Canada: 'Bankrupt' Forces May Shut 5 Bases (Their MILITARY is BANKRUPT!?)

The National Post ^ | February 24, 2004 | Chris Wattie

[quidnunc]

Internal reports say $500M shortfall may cause closures from Winnipeg to Labrador

Canada's army, navy and air force are facing a funding shortfall of up to half a billion dollars, defence sources told the National Post, and the military is recommending drastic measures to make up the difference, including closing some of the largest bases in the country.

The federal government is stalling the release of internal documents that outline the looming financial crisis, but military sources said the reports indicate that in the fiscal year beginning on April 1, the air force expects to be $150-million short of funds needed to fulfill its commitments, the navy will be $150-million shy of its needs and the army will be as much as $200-million short.

The figures were submitted to General Ray Henault, the Chief of Defence Staff, last month by the heads of the land staff, the maritime staff and the air staff in anticipation of this year's defence budget.

The military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the reports foresee a situation so dire that they recommend curtailing operations, dry-docking ships and mothballing vehicles or aircraft and closing at least four Canadian Forces bases.

Unless additional funding is awarded by the government, the air force is suggesting closing bases at Goose Bay, Nfld., Bagotville, Que., North Bay and Winnipeg, the sources said.

Further, the air force report says that unless its fleet of ageing CC-130 Hercules transport planes is replaced or modernized, the main transport base at Trenton should be closed within 10 years. "There won't be enough Hercs flying by then to justify keeping that base open," one air force source said.

The navy predicts it will not be able to live up to treaty obligations to NATO and other alliances and cannot carry out enough patrols of Canadian waters to comply with agreements with other government departments such as Immigration Canada or Fisheries and Oceans.

"We will not be able to meet our domestic defence obligations," one naval officer said.

-snip-

[Canadian Outrage]

Not being a bigot Snowyman - Anderson is just as bad. I'm talking about the major clump of Ontario folks who KEEP voting these thieves in. David Anderson is just another Liberal.

[coydog]

Yup, that's one of my web sites, though I regret it hasn't gotten a lot of attention as of late (getting some comic sites off the ground). For more Avro Arrow revenantist fun, my personal homepage or the Arrowflight segment in Coydog Cafe. It's in the drop-down menu just below the comic page. And do check out this'un too! :D

COYDOG

[albertabound]

If your last post is your version of civil, I hope you don"t work in a post office.

[Uncle Fud]

Cool. I was involved in a long debate about the CF105 on usenet a couple of years ago and someone pointed me to wyou page. Very nice.

I'm a Yank who's somewhat of an Arrow-agnostic although I can certainly understand the sentiments of those who'd like to p**s on Diefenbaker's grave.....

I can recall saying that I thought that the Arrow would have been outstanding for defending against USAF B-58's, and that there were probably only a few Arrow fans who thought that would have been a Good Thing. (Present company excepted from that remark of course)

[Mo1]

Canada has a military?

Correction needed .... Canada HAD a military

Think they'll make any cuts to their social programs???

[Cronos]

All your bases belong to us!!!

I wouldn't be so happy about it. The reason why Canada doesn't want to pay for it's military is because it expects US to protect them. We have to cover their ***es and so WE PAY FOR THEIR DEFENSE.

[Cronos]

But if threatened by a superior military (like that of, say, Tuvalu),
;-P

The Tuvalians (?) would get Canadian bacon!

[Cronos]

BTW, the Japanese would have headed for Canada next, just as those rampaging Tuvaluans won't stop at the Maine border.

No way, the Canadians will ask for help from Tongo. Then Tongo will occupy Canada for King and country!

[Cronos]

Isn't Canada Michael Moore's favourite place in the world?? Moore's paradise?

[Cronos]

And remember they were there at some of toughest spots at Normandy

so were the French...

[Cronos]

Hmm.. so the Tuvaluvians invade from the west and the Greenlanders from the East. THe Quebecers of course surrender immediately...

[optimistically_conservative]

We have to cover their ***es and so WE PAY FOR THEIR DEFENSE.

We already do that.

[albertabound]

You mean Micheal Moose don't you, of course we love him, one of oue favorites.Are you sure you are not a Canuck, you seem so knowledgeable.

[Cronos]

Sorry about that, got hooked on the wise-cracking (mostly bad jokes though!)

[albertabound]

Moore is not much of a fan favorite in my neck of the woods. We have enough lefty pacifists skulking around up here as it is.

[PattonReincarnated]

>> If your last post is your version of civil, I hope you don"t work in a post office.

It wasn't. Remember, you called me a bigot.

[albertabound]

We should be good neighbors and free the innocent people of Canada from an evil regime of socialism. After free them from the Reds, we can make a grab for all that lumber and oil that they have. The moment we deplete their natural resources we can give them their independence and say, thanks for helping us on the War on Terrorism

on a personal note, I should say until a year ago I did a great deal of business in Winterpeg, Ottawa and Toronto. I never met a more politically correct people in my life, but at the same time they were hostile to me. (Typical of liberals.) Toronto is over-flowing with Muslims and I should say the ones that I have met are very anti-American. Working in the computer business it is quite common to run into non-North Americans in the work place.


These are your own words... about my Country and it's people. You advocate grabbing our resources, stripping and depleting them. You call our government an evil regime of socialism, you claim Toronto is overflowing with Muslims and it is quite common to run into non North Americans.

If you are not bigotted towards Canadians why would you post such absolute nonsense. Perhaps you thought you were being humorous or maybe you are an egotistical snob that looks down his nose at the rest of the world.

I spend a lot of time in the U.S. Half my family is American, as are all my grandkids. My grandparents immigrated to Canada from Colorado, I know America and Americans, and bigotry is unAmerican by nature. That is why I do not really believe you meant your post to come across the way it did. Besides Patton is one of my biggest hero's, so you are probably really not a bigot, just an over zealous patriot.

[Levante]

Hi Albertabound, Navyblue:

The Japanese invaded Kiska and Attu, in the Aleutian islands. Attu was taken by an American force (after alot of bloody fighting). Kiska was invaded by a joint US-Canadian force later on. But the Japanese had quietly evacuated before the Allies arrived. The only action was a US destroyer sinking after hitting a mine the Japanese had left. Tragically,the US and Canadians accidentally opened fire on each other in the fog (friendly fire) killing several troops on each side.

Incidentally, alot of Canadians have served in the US Forces (one estimate puts Canadians in Vietnam at 30,000 - 40,000) and Americans have "gone north" to serve in the Canadian forces during both World Wars. Also, when the Japanese attacked Hong Kong, they faced, you guessed it...two regiments of Canadian troops, along with other Commonwealth forces.