The government hired Therrien to track the military's progress implementing changes to try and reform its handling of sexual misconduct. Retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour's landmark 2022 report made sweeping recommendations after a series of senior military leaders were removed from prominent roles amid allegations, causing a damaging and high-profile crisis. Therrien estimates the military is on track to meet "the intent" of Arbour's recommendations by the end of the year. But she flags one of the biggest challenges for military is that files related to misconduct are scattered across different databases which makes it difficult to get a clearer picture of the current state of the issue. WATCH | Can the military change how it handles sexual misconduct?: Is the military capable of changing how it handles sexual misconduct? 3 years ago Therrien's latest report said case law has "rapidly" and "significantly" evolved over the past 10 years. "In reviewing these judgments, I note a clear trend towards supporting dismissal for any sexual touching in the workplace," she wrote. More civilian judges are using the logic that sexual harassment involving unwanted touching is "unequivocally" considered sexual assault which is a criminal offence in Canada, she wrote. Changes to the Canadian Labour Code in 2021 also require federally regulated workplaces to ensure they are harassment-free. Not dismissing people in some cases can lead to liability claims, wrote Therrien. "The fact that similar cases in the past were dealt with through administrative measures other than dismissal no longer carries any weight," Therrien said. The minister's office says McGuinty supports Therrien's recommendation that "the significant evolution in workplace harassment case law should be considered as the CAF continues modernization." McGuinty's office told CBC News the minister will be looking for the upcoming panels "to yield real results." They will include law and sexual misconduct experts, the office said. Therrien's report also said the military is considering launching a "scale of severity" to help determine if members should be kicked out or otherwise reprimanded. People moved around Megan MacKenzie, a professor at Simon Fraser University who specializes in military culture, says the CAF should adopt a one-strike-you're-out policy for unwanted sexual touching. "This is a really significant recommendation," said MacKenzie. "There is just no ambiguity for anyone in any workplace at this point in time that inappropriate touching, touching of a sexual nature, is not OK." In the past, these kinds of cases were often called "low-level harassing behaviours" and the military dealt with it internally including by shuffling people around as a temporary solution, she said. "That doesn't solve the problem," she said. "It moves the problem to a different unit and the alleged victim and the accuser may still have interactions with each other." The CAF has been grappling with sexual misconduct for decades while saying it has a "zero-tolerance policy," she said. MacKenzie said kicking out people for unwanted touching would demonstrate that policy. Supporting victims Retired master corporal Sherry Bordage, who reported being groped by her superior, said it's time for the military to act. "Why allow predators to continue to hide within the ranks? What possible good could that serve?" she said. Bordage reported her platoon commander touched her breast and made inappropriate comments at a mess dinner in 2010 at CFB Borden. In military court, a Canadian Armed Forces judge stayed proceedings for the criminal sexual assault charge against Master Warrant Officer D.J. Prosser, according to the court martial documents. Prosser pleaded guilty to a lesser military service offence for ill treatment of a subordinate, the records show. Military judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent d'Auteuil noted he took into consideration several mitigating factors, including that it was "an isolated incident" and "unusual" for Prosser who had spent 30 years serving in the military at that time, his reason for sentencing said. The military judge gave Prosser a reprimand and a $1,500 fine โ and allowed him to continue serving. Bordage said she left the forces in 2014 because she didn't feel safe and faced reprisals from her chain of command for reporting the incident. She says the military should kick out members for unwanted sexual touching to keep others safe. "This decision, had it been implemented during my time, would have been night and day," said Bordage. The CAF has not yet responded to a CBC News request for comment.
