The Canadian Army is now dealing with another incident of alleged hateful conduct that involves Quebec-based soldiers caught on video allegedly partying while some of them delivered Nazi salutes.
In a statement, Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright, the commander of the army, said the video was brought to his attention on Aug. 6, and an immediate internal investigation was launched “to determine the breadth and scope of the incident.”
Military police have also been notified, he added.
Although the video shows several individuals, Wright said at least five of them have been identified as serving members of the Canadian Army. Those soldiers have been suspended from military duties pending an investigation by the unit.
“One individual can be seen performing drill in front of the Royal 22e Régiment flag and then consuming a substance,” Wright said in the written statement.
“At one point in the video, other individuals perform the Nazi salute. Although I have been made aware that these events happened in 2023, these members remain subject to administrative and disciplinary action that may lead to their release.”
The statement, released by the Department of National Defence on Tuesday, was light on specifics and didn’t say whether the accused soldiers were all regular or reserve force members, nor precisely how the video came to the army’s attention.
However, a source at the defence department with knowledge of the video said it was turned in by a member of the public and looks like it was shot at a basement house party. The room was dimly lit.
A soldier holding the flag of the Royal 22e Regiment is seen apparently consuming a drug of some kind. Right at the end, a couple of the soldiers give the Nazi salute.
The clip apparently lasts less than 30 seconds, said the confidential source, who was not authorized to speak publicly.
4 charged in separate case
Earlier this summer, a terrorism case emerged in Quebec where two serving soldiers, a former member and a civilian who is also a former cadet instructor, were accused in an extremist, anti-government plot that allegedly involved taking over a parcel of land.
The men are accused of stockpiling an arsenal of highly restricted weapons and military equipment, including some of the latest night-vision gear. The department said none of the equipment came from its inventory.
The RCMP in July charged Simon Angers-Audet, 24, Raphaël Lagacé, 25, and Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, with facilitating a terrorist activity, and other offences related to the illegal storage of firearms and possession of explosives and prohibited devices.
A fourth man — Matthew Forbes, 33 — is accused of weapons offences.
DND has acknowledged that Forbes and Chabot were active members of the military at the time of their arrest on July 8.
In addition, two investigations, one internal and one by military police, are underway into a separate incident involving a now-defunct Facebook group where members of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh’s Own) allegedly posted hateful and inappropriate content.
“Hateful conduct and extremism have no place in the Canadian Army. It hurts our ability to recruit the best of Canada, to maintain credibility to deliver on operations, and it erodes public trust in our institution,” Wright said in his statement.
“Canadian Army members who jeopardize that trust and participate in hateful conduct will face the consequences of their actions.”
Army introduced new policies
Facing earlier incidents of right-wing extremism, the Canadian military introduced a number of new policies in 2020. Many of those new rules and regulations put the onus on soldiers to report hateful conduct. A registry to track incidents was also introduced.
As CBC News reported recently, the number of incidents seemed to be steadily declining until last year when they began to surge again. Researchers linked the resurgence to the social climate surrounding the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In an interview last weekend on CBC Radio’s The House, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jeanie Carignan was asked about whether she took the trend as a sign the military is losing the battle against hateful conduct.
“CAF members know what the expectations are and how should they act,” Carignan said. “If they try to act, to hide their behaviour, it is only a question of time before we find them, so [there’s] absolutely no room for that type of behaviour as part of our ranks.”
She noted however that in society as a whole, racist incidents and hateful conduct have been on the rise since 2009.
