James Selbie

"At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane, Our brave fathers, side by side, For freedom, homes and loved ones dear, Firmly stood and nobly died; And those dear rights which they maintained, We swear to yield them never! Our watchword evermore shall be "The Maple Leaf forever!""

@DavidGrebstad Well said! UBIQUE.

Today I had the privilege of attending the Change of Command ceremony of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, as Lieutenant-Colonel Brendan Insley transferred command to Lieutenant-Colonel John Zwicewicz. In the Canadian Army, command is far more than an appointment. It is the formal transfer of authority, responsibility, and trust for the leadership, welfare, discipline, and operational readiness of a unit. It is one of the defining moments in the life of a regiment, which is why it is marked with such dignity, tradition, and ceremony. Lieutenant-Colonel Insley leaves command having transformed 2 RCHA into an exceptionally capable fighting force. Under his leadership, the Regiment embraced the demands of modern warfare and developed into a unit that can find, fix, and strike with speed, precision, and professionalism. That achievement is a testament not only to the soldiers of the Regiment, but to the vision and leadership of their commanding officer. Lieutenant-Colonel Zwicewicz now assumes command. John is an exceptional officer, an outstanding leader, and exactly the right person to build upon that strong foundation. I have every confidence that under his command, 2 RCHA will continue to grow in capability and operational effectiveness while maintaining the proud traditions and professionalism for which the Regiment is known. The ceremony itself was superb. The troops looked exceptionally sharp, and it was a fitting tribute to both commanding officers and to one of Canada's premier combat units. Congratulations to both Brendan and John. Thank you for your service, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to Canada's Army. Ubique.

@RgrMarkRobinson Thank you for sharing these fascinating glimpses of Canada’s pre-Great War Militia.

#OTD (Fr, Jun 26) 1908 at militia training camp in #Niagara: "Duty officer today, but off all other parades today on account of sore knee. Boys all very quiet during evening. In fact, during 23 years’ service have not seen as quiet or gentlemanly lot of chaps at camp."

“What do ties matter, Jeeves, at a time like this? There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter.” - P.G. Wodehouse, “Jeeves and the Impending Doom” by way of Old Blighty Ties.

@howardanglin I do not believe we know the full story here. Looks to me as if the PM preceded to the end of the red carpet to greet the arrival of a visiting foreign dignitary (Croatian PM?) and that the Guard Commander prematurely ordered “Present Arms”. As such, the PM is not at fault.

@ksm_wilson Yes indeed. Great lines! Also known as E. Pauline Johnson - a name once familiar to every school boy and girl. She even wrote a poem about my hometown of Brandon. 😊

@Golf49A Reminds of me of some lines of Tekahionwake's: The Dutch may have their Holland, the Spaniard have his Spain, The Yankee to the south of us must south of us remain; For not a man dare lift a hand against the men who brag That they were born in Canada beneath the British flag.

“So all you Yankee soldier lads who dare to cross our border, Thinking to save us from ourselves, usurping British order, There’re women and men, Canadians all, of every rank and station, To stand on guard and keep us free from Yankee domination!” “Secord’s Warning” - Tanglefoot

On this day in 1774, British Parliament enacted the Quebec Act, one of the most consequential statutes in Canada's constitutional history. Just fifteen years after the end of French rule in Canada, Britain chose not to impose religious, legal, and cultural uniformity on Quebec's Catholic, French-speaking population. Instead, the Act protected the free practice of Catholicism, preserved French civil law, and allowed French Canadians to maintain their language, culture, and way of life. At a time when religious and national rivalries continued to divide Europe, these protections helped secure the rights and institutions of a minority, founding people who had recently come under British rule. Ironically, the same Act was denounced in the Thirteen Colonies as one of the “Intolerable Acts,” helping spur the American Revolution. In Canada, however, it helped lay the foundations of the principled pluralism that has shaped our constitutional tradition ever since. ——— En ce jour, en 1774, le Parlement britannique adoptait l’Acte de Québec, l’une des lois les plus déterminantes de l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada. À peine quinze ans après la fin du régime français au Canada, la Grande-Bretagne choisit de ne pas imposer l’uniformité religieuse, juridique et culturelle à la population catholique et francophone du Québec. Au contraire, l’Acte garantissait la libre pratique de la religion catholique, maintenait le droit civil français et permettait aux Canadiens français de préserver leur langue, leur culture et leur mode de vie. À une époque où les rivalités religieuses et nationales continuaient de diviser l’Europe, ces protections contribuèrent à préserver les droits et les institutions d’un peuple fondateur devenu minoritaire sous la domination britannique. Ironiquement, cette même loi fut dénoncée dans les Treize Colonies comme l’une des « lois intolérables », contribuant ainsi à alimenter la Révolution américaine. Au Canada, toutefois, elle a contribué à jeter les bases du pluralisme de principe qui façonne notre tradition constitutionnelle depuis lors.

“Champlain was once an integral part of the history of Ontario. He was an expert navigator, a brave commander of men, a courageous explorer, an extraordinary cartographer and, even better, a writer and deeply observant anthropologist who left the world with the best and most complete descriptions of the Indigenous peoples of the Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay,” writes MLI Senior Fellow Patrice Dutil (@patricedutil). Read here⬇️ macdonaldlaurier.ca/champlain-stat…

RANGERS RELICS — Queen’s Rangers, 1776–1783 Founded by Robert Rogers, the Loyalist unit fought in the American Revolution using fast, flexible tactics. By war’s end, they included infantry and cavalry. Known for their woodland green uniforms, built for mobility and concealment.

@CanadianUK @BritishArmy @CanadianArmy @CanadianForces @RoyalFamily @RobertRAFry Captain Simonds is wearing the uniform of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. In the photo his is parading with the Royal Horse Artillery as a member of The King’s Guard.

Canada standing guard for His Majesty The King 🇨🇦 On exchange in London, Capt Simonds is taking part in ceremonial guard duties alongside the @BritishArmy at the residences of His Majesty, Canada’s Head of State. A powerful reflection of the Canada–U.K. defence relationship.

@BystromJonas Well done 1390 RCACC! Sounding and looking good.

Also fantastic seeing the pipes and drums of 1390 RCACC still going strong as ever years after I got the ball rolling as a cadet at 1390

I had the privilege of seeing 1390 (20 Fd Regt RCA) RCACC receive the Alberta Shield for top corps in the province. Also honoured to present the CO 20 Fd Regt Award for Cadets to the cadet who demonstrated the greatest commitment to the history and traditions of the RCA. UBIQUE

@BystromJonas Good shooting!

@DavidGrebstad “The”, but yes. 😉

All good things. In 2010, the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery undertook a modernization initiative that added an additional battery to each Regular Force field regiment. In the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, that battery was Y Battery, and I was deeply honoured to be appointed the first Battery Commander of its modern incarnation on Artillery Day 2010. Today, I had the solemn privilege of attending a ceremony in Petawawa marking the deactivation of Y Battery as part of the Artillery’s latest modernization efforts. It was a fitting and dignified occasion, bringing together serving members, veterans, former commanders, and friends of the battery to recognize sixteen years of service and achievement. While there was sadness in seeing the battery stand down, there was also pride in all that its soldiers accomplished during its time. Military organizations evolve to meet the needs of the day, but the spirit, traditions, and accomplishments of Y Battery will endure. I have little doubt that one day, when circumstances require it, Y Battery will once again take its place on the Royal Regiment’s active Order of Battle. Ubique.

@towhey Agree. Subtlety is ever less a feature of public life in our country.

I FEEL HIS PAIN. Jeremy Hansen was properly attired in suit and tie at the installation of Canada’s new Governor General when, I presume, some PR flack intervened: “Where’s your flight jacket? How will people know you’re an astronaut?Where’s the CSA logo? Here… put this on!”

@Auggie308 An M-109A3 155mm self-propelled howitizer of 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. The phrase, “the Guns, thank God, the Guns” comes to mind.

@GrenadaLoyalist @Jackhaai Yes, discipline - both imposed & self, as well as instantaneous response to command, situational awareness, attention to detail, teamwork, self-confidence, self-control, cohesion, command projection, steadiness, endurance, resilience, pride & ésprit-de-corps. Well done Grenada!

@Jackhaai Drill is important to instil discipline in a force. Basic marching is hardly difficult and you’d think the most powerful military on earth would put in just the tiniest effort when participating in ceremonial occasions

Do people really think that marching is a key aspect for any effective fighting force?

@MmarianneJoseph Well said. Thank you.

Wonderful to see deeply moving tributes for D-Day anniversary. It is perhaps important to note our gratitude must be an active, living thing - and does not depend on the whims of governments. Each time we try to show courage ourselves in small ways, we keep faith with them.

@BobBurnatt Hear! Hear!

@Golf49A May it always be a chocolate and not a "candy bar."

I'm no advertising man, but this must rank as one of the best product placements/media buys ever! Almost 100 years later, we could gaze at such classroom maps as these & still feel a sense of pride at the extent of Commonwealth "red" (while hankering for our next "Crispy Crunch").

@Auggie308 Of course, it was the height of the Cold War and it helped that as we maneuvered about the countryside, damage control officers with large cheque books followed in our wake.

@Auggie308 Training with our guns, weapons, vehicles & all our other kit & kaboodle in the fields & forests, farmsteads & villages of West Germany while all around us the locals carried on with their lives, pausing only to give us a wave or offer a "Brötchen", is something I remember well.