Vimy Ridge 95 years on...

It is one of the most beautiful memorials to The Great War, The War To End All Wars. I say this clouded by being a descendant of those who fought in the trenches of WW1 France, has travelled to more modern warzones, and seen the way others commemorate the past.

Exactly 95 years ago, on Easter Monday, 1917 - April 9 - an assault began on German positions in northwestern France that had previously proven unassailable by Allied forces. This time it would be led by Canadian troops, under Canadian commanders (not British), and it would succeed beyond anyone's expectations.

We Canadians - and many others - often forget we can a tenacious bunch of SOBs, your best friends, and worst enemy. Canadians put on a good show of civility. But trust me, there's a hornest nest we'll unveil if needed. What came from the Boer War, WW1, Ortona, Normandy or Bihac were the product of a nation created by so many people who had to live with war. We know it. Don't like it. But sometimes have to deal with it. Pacem ad omnes...

The Perils Of Canadian Submariners

Oh, if only this was the problem.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is today reporting that one of our submarines had an unfortunate encounter with the seabed last summer. HMCS Corner Brook apparently ran into the ground while on manoeuvres in the Pacific last June, just off British Columbia. As the photos obtained by the CBC show, the damage was severe. Or, as Canadian Senator Colin Kennedy put it, "horrific".

Corner Brook is one of four Victoria-class subs the now Royal Canadian Navy purchased from Great Britain back in 1998. All were used (or previously-owned, if you'd prefer), and the deal was sen by many observers - including myself - as bad. Think about getting an old AMC Gremlin or Hyundai Pony: cheap to buy, hell to maintain.

To date, none of the RCNs subs have been deemed combat-ready for deep water patrols, the only thing that makes them an effective part of Canada's maritime defence apparatus. HMCS Chicoutimi caught fire while transiting to Canada from the UK, killing an officer, and remains in dry dock in Halifax. The Victoria has a dented hull, with her sailing operations restricted. And HMCS Windsor entered dry dock in Halifax in 2007, where she still remains. As the CBC report states, "Not one submarine is capable of firing a torpedo."

You really do get what you pay for with these marine versions of the Iltis jeep that once plagued the Canadian Army. And the fact that the Department of National Defence and the RCN have been so quiet about the problems with these vessels makes one think they are taking the term 'silent service' to a new level.

Cut and run, suits and stripes. And do it right now, because this current situation does a great disservice to the lengthy experience Canadian submariners have acquired over at least the last half century.

New Insights On Somali Piracy

There's a new book now out in North America, the UK, Australia and the Netherlands that provides one of the most detailed looks ever presented into how piracy operates in the seas off Somalia. "The Pirates Of Somalia" is the result of several years of meticulous research by Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur, who has gone where few others have to explore the issues by immersing himself in things the hard way: He traveled throughout the Horn of Africa. At great risk to himself, Bahadur ventured into coastal communities, met with pirates, their leaders, supporters and those struggling with this nefarious threat. As I wrote in a review for The Globe & Mail newspaper this weekend (read it here), Bahadur manages to get to the core of piracy - the money angle - by using his contacts and research to break down the financial aspects of this criminal enterprise, positing that some of those on the low end of the hierarchical ladder of a gang make less than $11.00 an hour for all their efforts. The book is a fascinating read and a well-needed look into the ongoing problems, well worth checking out.

I've added a link at right (under Horn Of Africa Piracy) to Bahadur's blog, The Pirates Of Puntland, where he has more information about the book, and himself.

Working together

Almost sixty years ago, as the world was being turned upside down in what we now call the Second World War, Canada and the United States of America created one of the best trans-national fighting forces seen in modern times. The First Special Force, or Devil's Brigade as it became known, embodied the best aspects of each nations warriors - and our mutual desires for peace in the face of injustice and anarchy. Two nations that once warred each have become the strongest of friends. Let us argue, amuse and enlighten one another. To my many American friends: Happy 4th of July.

Bonne fête Canada

For those who have missed me, I'm back in my native land. Thoughts and insights will resume shortly. In the meantime, I've my grandfather's old ensign laid out on my deck in honour of our nation's birthday, and a beer in hand. Cheers!

The Post-Osama Peace Dividend Potential

And that's Osama (as in bin-Laden), not Obama. Though both are key to this.

A perceptive analysis of what could - should? - be done in the wake the al-Qaeda leader's death comes from Chrystia Freeland of Reuters. His death last week brings to a close a decade-long, US-led international effort at stemming bin Laden's efforts to wage conflict with those who did not ascribe to his extremist view. And to those who feel otherwise, can you please just accept that he is dead. If the Taliban believes he's gone, there's no reason anyone else should.)

Read what Freeland wrote yesterday, as there is an economic aspect worth considering.

Boating Safety 101

Now that May has arrived, folks in these parts have finally put away their snow shovels and begun thinking about summer's coming pleasures. And for many of us that means hoping to spend some time on the water, in a canoe, sailboat or even an aging, much-patched craft (powered by a 3HP Evinrude outboard acquired when Canada was celebrating its centennial).

But a colleague of mine who works as a marine safety inspector recently reminded that the warmer weather also signals the start of what he blithely calls "the idiot season". That is, the period when an inordinate number of people take to the water, many of whom put themselves - and others - at risk by their actions.

As he put it, "There is a certain kind of Mad Men mentality that affects boaters. Small craft operators, I mean. It's like, 'We don't need any rules'. But driving a car without wearing your seat belt? No way, not any more. Flying an airplane without knowing the rules, or drinking and driving? Absolutely not. But folks still think they can just climb in a boat, fire up the engine, grab a beer and head off."

His frustration was evident as we spoke. After years working on merchant vessels in the Great Lakes and on the oceans, he's seen his share of accidents, near misses and "stupidity" on the water, with much of his ire focused on recreational boaters, especially small craft users.

I bring this up because a surprising number of people in Canada still don't realize that operators of recreational craft fitted with any type of motor must carry what Transport Canada deems proof of competency while on board. It's the law from coast to coast to coast, whether you're in a PWC, a sailboat with an outboard or a canoe with a trolling motor. Motor + watercraft = need to get a competency card.

Now lest anyone fret that this is another form of government intrusion into our daily lives, it should be noted that there's an easy way to deal with things: Get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Essentially it proves you've done a basic boating safety course and know port from starboard, so to speak. There's a manual you can purchase in many nautical outfitters or book stores that you study, then comes a written exam. If you pass, the card is yours, for life. It's not a license that has to be renewed.

To make things easier, Transport Canada has accredited a variety of organizations across the country that offer classroom or online courses. A list of accredited groups can be found on the Transport Canada website (see the Marine Safety sidebar), but I'll point out one good online site that can help anyone through the process.

It's called BoaterExam.com, and allows you to do tutorials at your own pace and write the final exam when you're ready. And the exam is an open book one, so that should make things easier.

Getting a Pleasure Craft Operator Card is a no-brainer, whether you're a teenager or retired. About seven to nine million Canadians take to the water every year, but over 200 die while out boating, and something like 6000 other accidents occur annually. Doesn't have to be that way.

Get the card.

Algoma District, Northern Ontario