12 février 2018 | Local, Sécurité
The Canadian Forces is buying kits that will let its leaders experience what it's like to be stoned on marijuana.
The “marijuana simulation kits” will include “marijuana impairment goggles,” among other items. The Canadian Forces wants to acquire 26 of the kits by April 30 or sooner if possible.
“The purpose of the Marijuana Simulation Kits is to raise awareness of marijuana impairment, reduce risk of marijuana impairment, and promote healthy lifestyles within the Canadian Armed Forces,” companies who want to bid on the contract were told. “The marijuana impairment goggles, which is one of the several items included in the Marijuana Simulation Kit, allows users to experience first-hand, the deficits marijuana creates on the body.”
Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said Friday that the kits will be used in the Military Personnel Command's supervisor training course. “This will help ensure that CAF members in leadership positions will be able to identify signs of, assist in detecting and provide guidance regarding, prohibited drug use,” he said.
The value of the contract will only be known once bids are received, evaluated and a contract is awarded, but it is estimated at up to $170,000 over five years.
The Liberal government intends to make the use of recreational marijuana legal by the summer. CBC reported this week that a Statistics Canada survey found Canadians pay an average of less than $7 a gram for pot.
The kits may also be used at National Defence health fairs, community events, kiosks or other events to educate other military members, families and the public about the impact of marijuana on cognitive functioning, Le Bouthillier said.
A number of firms make such devices. In 2015, Innocorp Ltd. in the U.S. unveiled green-tinted goggles that simulate “the distorted processing of visual information, loss of motor co-ordination, and slowed decision-making and reaction time resulting from recreational marijuana use.”
Some police departments in the U.S. already use marijuana impairment kits for training.
Participants wearing the goggles will experience the simulated effects resulting from recreational marijuana use, such as distorted processing of visual information, slower decision-making and loss of motor coordination, Le Bouthillier said. The training could include exercises such as ball tossing, simulated driving and other means of demonstrating the effect on reaction time.
Le Bouthiller said the military currently uses alcohol impairment goggles in similar courses for military leaders.
3 mars 2024 | Local, Terrestre
An embarrassing multi-million-dollar accounting error that was covered up for years at Veterans Affairs Canada will end up costing taxpayers almost $1 billion now that a Federal Court judge has signed off on a combined class-action settlement.
17 septembre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press — Sep 15 2020 OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says hundreds of billions of dollars in planned spending for the military over the next two decades is "secure" despite the ballooning federal deficit to deal with COVID-19. Fears have been rising in defence circles that the Liberals will look to the military's budget to rein in what is now projected to be a $343-billion deficit this year alone as the government keeps spending to help Canadians with the pandemic. Those fears are based on past experience as the Canadian Armed Forces was hit by deep cuts when Ottawa struggled to balance the books during the 1990s and again in the early 2010s after the last economic downturn. But Sajjan says the government has no intention of abandoning its defence strategy, unveiled in 2017 and known as Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE), which included a plan to spend $553 billion on the military over 20 years. Much of that is to buy new equipment such as jets and warships. "As we look into the future, we're not just going make a knee-jerk decision on where we're going," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press on the sidelines of this week's federal cabinet retreat. "We're going do a very thorough analysis, just like we did in the past, make a good case about it and then make a decision of where we want to go. But absolutely, the SSE funding is secure. ... We're continuing on with SSE investments." Sajjan argued that the pandemic, along with the growing number of natural disasters in Canada in recent years and mounting instability abroad, underscore the need for a strong Canadian Armed Forces more now than ever. At the same time, he suggested money spent on the Canadian Armed Forces should be considered an investment in both the military and the economy, given the industrial benefits associated with building new ships, armoured vehicles and aircraft. "If you just look at our national shipbuilding strategy, we know dollar for dollar, that money goes into our economy," he said, adding that it would involve creating jobs across the country. Sajjan did indicate there may be "adjustments" to the Liberals' defence plan. While he didn't offer much detail, the minister suggested the Liberals have been looking at ways to speed up spending on the military during the pandemic because of the economic benefits. At the same time, there are some unknowns on the horizon, including whether a study being conducted by the parliamentary budget officer will find that the $60 billion set aside for 15 new warships for the navy isn't enough. The Liberals also have yet to decide on a plan for replacing the string of radars in the Arctic used to detect airborne threats approaching North America. Military commanders have said they are obsolete and will likely cost billions. Much of the speculation about potential cuts has been linked the government's search for a military commander after longtime chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance last month announced his plan to retire. The government interviewed potential replacements last week. Some defence insiders and observers have suggested the choice will signal the Liberals' priorities for the military over the next few years. Asked about those priorities, Sajjan listed the continued implementation of the defence policy alongside fighting sexual misconduct and racism in the military. "At the end of the day you look at the reality of what's in front of you and then you look at who is the best person to be able to lead during this time," Sajjan said when asked about the search. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2020. https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2020/09/15/liberals-dont-plan-to-cut-military-spending-to-rein-in-deficit-sajjan/#.X2OP0WhKiUk
6 mars 2023 | Local, Aérospatial
In celebration of Women of Aviation Worldwide Week 2023, two female leaders at Lockheed Martin Canada share their career experiences and reflect on why it?s important for women to be part of the aviation industry.