Making Canada Better

 I thought the following excerpt from a speech delivered by Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve (retired) at a Nov. 9 gala in Ottawa as he accepted the Vimy Award, a top defence award worth publishing as an Article. It needed to be said and should get wide distribution. He certainly gets my support. He received a well-deserved standing ovation from senior military officers in attendance.

Lt.-Gen. Maisonneuve spent 35 years in the CAF and 10 more as Academic Director of RMC Saint-Jean. He testified in The Hague against Slobodan Milosevic, commanded the funeral for the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, is a huge advocate for veterans, was a long-time supporter of bilingualism and served as the first Chief of Staff of NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Va.

Retired Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve received a standing ovation from senior military personnel for a speech he made slamming cancel culture, climate change extremism and weak leadership.

Special to National Post

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“The Vimy Award. How humbling; what a tremendous honour. With this honour comes the opportunity to accept this award with a speech that acknowledges the spirit of Vimy and shares with you my vision for Canada today and for the future.

 Canada — once we were great. We stopped the Americans in 1812, we gave the world Billy Bishop, Alexander Graham Bell, and Lucy Maud Montgomery. We isolated insulin and invented the zipper and the snowblower.

 In World War One we mobilized 620,000 troops. We were victorious at Vimy Ridge. In World War Two we were brave enough to land at Dieppe, and we secured our beach on D-Day. The Devil’s Brigade remains the template for special forces the world over. Our small country boasted the world’s third-largest navy at the end of that conflict.

 We became internationally recognized peacekeepers and more than 80,000 of us served on missions during the Cold War. We beat the Russians on their ice in 1972 and a young man named Terry Fox continues to inspire us all with his unparalleled courage and determination. We gave the world the Canadarm in space; we won a world series.

 When the world changed again on 9/11, Canada stepped up — first to join the coalition of the willing and send in ships and JTF 2. Serving with distinction in Afghanistan — we still mourn the loss of our 159 men and women. Canada was a great nation and though we are faltering today I believe we can be great again.

 Since this is my speech, I get to share what I believe Canada needs to do to take the world stage again; to be thought of first when it comes to seeking alliances, to be seen as a serious country once again.

What will it take? Well, I believe it will take leadership and service. These two crucial foundations of greatness for any nation have somehow become secondary — lost in these days of entitlement, “me first”, “not my problem” and endless subsidies and handouts.

 Let me start with leadership. Leadership applies in all pursuits and at all levels. Great leaders are distinguished by the success of those they lead and the entity they lead — be it a country, an army, a corporation, or a sports team. When that entity succeeds, we recognize its leader … and when that entity fails, misses, or misses the playoffs, the leader must — should — take responsibility.

History has given us many great leaders. Ask yourself: would those leaders have been as successful in today’s world?

 Well, let’s see; today’s world, where social media captures every move and word spoken — taken in context or not. Where cancel culture still flourishes and there is no call for redaction or amendment even when accusations are proved false. Truth is not a requirement; once cancelled, you are done.

 In today’s world, where balanced journalism is difficult to find. The practice of presenting the facts — a truthful illustration of an event, a personality or an issue that allowed the reader to form their own opinion — is no longer compulsory in mainstream media.

 The line between “news” and op-eds has blurred and too often we are subjected to sermons written not by seasoned journalists but by first-year graduates of woke journalism schools. Unbiased reporting seems to have died with Christie Blatchford and Matthew Fisher.

 Today’s world, where extremism — once the almost exclusive purview of religious zealots — seems to be flourishing in all aspects of our lives, on the right … and on the left. Some of the most popular “causes” and beliefs of today are embraced by all manner of extremists with no thought of how to achieve this utopian ideal in a responsible or plausible manner.

 For example, Canada’s prosperity is being sacrificed at the altar of climate change as opposed to being used to help the world transition to clean energy. Throwing soup and paint at the world’s art treasures is as heinous as it is useless. The perpetrators should be punished, not celebrated.

 Today’s world is also where taking personal responsibility for our own actions has disappeared from the landscape while the phenomenon of collective apologies flourishes in our country. Individuals and groups fight over who gets to wear the coveted victim’s cloak. But any role they may have played in their own fate or in injuring others is dismissed as learned behaviour, inherited flaws, or generational oppression.

 So, I am not here to debate whether those great leaders of yesteryear would be as successful in today’s world. But nor will I judge the decisions they made in their time against the standards of today. Enough statues have been toppled; erasing our history is not the solution.

 I believe that the most important leadership skills have not changed and are even more so today than ever.

 Number one is communication — it is more critical than ever in this world of sound bites and mic-dropping. A good leader ensures his followers know where they are going and how to get there. A great leader makes them want to go there.

 A great leader can take a seemingly insurmountable objective and make it possible to achieve it in the hearts and minds of their followers. Thankfully these leaders still do exist in today’s world and there is no better example than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his nightly address he clearly, continuously, and passionately articulates the mission to his fellow Ukrainians. Dismissed early on as “an actor, a comedian, a dancer,” President Zelenskyy has rallied the world to his just cause. He surrounded himself with good people, made difficult decisions and by communicating, has captured our hearts and souls with Ukraine’s plight. Godspeed Mr. President and Slava Ukraini.

 Secondly, cohesion, acceptance, and tolerance. Today’s leaders must stop dividing those they lead! Hasn’t history shown us that success as a leader demands cohesion, unity, and respect for all those they lead — not just those who agree wholeheartedly with them?

 Can you imagine a military leader labelling half of his command as deplorable, fringe radicals or less-thans and then expecting them to fight as one? Today’s leaders must find a way to unite; not divide.

 Leaders lead. There is a difference between making a good decision, based on research and consultation, and making a decision because it is popular, or polls well. The best decisions are those made for the good of the whole — not just good for the friends of the leader.

 Today, special interests have trumped the collective good. Making decisions for the collective good requires strength of character, the communication skills to explain, and a great deal of courage.

Courage remains one of the most important qualities of a leader. The courage of ideas, courage in the face of criticism, and the courage to guide and lead. The courage to create a vision for the good of all. The courage to recognize a mistake and accept responsibility — personal — for that mistake.

 The second key to bringing Canada back to prominence is service.

Just a short two months ago, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second, queen of Canada, died. It would be impossible to find a better example of service. On her coronation, she promised that she would dedicate her life, whether long or short, to the service of all. Over the next 70 years, in good times and in bad, she placed the care of her realm and subjects above all else. She exemplified character and duty and provided us all with an example of dedication to service. She kept her promise. May she rest in peace.

 The idea and the concept of service seem to be forgotten in our “me-first” culture. Service to others, to one’s country, to humanity must be a noble aspiration. The obligation to give back in gratitude for a life filled with blessings, peace and good fortune should not be innovative. It seems that Canadians have lost the desire to serve and the need to serve their country.

 The military — being in the service of one’s country — used to be a most highly regarded profession. Today, I see a military woefully underfunded, undermanned, and under-appreciated; a force where uniforms have become a means of personal expression rather than a symbol of collective pride and unity: uniforms are no longer uniform. The idea of serving in our armed forces is getting little traction. Could it be because the moral contract under which our military service is broken?

 Members of the Armed Forces fulfill their side of the moral contract that exists between them and Canadian society — they serve and are ready to serve in dangerous missions at home or abroad to protect our country and project Canadian values.

 But Canada should also be holding up its end of the contract: providing them with the state-of-the-art tools they need, the best leadership, equipment, education, and training to be safe and successful, and looking after them when they become veterans.

 In my opinion, we are failing. Because for Canadians generally, the Armed Forces are not important until there is a crisis, and successive government support of the forces reflects that mindset. Our troops who have dedicated their lives to serving this country deserve better. We are in Veterans’ Week, commemorating those who exemplified the concept of service by putting their life on the line for us and honouring those who gave up their tomorrows for our today. Let’s use them as our example to serve. If more inspiration is required one need not look far: let’s remember the words of two of the finest leaders of our time:

 Margaret Thatcher believed “There’s no such thing as an entitlement unless someone has first met an obligation.”

 And of course, JFK most famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

 In the name of service, I challenge us.

Soon the festive season will arrive, a season of generosity and benevolence. In the name of service, I challenge us. Offer to volunteer, no matter where: an animal shelter, home for the homeless, seniors or veterans. The most important gift we can give is our time.

 I challenge us all to donate — instead of selling that surplus coffee maker on Kijiji, let’s donate it to Mission Services or Goodwill or the Salvation Army. I challenge us to be compassionate: give the panhandler enough cash for a warm meal but also ask them their name, wish them well and shake their hand.

 I believe we can make Canada better. To find common ground with our neighbour and to unite our country rather than divide it. To apply our leadership and service; to live with compassion, tolerance, and patience — but most of all to be proud of Canada and everything we once stood for.

We Canadians live in the greatest country in the world with almost unlimited resources, tolerant and diverse people, and an educated population who can aspire to the greatest heights. We should be prepared to serve our country and be proud to do so. And our leaders must share this vision.

 “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

Because, as Satchmo has told us, despite it all … it is a wonderful world.