Canada’s top general visits NORAD base in North Bay

Canada’s top military officer, Gen. Jennie Carignan, visited 22 Wing North Bay - Royal Canadian Air Force base on Tuesday. Angela Gemmill reports.

The highest-ranking officer in the Canadian military was in North Bay, Ont., on Tuesday.

Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff paid a visit to 22 Wing North Bay Canadian Forces Base.

She toured the facility, met personnel, observed an operations exercise, presented commendation honours to about 10 military men and women and answered questions during a town hall event.

“The team is incredibly dynamic and engaged and serious about their mission and also very, very proud about what they’re doing in their mission here in North Bay,” Carignan said.

22-Wing is home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command or NORAD, which monitors airspace over the country.

Given the geo-political climate and current conflict in the Middle East, Carignan said the work at NORAD is incredibly important, calling North Bay “a big player” in that work.

“It is incredibly important that we -- Canada -- modernize all of our capabilities in terms of detection but also in terms of defeating the new systems,” she said.

“Our geography does not protect us as well as it used to. So that NORAD mission is incredibly important to the security of Canada, but the continental defence, as well.”

Carignan said missile technology has been improving across the globe.

“We have to be prepared, and we have to be ready to respond to whatever the Government of Canada asks us to do,” added Col. Joe Oldford, 22-Wing Commander and Commander of the Canadian Air Defence Sector.

“My message to all of our senior leaders is always: come see the amazing people that do that mission on your behalf every single day and let them explain to you how invested they are and how well they understand the importance of the mission and how good they are at it.”

He said he was excited to highlight the work of the local team of experts, professionals who “conduct air defence operations 24/7, 365 days a year, for all Canadians, every single day.”

Carignan reiterated her stance that Canada will not become involved in the conflict in the Middle East, at least while the war is ongoing. That could change when a ceasefire is in place.

“We could consider various options at that moment,” she said.

“We are monitoring very closely with our partners, our allies, to make sure that we understand the various considerations in the area, but again, looking to see how this will evolve in the future.”

Carignan said recruitment is a top priority for her in her role as the highest-ranking officer in the Canadian military.

“We are expanding the Canadian Armed Forces, we are developing new capabilities, so of course, this is incredibly important in building everything that we need for those capabilities and platforms we’re going to be fielding in the future,” she said.

This was the general’s first visit to 22-Wing North Bay, which employs about 400 people.

“North Bay is a big player, as part of NORAD, as part of our Canadian contribution to that bi-national command,” said Carignan.

She added that she’s trying to visit as many bases as possible across the country, with her next stop at CFB Petawawa later this week.

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