National Defense Minister Anita Anand will release a long-awaited report on Monday that is set to blame Canada’s military for not doing enough to combat racism in their ranks over the past 20 years.
This report is the result of a year of work by a panel made up of retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The role of the group was to find effective ways to counter racism and discrimination within the forces.
The advisory group was set up in December 2020 due to allegations of systemic racism in the military and alleged links between members of the forces and far-right and white supremacist groups.
An internal document summarizing the group’s main findings, which The Canadian Press obtained a copy of, reveals that the military will be criticized for its inaction following previous investigations that have been launched over the past 20 years.
“The report indicates that the Defense Team needs to put more emphasis on previous recommendations, which were made because it was believed that the military had the wherewithal to implement them in order to ensure that a significant culture shift is taking place,” reads the summary dated April 14.
The advisory group also asks the forces to give greater importance to the testimonies of people who have experienced problematic situations and emphasizes the monitoring of the implementation of previous recommendations.
“The group stresses in its report that change can only happen with greater accountability from the unit level, all the way up to the top ranks of the organization,” the executive summary reads.
Growing fears
Concerns about racism in the armed forces and links between some service members and hate groups have grown following a series of incidents indicating that some far-right groups are actively recruiting members of the armed forces.
These incidents include a group of sailors associated with the Proud Boys, who disrupted a Mi’kmaq ceremony in Halifax in 2017. Journalistic reports have also revealed other members associating with neo-Nazi groups like the Atomwaffen Division.
A military intelligence report released in 2018 also said officials were aware that 30 active members were part of a hate group, or that they had made discriminatory or racist statements.
Minister Anand has had the advisory group’s report in her possession since the beginning of January, but she did not release it until Monday. This choice was questioned by the office of the Canadian Armed Forces ombudsman, Gregory Lick.
The ombudsman’s office has conducted its own study of the army’s efforts to increase diversity in the ranks and will publish its findings in early May.
“For months, we have repeatedly asked to see the advisory group’s report before it is released,” said ombudsman office spokesman Andrew Bernardo, who added that the results of the investigation by the ombudsman “are not a pretty sight”.
“Whatever new initiatives are put in place as a result of the panel’s report, the ombudsman was adamant that the same mistakes should not be repeated and that the department and the military should do things differently. »
Only half of the recommendations implemented
The summary document says that officials from the Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense worked to implement its 47 recommendations. However, despite the group’s focus on action, the summary states that only half of the group’s recommendations are being implemented.
“Others will take longer and require additional review and consultation across the organization due to their scope, complexity and need to collaborate with external partners. »
The work is being coordinated by a new internal committee tasked with changing the military culture using the findings of several reports, including that of the advisory group and that of retired Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour, who will focus on allegations of sexual misconduct.
The report of the advisory group should also address the impact of colonialism and the current imbalance between the proportion of Caucasian soldiers and that of the rest of the Canadian population.
As the military is currently focused on the war in Ukraine and other threats, the summary emphasizes that a culture shift is essential to recruit and retain enough members to meet these challenges.
Minister Anand is due to present the advisory group’s report at a virtual event at 10:30 a.m. Monday.