tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14659759057875030002024-03-05T08:21:38.895-08:00Wearing Your Medals WrongA blog about Canadians who habitually wear their orders, decorations and medals incorrectly.Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-28963842595140674042021-07-26T08:11:00.002-07:002021-07-26T08:11:44.867-07:00The Rt. Hon. Mary Simon: An INAUSPICIOUS startSeven months after bidding farewell to the worst Governor General, and one of the biggest medal offenders in Canadian History (wearing unrecognized NASA Medals, and the Order of Canada and other honours as jewellery) we have a new Governor General installed. The seven months with the Chief Justice, Richard Wagner, as Chief Administrator of the Government, was marked by not one single medals offence. Wonderful work!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08pyr2oUxV16FnXlSOFbOsA2VdeB5KV9BrzpyUhmBiJQCCZDVYlJyBiFByVrMxZAAU_9X7S9Ozc_yQGbSUMYwfcZg3ctVLF5ZO4lnar92o_oV-sbBNSoCLoDYe2Z_QgDvJTlaaIVWfHLy/s875/mr._wagner.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08pyr2oUxV16FnXlSOFbOsA2VdeB5KV9BrzpyUhmBiJQCCZDVYlJyBiFByVrMxZAAU_9X7S9Ozc_yQGbSUMYwfcZg3ctVLF5ZO4lnar92o_oV-sbBNSoCLoDYe2Z_QgDvJTlaaIVWfHLy/s320/mr._wagner.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Wagner: A model "almost GG"<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Now we have the installation of Ms. Mary Simon (formerly OC, OQ and some Jubilee Medals), who is now a Companion of the Order of Canada (CC), Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM), and Her Excellency, has decided to just freelance on the wearing of medals. Oh it is so sad to see the new Governor General disobeying the rules, rules which she is supposed to uphold. Following the ignominious example of Julie Payette at her installation in 2017, she has opted to just wear her Order of Canada and not her commemorative medals. We are off to an inauspicious start. Starting her tenure breaking the medal wearing rules means either she has followed the Payette route and hired a bunch of friends to advise her, there is no one left at Rideau Hall to advise a Governor General, or after three years of constant mental beatings by Julie Payette, the advisors have all lost their ability to advise OR most worryingly, that the new Governor General just doesn't care.</div><div><br /></div><div>So what was she doing wrong? Well we are delighted that she is wearing her CC on a bow, but where are her commemorative medals -- those humble little gongs that several hundred thousand Canadians have earned since Canada 125 in 1992? Given how long Her Excellency has been in the Order of Canada she should at least have the Golden Jubilee Medal 2002, and Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012? For more than 300k a year you think you would be able to at least pay attention to these sorts of details. </div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_wnEEdssNlRtTMDNeYBHZmR9mhJFMk1UYaYVskJfBYBodN_A4GopnRilJ7pubEAjUYumbfMrSO6-Xgur5pwt7WRqL_4rVhZiry3Segv2FQCcb-pOHkOT882QzlrCTTdWERzwHBOobypc/s275/Payette+and+JT.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_wnEEdssNlRtTMDNeYBHZmR9mhJFMk1UYaYVskJfBYBodN_A4GopnRilJ7pubEAjUYumbfMrSO6-Xgur5pwt7WRqL_4rVhZiry3Segv2FQCcb-pOHkOT882QzlrCTTdWERzwHBOobypc/w320-h213/Payette+and+JT.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Payette and her benefactor Justin Trudeau, 2017<br />Not wearing her commemorative medals, <br />just like Ms. Simon on installation day 2021</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzbhk5L2M6pNHrBdxdex74xFI5Kn5GuuM2UtepEbI-7NSd2kmaqrhY8Cclxf1X4Hz9URFIDrAJGy7qCDTKCX__RrTeQq7InwYAwEVci5Xq3nmF72mbosUkPBuArqGhn4cj6dTL3-CzTpQ/s1352/Mart+Simon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="1325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzbhk5L2M6pNHrBdxdex74xFI5Kn5GuuM2UtepEbI-7NSd2kmaqrhY8Cclxf1X4Hz9URFIDrAJGy7qCDTKCX__RrTeQq7InwYAwEVci5Xq3nmF72mbosUkPBuArqGhn4cj6dTL3-CzTpQ/w314-h320/Mart+Simon.png" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">First day on the job, Mary Simon already breaking the rules</span>. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Is it such a big thing to ask that a Governor General wear their orders, decorations and medals correctly? There are lots of good current examples of people weaning them correctly. Take for instances, the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, The Hon. Russell Mirasty, SOM, MSM. He gets how to wear his medals correctly, why can't the Governor General?</div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoTt5hLE5wdP4FSepngVf-N1dsBSPRkgll-KaCSvfg76RaVN1yrNof7N7-oqOX7j99zbps5CB7Le_x46FlsiGbzjQyZlWUapTuznklhxZo4aQW1HWjfCf7VJejtQEvEXiRC_9_djPdzIo/s1000/LG+SK.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoTt5hLE5wdP4FSepngVf-N1dsBSPRkgll-KaCSvfg76RaVN1yrNof7N7-oqOX7j99zbps5CB7Le_x46FlsiGbzjQyZlWUapTuznklhxZo4aQW1HWjfCf7VJejtQEvEXiRC_9_djPdzIo/w200-h150/LG+SK.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A model medal wearer: <br />Lieutenant Governor of Saskatcewan Russell Mirasty<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>We can only hope that such media luminaries as Colby Cosh, who referenced our blog in an article in the January 22, 2021 National Post, is paying attention to the "protocol nerds" (his phrase), who are flagging yet another potential rule ignoring Head of State. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now that we have a Governor General, even if she did wear her medals wrong on her big day, we can hope she will correct the offence. We can also hope she will get to work and promptly strip Julie Payette of the undeserved honours of the Order of Canada, Order of Military Merit and Order of Merit of the Police Forces. The sooner we can forget all that happened between October 2017 and January 2021 the better. </div>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-82775884505264988272021-02-02T20:18:00.003-08:002021-02-02T20:20:52.802-08:00Bye Bye Offender-in-Chief, Julie Payette: Time to hand back your CC, CMM, COM and CD<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The departure of Julie Payette as Canada's Governor General and Commander-in-Chief has brought relief to many of us here at Wearing Your Medals Wrong. Her Former Not So EXCELLENcy's approach to wearing Canadian orders, decorations and medals was on par with what the media has exposed as her alleged treatment of staff, volunteers, colleagues, the RCMP protective detail and practically everyone she came into contact with.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Way back in <a href="http://wearingyourmedalswrong.blogspot.com/2018/09/julie-payette-nasa-medals-before-order.html" target="_blank">September 2018</a> we noted that Payette had been parading around Rideau Hall, in front of a group of protocol, medals and heraldry experts, wearing totally unauthorized NASA gum ball machine prizes... errr, we mean "I went to space and didn't die" medals. <br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was with great glee that we note that Colby Cosh of the <i><a href="https://nationalpost.com" target="_blank">National Post</a></i> even picked up on this blog's tracking of Payette's great NASA medal wearing debacle on January 22 in "<a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/colby-cosh-the-cult-of-celebrity-has-no-place-in-the-governor-generals-office?video_autoplay=true" target="_blank">The Cult of Celebrity has no place in the governor general's office</a>."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9XwNJA39c84NxSHShyphenhyphenpnhuBFIWXcqx1Wcp7x4aoIW3JUwdM0D0yHu_h8l_mq8HjjxozR-azagCTsRJ1p0hrzEEJM_VVZ-9v3UAK4XNJJSHm8vTCgirMjyL_QeAfN_LcbML2UBimmxFMa/s1119/Cosh+on+Payette+and+NASA.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="990" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9XwNJA39c84NxSHShyphenhyphenpnhuBFIWXcqx1Wcp7x4aoIW3JUwdM0D0yHu_h8l_mq8HjjxozR-azagCTsRJ1p0hrzEEJM_VVZ-9v3UAK4XNJJSHm8vTCgirMjyL_QeAfN_LcbML2UBimmxFMa/w192-h217/Cosh+on+Payette+and+NASA.png" width="192" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cosh amusingly, but accurately notes; </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"in one of the under appreciated low points of her tenure, to wear her more subtle NASA decorations, eschewing the governor general's Canadian insignia in favour of corporate awards from a U.S. government agency. It was mostly protocol nerds and monarchists who foamed at the mount over that one, but in retrospect I defy anyone to say they didn't have a point -- and it ought to have been noticed earlier..."</b> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Thank you for this Mr. Cosh. As a group of protocol nerds we appreciate this recognition. Like you we hope the next Governor General will not be a complete and unmitigated <i>Challenger</i> (OV-099) like disaster. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">HAND BACK THE GONG'S PLEASE ! </span></h1><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We can only hope that the Advisory Councils of the various Orders for which Mme. Payette once served as Chancellor (the Order of Canada, The Order of Military Merit and the Order of Merit of the Police Forces), will cancel/erase her appointment to some of our country's highest honours. There is no question that Payette has brought disrepute upon these Orders in a more public manner than any previous holder of a CC, CMM or COM. Payette should be removed from the three Orders, be required to return her Canadian Force's Decoration and also hand in her Order national du Québec. We can also hope that she will be stripped of the style "Right Honourable" and lastly her coat of arms should be erased, defaced or dis-honoured in some obvious manner. For her Rideau Hall portrait we suggest any number of the hilarious cartoons which her actions have generated from the talented pens of Canada's editorial cartoonists. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Perhaps there is no more visual way to acknowledge Mme. Payette's disgrace then by fiddling with her coat of arms. A search of the internet (none of us are experts on heraldry although we have some followers who are), reveals that we just have to turn Payette's coat of arms upside down (an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abatement_(heraldry)" target="_blank">Abatement</a>) to show she has behaved in a highly dishonourable way. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We have gone further and removed Payette's Order of Canada and Ordre national du Québec medals, along with the motto of the Order of Canada. The grey circle around Payette's shield represents the grey and sadness that she brought to Rideau Hall and the grey state of mental health she left so many of the staff in. This greyness totally encircles Payette's shield. The Crown was also removed, if there were any maple leaves in her arms we would have removed those as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is a very obvious visual way of showing how awful Payette was in every aspect of her service as Governor General, treatment of staff and Canadians. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmUah1_HAjPBwGDy_9I-OfYzCADAZusGlccMEqIBY2hgYEcUMY3jeFaU9tQTuQX252lFhRIc9sSZVslK_jmKNYeLbIy6zcdiwdtan827W1L761g0vOI6JpauOQzHXtiUZoOGS6r0OwNI-/s1311/Payette+Upside+Down.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmUah1_HAjPBwGDy_9I-OfYzCADAZusGlccMEqIBY2hgYEcUMY3jeFaU9tQTuQX252lFhRIc9sSZVslK_jmKNYeLbIy6zcdiwdtan827W1L761g0vOI6JpauOQzHXtiUZoOGS6r0OwNI-/s320/Payette+Upside+Down.png" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Another option is to rewrite the symbolism of her arms, if only that Privy Council Office report didn't contain so many words, we might be able to include direct commentary in the augmented "ignominious Payette arms."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLPpHu6FYqWxzG-Jy9hpEigvpNo_4TMURTDdHuohKO9q0mbvZfZvRKXJYxdKESp20wEnf0GMSDe4BoNTjzfqyWxu6wlizXmgr_szowZlyeFWVrwkQ1XZc0dlzMIXffsEdKcC1YLe33Qv6/s1817/New+Payette+Arms.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1817" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLPpHu6FYqWxzG-Jy9hpEigvpNo_4TMURTDdHuohKO9q0mbvZfZvRKXJYxdKESp20wEnf0GMSDe4BoNTjzfqyWxu6wlizXmgr_szowZlyeFWVrwkQ1XZc0dlzMIXffsEdKcC1YLe33Qv6/w634-h400/New+Payette+Arms.png" width="634" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-5768437178989589372019-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:002019-12-07T11:08:14.126-08:00Governor General Payette Doesn't Care About the Rules... or the Canadian Armed Forces<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is unfortunate that our Commander-in-Chief thinks that the lowly Canadian Forces Decoration (the C.D.), which rank and file members of the Canadian Armed Forces earn and wear with pride, is not worthy of being worn for an important national event like the Speech from the Throne. Does Her Excellency not like the red and white ribbon in the colour of our national flag or the gold coloured multi-sided disc? Why has the poor C.D., been relegated to a sock drawer at Rideau Hall for today's ceremony? </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Canadian Forces Decoration<br />Good enough for members of the Canadian Armed Forces <br />but not good enough for <br />Julie Payette, CC, CMM, COM, CQ, <strike>CD</strike>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In advance of today's event in Ottawa we received more than thirty emails speculating on just what newfangled manner Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, would find to wear her gongs... well she has opted for a rather lazy approach, one that is disrespectful to members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Her Excellency has adopted the "jewellery method" of wearing medals. The Jewellery Method demands that you simply "wear whatever looks nice," as opposed to following the rules so clearly defined by the Office of the Governor General.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Governor General Payette & her first speech from the throne,<br />medals all wrong again. It's clear she just doesn't care about the rules. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For today's event, December 5, we see the Governor General wearing the insignia of Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.) and Chevalier of the Ordre National du Quebec (C.Q), ... but what about her actual group of medals, with the 2012 Jubilee Medal and Canadian Forces Decoration? Obviously a provincial honour is more important to our Commander-in-Chief than serving as the head of the Canadian Armed Forces. Had she simply worn her medal group all would have been fine. She just needed to put her medal group where she has her Ordre of Quebec bow. The ultimate offence is that she places more importance on her C.Q., than she does on displaying her role as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4imTbJJzt-QgjV7EB6NG_iC_e2qC4IeS1Zlttyx81M4FZWbfugC5s8knflMozVCCmogh0qeQmudc3O00gVGSZ1ZUyPnm7ACFhgp27zdULVq9a8Db9LHguRT5Fyg1DAE-OCkjTGKKX8SWk/s1600/GG+with+medal+group.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4imTbJJzt-QgjV7EB6NG_iC_e2qC4IeS1Zlttyx81M4FZWbfugC5s8knflMozVCCmogh0qeQmudc3O00gVGSZ1ZUyPnm7ACFhgp27zdULVq9a8Db9LHguRT5Fyg1DAE-OCkjTGKKX8SWk/s320/GG+with+medal+group.png" width="277" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exceedingly rare photo!</span>Governor General Payette in a rare moment of<br />almost following the rules.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As readers, and anyone in the CAF will know, the Canadian Forces Decoration (C.D.) is awarded to members of the Canadian Armed Forces after 12 years of service (12 years of undetected crime as it is often put jokingly). The Governor General gets this medal when they are appointed as Governor General to signify that they also serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To the right above we have an exceedingly rare photo showing Governor General Payette wearing her medals ALMOST correctly. She just needed to shorten her Order of Canada ribbon and all would have been fine (or put her C.C. on a bow). Is it really too much someone who gets two free houses, staff, travel and more than $300,000 a year to follow the rules that her office is suppose to uphold and regulate? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite this snub to the CAF it could have been worse. The Governor General could have decided to wear her NASA Medals! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Surprisingly few Remembrance Day 2019 offences reported, so no posting was required this year.</span><br />
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-2913304532122909372019-08-02T21:01:00.001-07:002019-08-02T21:01:43.432-07:00When everybody’s somebody, nobody’s anybody! D-Day 75th and the brass hats<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We made it through the various D-Day commemorations without Governor General Julie Payette showing up wearing her NASA Medals or breaking any medals wearing rules which is a relief.</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVzCM6Wf2_J_kWXrCSqgaOd-OEyOgWldi3h3J52hrh2mzn7A_WHoB1hCuUVbX4HyFniEwVCY-HJ6NGhmUXBdf9IOpk04FzUfSZSYdCxG0mcEE4UFpqqjuc91x3UqmKPnNVuIJwWDoEhJe/s1600/GG+and+Rohmer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1105" data-original-width="1582" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVzCM6Wf2_J_kWXrCSqgaOd-OEyOgWldi3h3J52hrh2mzn7A_WHoB1hCuUVbX4HyFniEwVCY-HJ6NGhmUXBdf9IOpk04FzUfSZSYdCxG0mcEE4UFpqqjuc91x3UqmKPnNVuIJwWDoEhJe/s640/GG+and+Rohmer.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canada's two highest ranking medals wearing offenders. The Governor General Julie Payette -- known for wearing totally unauthorized Space Trip Medals from NASA, and Honorary LGen Richard Rohmer, who loves to wear every pin and bauble in his sock drawer -- even unauthorized ones. </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">That being said, we had a flood of emails asking about the sash being worn by Honorary Lieutenant General Richard Rohmer, who has been featured on this blog several times before. As we have noted in the past, we have great respect for the Honorary Lieutenant General’s valorious service in the Second World War and his contributions to Canada over his long and highly accomplished lifetime. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What we take issue is with his penchant for wearing his medals incorrectly – and wearing unauthorized medals. An officer, gentleman and an one of Her Majesty’s Counsel Most Learned in the Law (he is a lawyer and a Queen’s Counsellor) one would assume that Rohmer would know that <b>even he has to follow the rules and regulations </b>set out by the Government of Canada as managed by the Governor General’s Office. No sadly he does not, so during the 75<sup>th</sup>anniversary of the D-Day landings the CBC and other networks were full of images of Honorary Lieutenant General Rohmer parading around wearing a mystery sash, too many neck gongs, at least one unauthorized/ unrecognized medal and some weird looking pin with a trillium on it.<br /><br />First let us address the mystery red sash. What is it? Has Rohmer been made a Grand Cross of the Legion d’Honneur or a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath or a Knight Grand Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit– it is none of these as they are worn over the right shoulder and not the left. A search of the <i>Canada Gazette, </i>where all authorized foreign decorations and orders are listed when they are properly awarded to Canadians, fails to reveal that Rohmer has been awarded anything new. Could it be that as an honorary Lieutenant General, Rohmer has decided that he can wear an CAF Infantry Sash over the left shoulder given his years of service in the CAF? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now let us examine Rohmer’s impressive group of mounted medals. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1528" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-E7TD1v6LPPqbjvnnnuBnBTcFQCH3uw_8bQ8VWqwbzutRrjlK9yWCKlZ0-7FHuV6frXvv434SmkLZSbUHVYOCp6qM2_XEHcGerNopI4PwG0Whwx-24pkuezLHHz_cVDKJLKGA0vg5Zl6/s400/Rohmer+Group.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rohmer's mounted group of medals.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-E7TD1v6LPPqbjvnnnuBnBTcFQCH3uw_8bQ8VWqwbzutRrjlK9yWCKlZ0-7FHuV6frXvv434SmkLZSbUHVYOCp6qM2_XEHcGerNopI4PwG0Whwx-24pkuezLHHz_cVDKJLKGA0vg5Zl6/s1600/Rohmer+Group.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Right beside his St. John Ambulance Long Service Medal (black and white ribbon with 3 bars), there is a blue ribbon with a yellow stripe – it looks much like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal – yet Rohmer never earned the RCMP LSM, so it is not that. A search of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rohmer" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Rohmer’s Wikipedia page</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> reveals it could be the United States Navy Distinguished Marksman Ribbon which he earned long ago, but that award doesn’t come with a medal. So it must be the Toronto Emergency Medical Services Long Service Medal. Totally unauthorized for wear along with officially granted federal and provincial honours, this lustrous medal is struck in high quality aluminum foil and dipped in clear nail polish to give it an impressive shine. </span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WAlIldqkC4bl-MT56cPa-C11vMDocBowxrVwkT_6nQ_xmLwry-__P9qePzy57htwgbxfLDDXE97-A6_p_dQ4dSmg7l5FKPuREukeG9pr6pEmYeVSmqlnuEwxEbFHQ67yRmvC6O0rWWF8/s1600/Toronto+EMS+Front.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="466" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WAlIldqkC4bl-MT56cPa-C11vMDocBowxrVwkT_6nQ_xmLwry-__P9qePzy57htwgbxfLDDXE97-A6_p_dQ4dSmg7l5FKPuREukeG9pr6pEmYeVSmqlnuEwxEbFHQ67yRmvC6O0rWWF8/s400/Toronto+EMS+Front.png" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Toronto EMS Long Service Medal </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course the wearing of this medal along with officially granted federal and provincial medals is a violation of Order-in-Council 1998-591; but hey, Rohmer is already breaking a host of rules (only two neck badges are to be worn in RCAF DEU) covered in A-AD 265 Canadian Armed Forces Dress Instructions, that everyone else is supposed to follow if they are wearing a CAF uniform, but it seems having a load of gongs and a heavy brass hat means you are immune from the rules or a watchful RSM or even our Chief of Defence Staff.<br /><br />Then there is the badge on the pocket that Rohmer is wearing above his Order of St. John breast star. There is the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation, and RCAF Ops Wings which are all legitimate and authorized, and then the mystery oval pin. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It looks like some sort of Ontario awards with a white trillium – 75 years of safe driving of a motor vehicle? 75 years of residency in Ontario? The award for not picking trilliums in Ontario? Just what is this mystery badge? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5Ib_g1JhNgU74F2Hrlw89lBuSEfBFLUjKEWSrFFFwq1U6a0c6AOOaOHyLFH2OUHxrwLJ-BNrfyNMHnnkQzeh-Bh97-wDSO6f7bAQCQFQht_9avP_dYtcyigXHfhwl80MmiaVmPvXwPcZ/s1600/Rohmer+Pins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="499" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5Ib_g1JhNgU74F2Hrlw89lBuSEfBFLUjKEWSrFFFwq1U6a0c6AOOaOHyLFH2OUHxrwLJ-BNrfyNMHnnkQzeh-Bh97-wDSO6f7bAQCQFQht_9avP_dYtcyigXHfhwl80MmiaVmPvXwPcZ/s400/Rohmer+Pins.png" width="242" /></a></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All this is written fully expecting a number of irate emails from readers chastising us for DARING to question such a notable and well regarded veteran. Well even the highly accomplished and high ranking are open for criticism if they break the rules the rest of the Canadian public are supposed to follow. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is all best left to Rohmer himself. In a January 2019 article carried in </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.everythingzoomer.com/lifestyle/spirit/2019/01/25/happy-95th-birthday-richard-rohmer-truly-original-canadian/" target="_blank">Zoomer</a> </u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Magazine. Rohmer notes “I’m the most highly decorated citizen in the country. It takes me 20 minutes to put the medals and decorations on.” Well aside from the grandness of the statement (one would never expect to hear the great Canadian exemplar of medal wearing, Major General George Pearkes, VC, PC, CC, CB, DSO, KStJ, MC, CD, CdeG, to utter such a phrase), I think you get the general idea (pardon the pun) that the General knows exactly what he is doing when he puts on a uniform – be it is RCAF, Ontario Provincial Police or Toronto EMS uniforms. </span><o:p></o:p></span>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-82550136580562158502019-07-28T17:54:00.003-07:002019-07-28T17:54:41.993-07:00Without Further Comment; Daniel Woolf<span style="font-size: large;">A few readers sent us this photo of the now former President of Queen's University, Dr. Daniel Woolf, wearing what appears to be the United Nations Korea War Medal. Given that Dr. Woolf's biography states he was born in 1958, we are not quite sure how he managed to serve in the Korean War with US or Commonwealth troops. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj015sboU51mW9P977T6Sqr7zipoipAbwKm3SjgLNI9jqiIb4TQvMuI2sqwIDOg16tWnGSfJjD_D_zH75T0jfvoAHNUGH08f9vsRD9OknqHx2T18q_VFH3EWglnTf3mbfjnLLTetRB183Df/s1600/Woolf+and+UN+Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="296" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj015sboU51mW9P977T6Sqr7zipoipAbwKm3SjgLNI9jqiIb4TQvMuI2sqwIDOg16tWnGSfJjD_D_zH75T0jfvoAHNUGH08f9vsRD9OknqHx2T18q_VFH3EWglnTf3mbfjnLLTetRB183Df/s400/Woolf+and+UN+Medal.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_tqv6rj8o5gWMYpk5ny05njYkKWDPHaBJHxsbh42xJi1CTSsRSZbBcovXleAMiNmalEs9vTooe2oXIwKcmhK4Af7ADETiru4eoJMhOODy4Y0mrT72ZaAZ5kmAs668AsLluXtE4bnKUE1/s1600/UN+Korea+Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="319" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_tqv6rj8o5gWMYpk5ny05njYkKWDPHaBJHxsbh42xJi1CTSsRSZbBcovXleAMiNmalEs9vTooe2oXIwKcmhK4Af7ADETiru4eoJMhOODy4Y0mrT72ZaAZ5kmAs668AsLluXtE4bnKUE1/s200/UN+Korea+Medal.jpg" width="104" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UN Korea War Medal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Woolf all dressed up with Arthur McDonald, a Companion of the Order of Canada, who also received the Nobel Prize; it is a bizarre image. This photo was taken in December 2015 with Professor McDonald was presented with his Nobel Prize. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One can only imagine what the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, who knows a thing or two about medals, thought of the Canadian university administrator parading around with a lone medal he could not have possibly earned. Not exactly an effective way of looking "important" in a auditorium filled with a few Heads of State and some of the most highly honoured/decorated people in the world. Perhaps a university scarf of jersey would have been a more effective way of announcing the crowd "look at me, I'm important too." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You really shouldn't wear medals you didn't earn, even if you're putting them on the right hand side of your jacket. </span>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-23378793776281348282019-07-28T17:54:00.001-07:002019-08-02T20:35:07.628-07:00ViceRegal Report Card 2018<span style="font-size: large;">This report is a bit late, but it will certainly be of interest to our loyal readers. It is that time once again to grade the various professional medal wearers; the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors from across Canada. We won't look too deeply into the sad situation of the Governor General here. On the whole the Lieutenant Governors are doing a solid job of wearing their medals correctly. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Off to the Magic Show?<br />
The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, <br />
the Hon. Lois Mitchell.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The main offender in the provinces is Alberta's Lois Mitchell who seems to enjoy wearing all sorts of different capes! Rule number one of wearing robes/capes/mantles, you don't pin medals on them and you don't wear mayoral or Order chains over top of them -- unless you want to look really really strange and desperate to appear more important than you are. You also don't wear multiple Orders on bows. Where is a slightly knowledgeable ADC or RSM when you need one?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As we saw in a previous post Alberta really does seem to be the "wild west" of wearing medals and wearing all sorts of fake municipal and provincial medals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The new Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Tom Molloy, is a quick study and after his installation seems to have corrected the "olympic medal" style of wearing his neck gongs. Great improvement here. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4nHkyDyTIbhjRNsQZXqHP9ZaUOFShlLjeyDtK5PXCKp-HewhZqg_FYD3Kbv-xcu6niby6eAHqZ6Jfi7v3QSVZAqLb4g7KlL_meK0Gl3V8SudYSTinmC1afEYUQ8IMgnz7E3WuuPQPNlr/s1600/Molloy+and+Neck+Gong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4nHkyDyTIbhjRNsQZXqHP9ZaUOFShlLjeyDtK5PXCKp-HewhZqg_FYD3Kbv-xcu6niby6eAHqZ6Jfi7v3QSVZAqLb4g7KlL_meK0Gl3V8SudYSTinmC1afEYUQ8IMgnz7E3WuuPQPNlr/s200/Molloy+and+Neck+Gong.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lieutenant Governor Molloy at his Installation. <br />
OC worn "Olympic Style"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lieutenant Governor Molloy wearing his SOM and insignia correctly. <br />
Our most improved student. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Similarly the news Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin is doing a great job wearing her medals -- not sure what the deal is with the Presidential salute though! Of course there remain a few outliers -- the LG of Prince Edward Island doesn't seem to wear medals at all. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPEZjmzPk2iKNIPZRki_x-hEUp8936BTuyRVDGMtIUIB-yL5jZRHQsADZKM7EttFLujCx2UKcI-lFe4mgUCixp9sUHto2qm4fNrLsMbHlHsqy13XTHov0r4lBiUCjZ1I_Q4oOpnInHJ4x/s1600/Austin+Salute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPEZjmzPk2iKNIPZRki_x-hEUp8936BTuyRVDGMtIUIB-yL5jZRHQsADZKM7EttFLujCx2UKcI-lFe4mgUCixp9sUHto2qm4fNrLsMbHlHsqy13XTHov0r4lBiUCjZ1I_Q4oOpnInHJ4x/s320/Austin+Salute.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Great at wearing medals.<br />
But... what's with the Presidential Salute? </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the most solid report card we have had since we started this blog in 2010 in an effort to combat the habitual rule breakers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBENt1qMpIRPwfV-wmDR4QYony-LE7pbsXbKNJFjM7FwpZ3MOHT0u2aLK2L-wAw9WJLjEzKh2kjwaF-8H7lDLxPSFW20x5cTo15P_oyYppnV_9hs1GLbTrIWDaP35aww0AadW-oMTOVN8K/s1600/VR+Report+Card+2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1010" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBENt1qMpIRPwfV-wmDR4QYony-LE7pbsXbKNJFjM7FwpZ3MOHT0u2aLK2L-wAw9WJLjEzKh2kjwaF-8H7lDLxPSFW20x5cTo15P_oyYppnV_9hs1GLbTrIWDaP35aww0AadW-oMTOVN8K/s640/VR+Report+Card+2018.png" width="504" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With Bob Paulson gone as Commissioner of the RCMP the wearing of unapproved/fake medals (aside from the Governor General according to media reports) has come to a end for the time being at the top of Canada's national police force. </span></div>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-34726449756443173382018-09-27T11:55:00.000-07:002018-09-27T11:56:22.514-07:00Julie Payette: NASA Medals before the Order of Canada? <span style="font-size: large;">After being reported in the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/failure-to-launch-inside-julie-payettes-turbulent-first-year-as-governor-general" target="_blank"><i>National Post</i></a> that Governor General Julie Payette was wearing a NASA Medal at an "International Symposium on Symbols and Honours" in late May we sought a photo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have been sent several pictures, although the clearest one is shown here. This was sent to us by three different blog followers. In the image below you can see Her Excellency wearing <u>two</u> NASA Medals -- this photo is also on the TwitterFeed of the Global Affairs Canada Protocol Chief. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOPlu_1lPXXwyiBXvWGQskk22wiuGvonVYnZymg7JsGpWu5V3wkfsfQaUYh0lxp-kVyW5ik4H3vwFc87YlBUszJFBUhA0OyOl2qBmX19-voKehrZ_WvMoNeUhnUaJgAFK84xoc2JR4eQ9/s1600/Payette+wearing+NASA+Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOPlu_1lPXXwyiBXvWGQskk22wiuGvonVYnZymg7JsGpWu5V3wkfsfQaUYh0lxp-kVyW5ik4H3vwFc87YlBUszJFBUhA0OyOl2qBmX19-voKehrZ_WvMoNeUhnUaJgAFK84xoc2JR4eQ9/s640/Payette+wearing+NASA+Medal.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The Governor General wearing TWO NASA medals; May 2018.<br />
The NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the NASA Space Flight Medal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqtPEddPn-sLXHDRzfNelUVmk8_oLd26LdJm4rJ1m9tf56Oo9AE_LQmubPOneEw9n8myYLjXB6u1UGU3csQWyUBVBQgLp3N-JZIl-UU-D8Z0t08XlwLbRNME04eP29onjCo-VM69YT7e2/s1600/150px-NASA_Public_Service_Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqtPEddPn-sLXHDRzfNelUVmk8_oLd26LdJm4rJ1m9tf56Oo9AE_LQmubPOneEw9n8myYLjXB6u1UGU3csQWyUBVBQgLp3N-JZIl-UU-D8Z0t08XlwLbRNME04eP29onjCo-VM69YT7e2/s1600/150px-NASA_Public_Service_Medal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NASA Exceptional Service Medal </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One has to feel sorry for the poor Army ADC who had to stand looking respectful as the Governor General and Commander in Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, spoke to a room full of medals officials and heraldry experts, wearing not her Order of Canada or Order of Military Merit insignia, but two unapproved medals. Apparently Her Excellency went on at some length about how the medals were for "heroism". So the head of the Canadian Armed Forces doesn't think the rules about wearing medals apply to her. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UAONFHGWhe9nPr1-2PjHKdFovCgLPkFEHQuON_1MAXS3JhXTeEK-xRKVNSQA6O1B1h0wXuxxtACiJKCMG8zMAmgrx6UCM3I-C5hN7iF_fJTFn1Sq9t7AbqHH-9toEMAKtn4rllcvQ8r3/s1600/NSFlightMed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UAONFHGWhe9nPr1-2PjHKdFovCgLPkFEHQuON_1MAXS3JhXTeEK-xRKVNSQA6O1B1h0wXuxxtACiJKCMG8zMAmgrx6UCM3I-C5hN7iF_fJTFn1Sq9t7AbqHH-9toEMAKtn4rllcvQ8r3/s320/NSFlightMed.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NASA Space Flight Medal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So what is the problem with the Governor General wearing NASA Medals? Well, the rules set out by the Government of Canada for the wearing of orders, decorations and medals, both Canadian and foreign (through O<a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SI-98-55/page-1.html" target="_blank">rder in Council 1998-591</a>) clearly state in section 4 <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> “Foreign orders, decorations and medals the award of <u><b>which is approved by the Government of Canada</b></u> are worn after the orders, decorations and medals referred to in sections 1 and 3,...</span>.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A search of the <i>Canada Gazette</i> which lists the approval of such awards revealed Canada has never approved any NASA medals for anyone, not even Governor General Payette. Added to this fact is that like the frequently awarded US Commendation Medals, NASA Medals are not “national” awards from the USA, they are awarded by a government agency – they have a total of 16 awards for NASA alone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What a strange situation to have the Governor General violating the rules she is supposed to uphold. It's a bit sad she thinks NASA Medals are more important than the Order of Canada, the Order of Military Merit or any other part of the Canadian honours system. Its all a bit more than just wearing the "wrong decoration" its in essence wearing an illegal pair of medals... but we wouldn't want to be accused of being fussbudgets. It is after all just the Governor General breaking a regulation set out by an Order-in-Council. </span><br />
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-24564691624549717692018-09-26T08:17:00.000-07:002018-11-25T14:12:23.096-08:00The Wild West of Medals: Alberta<span style="font-size: large;">It is still difficult to figure out what the deal is with Alberta and the myriad of fake municipal and provincial baubles that the uniform crazed protective services here like to wear. It is as though a police tailor from the Southern USA in the 1970s (aka Boss Hogg's tailor) has been transported to Calgary to sell surplus uniforms, bizarrely coloured ribbons and all sorts of badges to peace officers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps an informed reader can fill us in on just what the various ribbons are. The fellow pictured here is wearing the Order of St. John, the 2012 Jubilee Medal, the Police Exemplary service Medal, the Alberta Centennial Medal, two of the mystery Alberta Protective Services Medals (both not approved for wear), then AMAZINGLY the Northwest Canada Medal 1885, for fighting against the Riel Resistance/Rebellion (or is it the Royal Red Cross?), then what looks to be the Royal Canadian Humane Association Bravery Medal and the Buganda Order of the Happy Republic? So more than half of this guys group of medals are entirely unapproved and essentially make believe. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqpbHCyTB45pU_US5DPtHwJ_R4kdXR7mAnpCegwLGg_H0FB5vi8yskzSy9ULfE3ed36NsZykpN0vISASUN80flYYSU19iWDHDsAtZqCIcNmt5K8xPhq-K9Wa1cVgsKLBJKTyVamBj_wuU/s1600/16722415_1415650635126072_7872568419380144950_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqpbHCyTB45pU_US5DPtHwJ_R4kdXR7mAnpCegwLGg_H0FB5vi8yskzSy9ULfE3ed36NsZykpN0vISASUN80flYYSU19iWDHDsAtZqCIcNmt5K8xPhq-K9Wa1cVgsKLBJKTyVamBj_wuU/s320/16722415_1415650635126072_7872568419380144950_o.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name that ribbon!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0EQQdc_YpwpzpLxsNzrl99RjWhN5xsDIYUyrhJjeu0jFVSMDzSZCzeISjzir3r7spx2oOathMaAMPeQlUspKeJGiYyJCSRBXpURSJRndg2amM7z86OW5yAehRZfZP-LApgecV2bDBVo/s1600/Ribbons+of+Alberta+HQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="123" data-original-width="190" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0EQQdc_YpwpzpLxsNzrl99RjWhN5xsDIYUyrhJjeu0jFVSMDzSZCzeISjzir3r7spx2oOathMaAMPeQlUspKeJGiYyJCSRBXpURSJRndg2amM7z86OW5yAehRZfZP-LApgecV2bDBVo/s200/Ribbons+of+Alberta+HQ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many pretty colours... <br />
what do they all mean?!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is of course another uniformed fellow in this photo to the right, wearing some of the same make believe gongs. We hope pointing out this sea of funny ribbons isn't misconstrued as "bullying" especially given the topic of the photo op. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLEMCgBWHtuRzR28V4j05PpMcwZyc2pQPZGUrTV-G1plxmdq2olIur2ldDPKqM9u0EYfZQCgR253Mh7jRNBC8G2weHFmDpBEqU5D7bIYlGxl9IOavfDrDJbdIyGfoLFKgX-onSUPNKZik/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-26+at+11.42.28+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1123" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLEMCgBWHtuRzR28V4j05PpMcwZyc2pQPZGUrTV-G1plxmdq2olIur2ldDPKqM9u0EYfZQCgR253Mh7jRNBC8G2weHFmDpBEqU5D7bIYlGxl9IOavfDrDJbdIyGfoLFKgX-onSUPNKZik/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-09-26+at+11.42.28+AM.png" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least the two guys in the middle of the back row are following the rules. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATE: We have received a number of comments/emails, and even the link to a guide published by the Alberta Fire Commissioner related to the wearing of the various Alberta and municipal medals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Alberta Emergency Services Medal has not been approved by the Governor General/ Government of Canada, nor has it been approved for wear alongside official national honours. If it had been approved it would be on the Governor General's website list and it is not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are only two Alberta related medals approved for wear -- despite the bizarre fantasy set out by the Alberta Fire Commissioners's "<a href="http://www.ofc.alberta.ca/documents/Final_External_Dress_and_Deportment_Guidelines_March_17_2015.pdf" target="_blank">Guidelines</a>." The medals approved for wear on the left side along with official national honours are:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1) the Alberta Order of Excellence;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2) the Alberta Centennial Medal.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ofc.alberta.ca/documents/Final_External_Dress_and_Deportment_Guidelines_March_17_2015.pdf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1003" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw64YTItC_ucm1n6VJ34hiBFWeYDPwZbLnL_FHqjfCyBJu0IYTnbuVDMpXwePcB_g1MeRG1wMsY77QJHCYuvFOf7OCcbTYBrqH4mmSeVzHh1li6UzJAZzesgV363Bv-jZzD_417YkMlKZw/s320/Fire+Manual+Cover.png" width="261" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">If the medal does not appear on the list of Orders, Decorations and Medals approved by the Chancellery of Honours, via a Federal Order in Council, then you CANNOT wear it not he left hand side along with official Orders, Decorations and Medals. It doesn't matter what the Alberta Fire Commissioner writes in a guide or proclaims when it comes to the wearing of honours on the left side. For things worn on the right side of a Firefighter's uniform in Albert then of course the Fire Commissioner can make up whatever rules he or she likes, just not for the left side where official honours are worn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just because something which is incorrect and in violation of an Order in Council is published as a PDF online doesn't make it correct, right or legal. It is a bit bizarre to have the Alberta Fire Commissioner openly violating a Federal Order in Council; 1998-591 in this case, the Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals Directive. </span><br />
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<br />Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-87386518334562975832018-09-25T07:21:00.000-07:002018-09-26T08:40:14.423-07:00NASA Medals and Governor General Payette?<span style="font-size: large;">Loyal readers, rest assured we are working on a few posts that will be released over the coming week. It has been revealed in the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/failure-to-launch-inside-julie-payettes-turbulent-first-year-as-governor-general" target="_blank">National Post</a> that the Governor General, Julie Payette, wore a NASA Medal to an event at Rideau Hall in front of a group of experts on honours earlier this sumer. We understand it was the NASA Space Flight<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJUtCHy5Nlb-IaMt48KCozdylWoeI7Oz9r06diXun8xNimnjqbZpIYyYkp7B-pbBmjlvvZqdxJwEp3wVhFmH2AzOotn-441jKePE4OriOnEsP7lKig8Ryt8b2mL86EIRXnsB5yEHXHbQX/s1600/NSFlightMed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJUtCHy5Nlb-IaMt48KCozdylWoeI7Oz9r06diXun8xNimnjqbZpIYyYkp7B-pbBmjlvvZqdxJwEp3wVhFmH2AzOotn-441jKePE4OriOnEsP7lKig8Ryt8b2mL86EIRXnsB5yEHXHbQX/s320/NSFlightMed.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"NASA Frequent Flier Medal"<br />
The NASA Space Flight Medal</td></tr>
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Medal -- which is awarded to everyone who goes to space. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If anyone has a photo of this occurrence we would be most grateful to have an electronic copy for publication. It is indeed an unprecedented event to have a serving Governor General openly violating <a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SI-98-55/page-1.html" target="_blank">Order-in-Council 1998-591</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having such a high official wearing their medals incorrectly is sadly a reality we have come to accept; having the representative of the Queen and the Canadian people parading around breaking their own regulations and setting an overt bad example reaches a whole new level of disregard for the honours system and the thousands of Canadians who follow the rules. So much for setting a good example. Sadly none of this is surprising given Her Excellency's casual approach to wearing orders, decorations and medals. </span>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-68518589651433366702018-03-02T09:47:00.000-08:002018-03-02T09:47:26.328-08:00Can You Wear Medals in Space? The Governor General's Otherworldly Approach to Medals <span style="font-size: large;">It is probably best to start off this posting by saying outright that Governor General, Julie Payette seems to have absolutely no clue about how to wear her orders, decorations and medals. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddvMbrSIem0Z2mrCIlCD4JC7kbCaG-3M_GEntJH_XAgu-SUa0ggJ53LfCXeztCnrUieVxPJxg5TpCsaqxETo4GMtv2tE4OKyAmBVOgTohWyNYeTTYjHRCP-cEuA9wz7_NZMwUMjwvcHUe/s1600/GG+LApel+Pins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddvMbrSIem0Z2mrCIlCD4JC7kbCaG-3M_GEntJH_XAgu-SUa0ggJ53LfCXeztCnrUieVxPJxg5TpCsaqxETo4GMtv2tE4OKyAmBVOgTohWyNYeTTYjHRCP-cEuA9wz7_NZMwUMjwvcHUe/s320/GG+LApel+Pins.png" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rt. Hon. Julie Payette... new to wearing medals.<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">As this
blog has noted repeatedly over the past eight years, there are inevitably some
people in public life who habitually wear their medals wrong. There are of
course, some who are never supposed to be seen wearing their medals incorrectly -- those citizens who hold important office being top of the list. This elite group includes such notables as the Commissioner of the RCMP (when we had one –
<a href="https://appointments.gc.ca/slctnPrcs.asp?menu=1&lang=eng&SelectionProcessId=BD51D66A-16C4-470C-A4B1-A2471230C565" target="_blank">apply now here</a>), the Chief of the Defence Staff, other senior members of the
various uniformed services, the head of the Royal Canadian Legion, and of course the Governor General. With the departure of Bob Paulson as Commissioner of the RCMP (who
spent his time as Commissioner wearing an unrecognized medal and
violating Order-in-Council 1998-591 with impunity) we had a brief period where it seemed this
group of people were all behaving well and following the rules for the most
part. Sadly this period of medal wearing bliss has come to an abrupt end with the arrival of Julie Payette in Ottawa.<br />
<br />
Before going further it is worth noting that among the many emails we
receive, not all include photos of various offenders wearing
illegal/unrecognized medals. There are some who write to complain that this
blog is irreverent, and “how dare we deride those who have achieved greatness
in public life.” Thankfully we live in a country where you can criticize and
poke fun at those who have reached high office and who have inevitably committed some gaffe or embarrassment... and you don’t have to worry about being carted off to a gulag. Canadians have
certain expectations of those who hold high office and one of those
expectations is that they will follow the law of the land – that is, they will
follow the rules of the play ground. In the world of orders, decorations and medals there are very specific rules about how you wear your medals – yet some
people just do not care, or worse yet, think they are “more special” than the
rest of us, so they get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">carte blanche</i>
to do whatever they want. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TfrQpAzA83mT7m28HPgdWgwNJ3PAvR3DBkjDfMHozxsj0AkEwWWqEROcGU0nQUGFpG1pqCLjknF7NJc7qHOLGBQnn1GUwMgB9WYsTe_CdlJJQChDLUAlHRCqpxclPgosEnpFKxvUn7kR/s1600/diaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TfrQpAzA83mT7m28HPgdWgwNJ3PAvR3DBkjDfMHozxsj0AkEwWWqEROcGU0nQUGFpG1pqCLjknF7NJc7qHOLGBQnn1GUwMgB9WYsTe_CdlJJQChDLUAlHRCqpxclPgosEnpFKxvUn7kR/s1600/diaz.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Diaz of Mexico. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, it seems the new Governor General, Julie
Payette, CC, CMM, COM, CQ, CD, has at this early stage in her time as Canada’s
head of state, demonstrated that she just doesn’t care about the rules or she is clueless and isn't willing to learn; what medically is known as "Early Onset Instant Dictator Syndrome," or EOIDS -- see page 544 of the DSM-5. This ailment traces its history back to President Diaz of Mexico and the late 1890s, although some European monarchs of the 19th century suffered from a milder form, Diaz had the first diagnosed case. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">The immediate
past Governor General, David Johnston was a pro at wearing his medals. In his
last four months in office (June to September), Johnston undertook 81
events/visits (where photos were posted) at which 13 were events where medals
were worn – and he worn them correct every single time, thats a 100% success rate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">In her first four months in office (October to January) Julie Payette undertook 40 events where
photos were posted on her website. Of these medals were worn on 13 occasions,
and at 10 of these (that is 77%) she managed to wear her medals
incorrectly. This includes pretty much every medal wearing error possible; doubling up on bows, neck ribbon that is too long
and more suitable for the Winter Olympics, not wearing a medal bar when wearing neck insignia, wearing a miniature Order of Canada insignia, but not
her full size Order of Canada at a formal dinner, and failing to wear her various medals
while reviewing a CAF Guard of Honour where everyone else was wearing their medals.
It appears the Governor General views medals as little more than awkward jewellery.
But it is actually much worse when you compare this Governor General to her recent predecessors, Michaelle Jean and David Johnston, and how they performed
during their first four months in office -- we won't comment on the "operational tempo" of the new Governor General. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
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<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 92.2pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michaelle Jean</div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.3pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
David
Johnston</div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Julie
Payette</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.5pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">No.
events 1<sup>st</sup> four months in office<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 92.2pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">89<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.3pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">68<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">40<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.5pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">No.
events where medals worn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 92.2pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.3pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.5pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Occasions
medals worn correctly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 92.2pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.3pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.5pt;" valign="top" width="142"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">Medal
Wearing Grade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 92.2pt;" valign="top" width="92"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">75% <br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">
(B+)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.3pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">100% <br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">
(A++)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">23% <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">
(F)</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><i>*This survey
is not scientific as we can only derive the figures from the photos posted on
the Governor General’s website. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">So in the
field of wearing orders, decorations and medals, Payette is absolutely dismal
at wearing her gongs. Probably worse than anyone else who has ever lived in
Rideau Hall – since the beginning of Canada. Not exactly an outstanding start
to her time in office. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now loyal readers, for our gallery of Governor </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">General Medal Wearing Horrors: </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9t_jMHYFoD0-wvM9_7c3uhiNqAQbPV2FFuFevKg8BPxiaK_ju-kZBy7a2FrFi4dv7jrfh2qVvUiD2I78KffxuPkCJWWsmklWdaq825TGIjwx8_Eam3iIcx9yjY_RT4mxohyphenhyphenaOCR9BH4T/s1600/GG+Install.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="389" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9t_jMHYFoD0-wvM9_7c3uhiNqAQbPV2FFuFevKg8BPxiaK_ju-kZBy7a2FrFi4dv7jrfh2qVvUiD2I78KffxuPkCJWWsmklWdaq825TGIjwx8_Eam3iIcx9yjY_RT4mxohyphenhyphenaOCR9BH4T/s200/GG+Install.png" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: Neck ribbon too long, where is your medal bar and <br />
why are you wearing a CC lapel pin as well? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDciPFT8SXkLzRJyIVjHw0yVT6AAgzK_vuPc6wH47iToP-oBWBkFZQMM_sciJFdTWZmKWiuoF_Qrqmlb5vHoOsevR9gIYInM79oWxdErDkWEwm2XWyhoE2jCKONxcwXnPPQQN7VKcwKKY/s1600/GG+with+medal+group.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="521" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDciPFT8SXkLzRJyIVjHw0yVT6AAgzK_vuPc6wH47iToP-oBWBkFZQMM_sciJFdTWZmKWiuoF_Qrqmlb5vHoOsevR9gIYInM79oWxdErDkWEwm2XWyhoE2jCKONxcwXnPPQQN7VKcwKKY/s200/GG+with+medal+group.png" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: But almost correct. Sadly, neck ribbon is too long... you're not at the Olympics. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUuO4RPJfacBOEMtiOyGFoZGEni6jBfNy5Hrr9ucTPgP_lb-x7k-kO1iqqAJQkCxxFjfw59MWzs3tbZfw3gv-GJ5bn5YH4ile1aXOtNKtl2lPqoQH8rHKwLuHq6QPiDtJRoaXMyQHDFeN/s1600/GG+OC+investiture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUuO4RPJfacBOEMtiOyGFoZGEni6jBfNy5Hrr9ucTPgP_lb-x7k-kO1iqqAJQkCxxFjfw59MWzs3tbZfw3gv-GJ5bn5YH4ile1aXOtNKtl2lPqoQH8rHKwLuHq6QPiDtJRoaXMyQHDFeN/s1600/GG+OC+investiture+1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: You should be wearing your full size CC, <br />
and you full miniature bar. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNZozcSg7-h_sbylf5-E3-7RwaDasMdPrqBLdrFIk3ALnk_mAbChiFuUdvs9Oah8pXhYx9Y37DOkpiIumCvrIqm528pu8w3Xi7V1QZF9Dwlcqdt56ZQjgfg52IZpzZEDRZv0JqK3kqfOx/s1600/GG+Quebec+City+2+bows.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="790" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNZozcSg7-h_sbylf5-E3-7RwaDasMdPrqBLdrFIk3ALnk_mAbChiFuUdvs9Oah8pXhYx9Y37DOkpiIumCvrIqm528pu8w3Xi7V1QZF9Dwlcqdt56ZQjgfg52IZpzZEDRZv0JqK3kqfOx/s320/GG+Quebec+City+2+bows.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: Two bows are not permitted... historians note this is the first time the<br />
Order of Canada and Order of Military Merit have been worn on a snowsuit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEmifJ8Hgw8Hkfgt3BPg9RVR5uv1jNZJtKEyixbMCSl9makWSuBZ_fzEaiNHJ2jBJ006peJUdZE5Ud4usz19RgnD-0APPhslykdLj6zYZbhouTjvRHyqfe8_QaBNZgCnx7UgZlFeHF-un/s1600/GG+in+Gagetown.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="942" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEmifJ8Hgw8Hkfgt3BPg9RVR5uv1jNZJtKEyixbMCSl9makWSuBZ_fzEaiNHJ2jBJ006peJUdZE5Ud4usz19RgnD-0APPhslykdLj6zYZbhouTjvRHyqfe8_QaBNZgCnx7UgZlFeHF-un/s400/GG+in+Gagetown.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: You should be wearing medals not a lapel pin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuluIWW8fQ7VJKZGj1lMf4JWIJRCAwXKHvwEQJcy6HnHKqTPn3OfQa5EM12fahJdxxCgLMDD6kfOL-1VnrDUomDkdy-vKPyGqUzAIOBuKDzcVJSPbRHIlzmT4qJerL2GNCs3vSylAmhS9/s1600/GG+MSD+Investiture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="797" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuluIWW8fQ7VJKZGj1lMf4JWIJRCAwXKHvwEQJcy6HnHKqTPn3OfQa5EM12fahJdxxCgLMDD6kfOL-1VnrDUomDkdy-vKPyGqUzAIOBuKDzcVJSPbRHIlzmT4qJerL2GNCs3vSylAmhS9/s200/GG+MSD+Investiture.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: Where is your medal bar? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAjXKJtqlUvyL7nyJFIdye9k2BMWq6S04JGPJ7Sp0c96hB2yjGuF6JGVckbGTVI6jbgQTXic2qKrY_lL7IcBo5lIzI7j-Z9NbZViWsIWMJoaB9sepEVsJnVyvNGM39M9NaP8bRNMRmzAZ/s1600/GG+Quebec+City.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="429" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAjXKJtqlUvyL7nyJFIdye9k2BMWq6S04JGPJ7Sp0c96hB2yjGuF6JGVckbGTVI6jbgQTXic2qKrY_lL7IcBo5lIzI7j-Z9NbZViWsIWMJoaB9sepEVsJnVyvNGM39M9NaP8bRNMRmzAZ/s200/GG+Quebec+City.png" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WRONG: Not wearing your medal bar again. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had more than two dozen emails about Her Excellency on Remembrance Day
wearing her RCAF Uniform – which she is entitled to wear as Commander-in-Chief
of the Canadian Armed Forces. The uniform suits her well, but of the 28 emails, many from current
serving members of the CAF, 23 of them noted that her hair was not in
conformity with regulation. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlq9aRyxFQIOM2aY-16nL1Lms48dxuXzEqvwjxt2mtD0j08KCsJCoMXMQpJt1ZFuFxQEoj9uO1SSG3FsW3JDozl2N5yZERC1NPSKKylMuV20HZXcbnXmbQJif-e7pG8Q4s0Ul0RPfVLF3/s1600/GG+Remembrance+Day.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMlq9aRyxFQIOM2aY-16nL1Lms48dxuXzEqvwjxt2mtD0j08KCsJCoMXMQpJt1ZFuFxQEoj9uO1SSG3FsW3JDozl2N5yZERC1NPSKKylMuV20HZXcbnXmbQJif-e7pG8Q4s0Ul0RPfVLF3/s320/GG+Remembrance+Day.png" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CORRECT: except the non-regulation haircut. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Governor General Payette, with the greatest respect, you're NOT King Louis XIV, you can’t just do
whatever you want when it comes to wearing medals and CAF uniforms. You're suppose to serve as an example for all Canadians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The anarchist approach to wearing medals might be fun for school plays and Halloween, but it is unbecoming the Commander-in-Chief. </span></div>
Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-32702784942455640782018-03-01T13:36:00.000-08:002018-03-01T13:36:31.754-08:00Chief Ron Gignac, Belleville Police Service and the wearing of "extra medals"<span style="font-size: large;">As we have noted in a number of posts over the years, police officers, especially Commissioners, Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs are often guilty of breaking the rules when it comes to wearing Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals. Yes some of the people who oversee the enforcement of the law of the land seem to feel they are not subject to the same medal wearing regulations that the rest of the population is supposed to follow. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly the more gold you add to some uniforms the more likely the wearer is to come down with a serious case of the dreaded "Instant Dictator Syndrome" whereby they take the liberty of <i>enhancing </i>their group of medals by adding in unauthorized gongs -- be it foreign, provincial or municipal. What it all comes down to is these people wanting to look even more important than they really are. All of these people know better, or have people on their staff who know better, but they trudge ahead through life with a few extra ribbons -- just for that added touch of colour on their uniform! The former Commissioner of the RCMP, Bob Paulson spent his entire time at the top of the RCMP wearing a totally unauthorized medal, the British Columbia Police Meritorious Service Medal, so this is not a problem suffered by municipal and provincial protective services alone. If the Commissioner of the RCMP can wear a medal without lawful authority then can't anyone do the same? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So that brings us to the subject of this particular post, Chief Ron Gignac, Chief of Police for Belleville Ontario. By all online accounts a rather upstanding fellow, who served in the first Gulf War and with the UN deactivating mines and then training people how to undertake this rather hazardous task. He proudly wears his undress ribbons and medals; sadly, 3 of the 8 ribbons he wears (or 38% of his medals) are unauthorized -- and all three duplicate his service in the Gulf War -- so unlike all the other Canadians who served in the Gulf & Kuwait who received the Gulf and Kuwait Medal (a single medal), Chief Gignac has an additional three medals for the same service! Four for the price of one -- this is quite honestly a new record for enhancing medal group. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll1bb7ENkV4hcElckmpTe8pSfP10YG41LV55eCCDuvsGuy57ultgla-Pb4jvwwZnGQHNJWKNLMTzVz2lkCywY0bRHsVJCsTI43Xut83ztljxZFpf_c1fwgVpqHq7J3w43Er6ZsYpgijwG/s1600/Belleville+Police+Chief+Ron+Gignac.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="461" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll1bb7ENkV4hcElckmpTe8pSfP10YG41LV55eCCDuvsGuy57ultgla-Pb4jvwwZnGQHNJWKNLMTzVz2lkCywY0bRHsVJCsTI43Xut83ztljxZFpf_c1fwgVpqHq7J3w43Er6ZsYpgijwG/s400/Belleville+Police+Chief+Ron+Gignac.png" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chief Ron Gignac, wearer of unauthorized medals; <br />
four for the price of one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">So the first two rows of Chief Gignac's ribbons are totally legitimate; Gulf & Kuwait Medal, Canadian Peacekeeping Medal, UN Medal for Cyprus, UN Medal for Iraq and the Canadian Forces Decoration. These five are all approved and well recognized. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then we get into the magical land of unauthorized foreign medals. The first appears to be the United States South West Asia Service Medal, followed by the Saudi Arabia Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait and lastly the Kuwait Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait. Given that Canada does now allow doubling up on medals for the same campaign, and the fact that NO person serving the Canadian Armed Forces was ever authorized to wear these last three medals (just check the <i>Canada Gazette</i>) how did Chief Gigac get permission? His name appears nowhere in the <i>Canada Gazette</i> or a new book out by DND related to <a href="http://forces.gc.ca/assets/FORCES_Internet/docs/en/honours-history-medals-chart/commonwealth-and-foreign-honours.pdf" target="_blank">Canadian Armed Forces Personnel </a>who have been awarded foreign medals. We encourage Chief Gignac to just remove the last three ribbons, it would be the honourable and proper thing to do. Not even Chiefs of Police are permitted to violate a Federal Order-in-Council. </span>Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-82053649604845503702018-02-05T04:37:00.000-08:002018-02-05T04:37:14.625-08:00Alberta: Land of Fake Medals GALORE<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A number of PPCLI friends posted to Alberta have been calling for a post about all the "funny" medals they see being worn in their adopted province. Each time a Chief of Police of Fire Chief holds a press conference we are treated to a variety of unrecognizable ribbons. Just type "Alberta" and "Medal" into google and marvel at the host of poorly designed, completely unofficial medals that are being conferred upon residents of the province for all manner of government and protective services. This is a topic briefly we examined in the blog back in May 2016.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It really is the wild west of medal invention and wearing when it comes to Alberta. The protective services seem to be spending a great deal of time fussing over buttons, ribbons and bows.<span style="text-align: center;"> Everyone seems to be getting into the act, not just the provincial government, but municipalities of every size seem to want to become like old European city states and Grand Duchies, conferring baubles on all who render even modest service. None of this would really be worthwhile commenting on if it wasn't for the fact that these popcorn medals are being worn alongside official national and provincial honours -- which is, as we point out with great regularity, a violation of <a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SI-98-55/page-1.html" target="_blank">Order-in-Council 1998-591</a>. It is made all the more offensive in that the people who are most frequently doing this are police, fire and peace officers -- people who are supposed to be trained to enforce & follow the laws and regulations of the land. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">The province of Alberta established a pair of medals; "The Alberta Peace Officer Long Service Medal" and the "Alberta Solicitor General Long Service Medal." Never mind that most people who are eligible for these medals are already entitled to the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal, which is given out by the Governor General to peace officers across Canada. It seems one medal is not enough for the same sort of service -- and everyone wants to look like a "hero" or worse yet, a dictator from a less developed country. </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7p79vaNm8bFmqkwpm1gQu2XcoGctiCbjqoHfzrdqlJue2eSLZRyzz76R-SParvi9GbSUOA14ejslJMHtpCD9p-km_WgT7fWIZ9fnjk6zIKIaHdc3pqEdDGLmKUVQZ4lsEclCmXMpwdjp/s1600/Alberta+Special+Constable.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7p79vaNm8bFmqkwpm1gQu2XcoGctiCbjqoHfzrdqlJue2eSLZRyzz76R-SParvi9GbSUOA14ejslJMHtpCD9p-km_WgT7fWIZ9fnjk6zIKIaHdc3pqEdDGLmKUVQZ4lsEclCmXMpwdjp/s320/Alberta+Special+Constable.png" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberta's Special Constable <br />
Long Service Medal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX4wstDTWcc6BEeKDuI_Xac5lWF_uuXeXprH7SRZBC1ouipuUleauIeEZpPmbc98f-Kpsi13Z060JakmnvArVRHZ6Yphw9BbMYKuIZsNF8qY6INBLAQyfWI9xKg1-1GxScbb0CtV0AoL2/s1600/QSA+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="187" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX4wstDTWcc6BEeKDuI_Xac5lWF_uuXeXprH7SRZBC1ouipuUleauIeEZpPmbc98f-Kpsi13Z060JakmnvArVRHZ6Yphw9BbMYKuIZsNF8qY6INBLAQyfWI9xKg1-1GxScbb0CtV0AoL2/s320/QSA+.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen's South Africa Medal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Aside from the totally uninspired design -- you would think putting the word ALBERTA on the front of a medal once would be sufficient, but, to assure the wearer that they know from which province their popcorn bauble emanated, the name of the province appears twice on the same side -- there is the problem that for the Alberta Peace Officer Long Service Medal, the ribbon is a direct rip-off of the 1899-1901 Queen's South Africa Medal, which was awarded to various British and Commonwealth troops who served in the Boer War. It really is just cheap and cheesy to steal the ribbon from a war medal (<a href="http://www.museedelaguerre.ca/cwm/exhibitions/boer/boerwarhistory_e.shtml" target="_blank">about 7,000 Canadians fought in the war and 267 died)</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6odMVuPnLzhtoSnfG-nxRlNhWFA5UwufQjVk2uGEZ332UCUsE_HZVlznVouXiQJB6bw_IUjwJYYX_t3vlzf6a_30Vu_cOTfHJIQiLYvIDO-EF6GQZ4MYED-fmXR_sxnyB3C0rTpnScBX/s1600/AB+SOl+Gen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEKIJwo6p4Nw5PutByJn3MfDK72DFsD-R9oyqShCN6aYxxGjVTvhqW92Va9MFWm3b953535kXqFT0n-NfkPffycZRHh6s5BkX-1uauKqCYhLPYd2XnNRA6j4AIaTDhMf0-S1v1e6YfPic/s1600/AB+Peace+Officer.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEKIJwo6p4Nw5PutByJn3MfDK72DFsD-R9oyqShCN6aYxxGjVTvhqW92Va9MFWm3b953535kXqFT0n-NfkPffycZRHh6s5BkX-1uauKqCYhLPYd2XnNRA6j4AIaTDhMf0-S1v1e6YfPic/s200/AB+Peace+Officer.png" width="164" /></a><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6odMVuPnLzhtoSnfG-nxRlNhWFA5UwufQjVk2uGEZ332UCUsE_HZVlznVouXiQJB6bw_IUjwJYYX_t3vlzf6a_30Vu_cOTfHJIQiLYvIDO-EF6GQZ4MYED-fmXR_sxnyB3C0rTpnScBX/s200/AB+SOl+Gen.png" width="156" /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrABo8noAC09eMMVB7Khncq8QIT9jItcgezsiHqY2sRS14PBrmXyRxuUAwKfxrCD27LI1mMNwDFZtJbpMxzkoNVEV5FoOccO_A_QYdFKSSTbmnF4JfpBySUrA2r4z2XzvDVoHfoFnEmcrY/s1600/Alberta+Emergency+Services+medal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrABo8noAC09eMMVB7Khncq8QIT9jItcgezsiHqY2sRS14PBrmXyRxuUAwKfxrCD27LI1mMNwDFZtJbpMxzkoNVEV5FoOccO_A_QYdFKSSTbmnF4JfpBySUrA2r4z2XzvDVoHfoFnEmcrY/s320/Alberta+Emergency+Services+medal.png" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberta Emergency Service Medal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But it gets better because there is also the Alberta Emergency Service Medal -- another medal for which the recipient would also be eligible for the Governor General's; Fire Exemplary Service Medal or Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal or the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly the festival of popcorn medals has trickled down to municipalities and also to individual police forces as well. There is the Lethbridge Regional Police Medal (given for 15 years of service), and a host of baubles from the medals crazed Calgary Police Service, where it seems everyone in uniform has at least two medals -- usually less than half are actual official national or provincial honours that you are permitted to wear (Halloween exempted). You can see the beautiful quality of the Calgary Police Long Service Medal... freshly cast in lead and then wrapped in aluminum foil here on the right. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGs8SiKXHqXaKj2OhVRP2Y93eplq7B910U5ICav0uqclJtp5wNrPvLjk_cGyNsk4WfQDa_NJSyQwGKu5MV0PlvB5E3EHECEBYo3JnAPJtFxOT-yMWLShAO-TdH_ouSI7lLyAScHblwvP1/s200/Edmonton+Police.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Calgary Police Sergeant, <br />
half of his medals are not authorized for wear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu_a_1Ibussz54tsnWrfz-XHlFviTlcpIBzXcoNt1Uw5utF18KCwcD1pVSO9KNzWgq_duk_U-aM68rzlWEqehqiXWASURIgALHJp6Sg2A8264YHgxlq-5o5Y5bNfO5xaM8oSkaMDdpNMA/s1600/Calgary+Police+LSM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSu_a_1Ibussz54tsnWrfz-XHlFviTlcpIBzXcoNt1Uw5utF18KCwcD1pVSO9KNzWgq_duk_U-aM68rzlWEqehqiXWASURIgALHJp6Sg2A8264YHgxlq-5o5Y5bNfO5xaM8oSkaMDdpNMA/s200/Calgary+Police+LSM.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary Police: <br />
Integrity...except in medal wearing? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4xsZI23o3OfnFvLoZ0c0_Oy3asJEVUZZpC2VXTnxFLR3X80vBc4_gFiPA3J6FmVfH7fKd6_wK7iQte1jJTcbl_rX-1ERHwMNWvbMzUuatYfE_SPIvN0YKzKmGoXW5IfmjxbxlCk87wvO/s1600/Edonton+Police.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4xsZI23o3OfnFvLoZ0c0_Oy3asJEVUZZpC2VXTnxFLR3X80vBc4_gFiPA3J6FmVfH7fKd6_wK7iQte1jJTcbl_rX-1ERHwMNWvbMzUuatYfE_SPIvN0YKzKmGoXW5IfmjxbxlCk87wvO/s400/Edonton+Police.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More mystery medals from Alberta, including one of Valour! We all recognize the Golden Jubilee Medal and Police Exemplary Service Medal, then it appears we have the Alberta Solicitor General's Medal, which is given for having earned the Governor General's Police Exemplary Service Medal? <br />
Then the last medal which is a mystery at the moment.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7sDjINag1yoYTm6HOUjEfJiQyNwWpCt47S4d_f0KqhVavRs5B39brbs79-s7liV3nqNj7_7Dq1JL0hfeGZUeZpOqtHLmdAudoZtXSVwtlSilesAEr0ql6-5UDFu5Wwndb5XAsLNinp48/s1600/Lethbridge+Medal+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7sDjINag1yoYTm6HOUjEfJiQyNwWpCt47S4d_f0KqhVavRs5B39brbs79-s7liV3nqNj7_7Dq1JL0hfeGZUeZpOqtHLmdAudoZtXSVwtlSilesAEr0ql6-5UDFu5Wwndb5XAsLNinp48/s400/Lethbridge+Medal+1.png" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
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Lethbridge Regional Police Service Medal -- </div>
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ribbon borrowed from an Austrian medal of course. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This collage of mysterious municipal medals would not be complete with out the various medals for fires. There is the Town of Slave Lake Medal of Honour, for the 2011 Fire, and then the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Fire Medal for the 2016 Fort MacMurray Wildfire. These are fi</span><span style="font-size: large;">rst natural disasters in Canadian history to warrant the creation of a series of municipal honours it would seem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not to downplay the significance of the devastation that was suffered, or the exemplary character of those who fought the flames, however, it seems rather grand to be issuing medals for natural disasters. To get the Medal from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo you had to serve 100 hours. You can read all about the "program" and the design on the municipalities </span><a href="http://www.rmwb.ca/Page6307.aspx" target="_blank">website</a><span style="font-size: large;">. Thankfully the website notes that the Wood Buffalo Medal is not an official national honour -- but it begs the question, why then put it on a ribbon when you know people are going to mount it alongside their other medals with the help of some overeager medal mounter who wants everyone to look like Idi Amin. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4t7edx650xwgF2tyJHVk9d7WN5F699lR2t641QHn-jwN_zsz9xZlQ4vmtWTRaOKsEFdPhepNDEDS91lcWzyFugy1XKPJ1FhzdScXWfqzoUA8B0D7-heGq9H6GiF39TtI6oFKjIY0CTEl/s1600/Slave+Lake+Medal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4t7edx650xwgF2tyJHVk9d7WN5F699lR2t641QHn-jwN_zsz9xZlQ4vmtWTRaOKsEFdPhepNDEDS91lcWzyFugy1XKPJ1FhzdScXWfqzoUA8B0D7-heGq9H6GiF39TtI6oFKjIY0CTEl/s320/Slave+Lake+Medal.png" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Town of Slave Lake Medal of Honour (2011 Fire)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8_A-Z8mj3G-rj9ak9f0U-SiapspuASpWIue4vFrXtfaRIl_v_8pIufF3EPVHMjfEOsxrUg45VRj1b7lVhejXPJ2GylmGR_lQhNoIdfFs8m3qIgGDTKUnSiQw6ozd-us0CdWmBozBoIK6/s1600/ALberta+Nonsense+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8_A-Z8mj3G-rj9ak9f0U-SiapspuASpWIue4vFrXtfaRIl_v_8pIufF3EPVHMjfEOsxrUg45VRj1b7lVhejXPJ2GylmGR_lQhNoIdfFs8m3qIgGDTKUnSiQw6ozd-us0CdWmBozBoIK6/s320/ALberta+Nonsense+2.png" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Municipality of Wood Buffalo Fire Medal (2016)</td></tr>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-61516390935022337862018-02-03T14:59:00.000-08:002018-02-05T04:38:07.074-08:00We're Back!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After more than 80 emails over the past year -- half of which have come in since our new Governor General took office -- we will be updating W<i>earing Your Medals Wrong</i>, over the coming weeks. Don't worry, you will soon be able to feast your eyes upon all manner of medal wearing offences being committed by a host of Police Chiefs, Veterans, and yes even Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, who has an otherworldly approach to wearing orders, decorations and medals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to all of our readers for your patience and for sending in so many useful photos. Remember, when in doubt, if it is not included as part of <a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SI-98-55/page-1.html" target="_blank">Order-in-Council 1998-591</a>, or the <a href="https://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14979&lan=eng" target="_blank">updated list </a>maintained by the Governor General's Office, then you most likely shouldn't be wearing it. While it is a pretty easy rule to follow, it seems the higher the rank, the less likely some are to follow the rules. For wearing insignia there is the <a href="http://www.gg.ca/pdf/Honours%20Wearing%20Guide%202013E_web.pdf" target="_blank">Guide for Wearing Orders, Decorations and Medals</a>, which covers all the usual questions. It doesn't matter who you are, how much brass you have on your hat or gold you wear on your cuff, you are supposed to follow these rules too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By the end of the month we will also have an updated Vice-Regal Report Card, which we have not done in more than three years. </span></div>
Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-61227073258050027142016-09-29T15:04:00.000-07:002016-09-29T15:04:41.159-07:00Ministers Behaving Badly: The Hon. Harjit Sajjan, PC, OMM, MSM, CD, MP (wearer of unauthorized gongs)Having read our recent post about Brigadier-General Rob Roy MacKenzie wearing a popcorn police medal (the Vancouver Police Department 125th Anniversary Commemorative Medal, $29.95 each), one of our eagle eyed readers sent along several pictures of the Minister of National Defence wearing his miniature medals, with a strange addition. This is a first, we have never had cause to go after any Minister of National Defence for medal wearing indiscretions. <div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoULViaqbuDjbTYs-YIXCS0OPIM-3w801KasggQCmXF9uJ7hV_T3Qb8xTapFHrvgxOIyWOVGaCCYWlEQFtzyrUqe3opjQ24WA_x9AnRPwiWhCygIK84Bv2f9sjmPIL6KnKJUH7B03b1ZfV/s1600/MND+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoULViaqbuDjbTYs-YIXCS0OPIM-3w801KasggQCmXF9uJ7hV_T3Qb8xTapFHrvgxOIyWOVGaCCYWlEQFtzyrUqe3opjQ24WA_x9AnRPwiWhCygIK84Bv2f9sjmPIL6KnKJUH7B03b1ZfV/s400/MND+1.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's bad enough the Minister is wearing his miniatures during the daytime! <br />It is of course much worse that he is wearing a totally unauthorized medal. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNl0KZJaGGgbG8x8eYBeAA3MdYJjk8R-w0o-H2Pyaqr4BrIkpWbfOne6gpPjjqLqKQTFBzXQE3gLEVZ7OyRuikqaM06xqhvYvuuvqPScCoWvt9qEFTEIQPULW3oP51_xwLGnZC_S0iiiE/s1600/US+Army+Commendation+Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNl0KZJaGGgbG8x8eYBeAA3MdYJjk8R-w0o-H2Pyaqr4BrIkpWbfOne6gpPjjqLqKQTFBzXQE3gLEVZ7OyRuikqaM06xqhvYvuuvqPScCoWvt9qEFTEIQPULW3oP51_xwLGnZC_S0iiiE/s200/US+Army+Commendation+Medal.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Army Commendation Medal</td></tr>
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The photos reveal the Honourable Harjjit Sajjan having "enhanced' his group of medals with the US Army Meritorious Service Medal. But what could possibly be wrong with that?? Well a few things. Aside from the generous distribution of this particular award at the direction of all manner of minor commanders and bureaucrats who toil away serving the US Secretary of the Army, no Canadian has ever been permitted to wear this medal, because it does not come from a Head of State. Unlike the US Legion of Merit, the US Army Meritorious Service Medal doesn't come from the President of the USA. It is just a departmental award, so it can't be worn with officially granted honours. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwdICmevXunPE6z8q0qWObEHhKbmGzUU2GJH55CyoYAxX9CyS8J6eEUm828qhw7zanMBlQ5B1TmKuR2dHl6pes7Vh3PGOgBL90tnFtAkhSjkwdwtHGnYYdvNohIapccUflOopyKdSzCsy/s1600/MND+Group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwdICmevXunPE6z8q0qWObEHhKbmGzUU2GJH55CyoYAxX9CyS8J6eEUm828qhw7zanMBlQ5B1TmKuR2dHl6pes7Vh3PGOgBL90tnFtAkhSjkwdwtHGnYYdvNohIapccUflOopyKdSzCsy/s400/MND+Group.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minister's illegal medal group!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfC1LEoYsS5xteJU34scby3DYO2BhNK6I8ua26opDnsiNYsi1ntPj9an96hV6lWoPb3Hb-8ZA6jGX-o8dxPHxB8Y2ahfbt6bVka9Hfu_0QZ0h0j9lIV2oiYqyTMw62kJbLHKpyk1vg-YE/s1600/MND2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfC1LEoYsS5xteJU34scby3DYO2BhNK6I8ua26opDnsiNYsi1ntPj9an96hV6lWoPb3Hb-8ZA6jGX-o8dxPHxB8Y2ahfbt6bVka9Hfu_0QZ0h0j9lIV2oiYqyTMw62kJbLHKpyk1vg-YE/s400/MND2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A night on the town with fellow veterans (who haven't enhanced their medal groups).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveEUAL0C8Efq_lzdxSgoyKC6sE5mH6spj9g6nYntMjkTu_NEOl7vBx3ujaebbV_xcTfmXuCxqXNuiHWR62SiM83d8sQc1iH5L72hj4MlNfdhvfGvFgdRgJIkliXaeHNihIIwe0xuOEg7a/s1600/MND+uniform+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveEUAL0C8Efq_lzdxSgoyKC6sE5mH6spj9g6nYntMjkTu_NEOl7vBx3ujaebbV_xcTfmXuCxqXNuiHWR62SiM83d8sQc1iH5L72hj4MlNfdhvfGvFgdRgJIkliXaeHNihIIwe0xuOEg7a/s400/MND+uniform+1.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No sign of the unauthorized medal <br />with his full size group of medals. </td></tr>
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Now it would seem the Minister is aware of this because in photos of him wearing his full size group of medals this particular medal is nowhere to be found. If the Minister thought the medal was approved for wear he would have certainly had it mounted with his full size medals, however he has clearly knowingly engaged in enhancing his miniature group because he figures the rules don't apply to the miniature medals.</div>
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No doubt in addition to wanting to look more important with an extra medal in his rack, the Minister plausibly just figured "oh its ok to wear it with my miniatures, even though it was never approved... because I have to buy the miniatures, the regulations only apply to my full size medals. I earned this medal and I'm going to wear it!"</div>
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Well this is patently wrong. Just because you have to purchase your miniature medals doesn't mean you can add in unrecognized and unauthorized gongs. You also have to buy your entire mess dress uniform and you can't fancy it up with a bit of additional gold cording or extra Crowns. What makes all this worse is that it is not a recent affectation, the Minister was doing this when he was still in uniform as shown in this photo below, taken several years before he became Minister. This is in violation of CFP 265, Canadian Forces Dress Instructions, Chapter 4-1 which clearly states "AUTHORIZED honours (orders, decorations, medals and the insignia for mentions-in-dispatches, commendations and citations) may be worn, when appropriate, by entitled personnel." Of course the US Army Commendation Medal is NOT AUTHORIZED and thus cannot be worn by anyone wearing a CF uniform of any type. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0priZK2uPat659IOOHHvgc0T_KglJA9a_vZVZdNsQv9-8VzX3rmBmh3yYfVFFm0-RoW_PCBoHdqTlozu1VvhvCwArdnR3Qpy9eCMdYsAtC_jLsZSzCf5vW_EEBrF79UTs6m03sTePjipT/s1600/MND+Mess+Dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0priZK2uPat659IOOHHvgc0T_KglJA9a_vZVZdNsQv9-8VzX3rmBmh3yYfVFFm0-RoW_PCBoHdqTlozu1VvhvCwArdnR3Qpy9eCMdYsAtC_jLsZSzCf5vW_EEBrF79UTs6m03sTePjipT/s640/MND+Mess+Dress.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minister, before he was Minister, wearing the unauthorized <br />US Army Commendation Medal... <br />breaking a few CF Dress Regulations and an Order-in-Council. </td></tr>
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For the civilian version of the Minister (and this is what the CF regulations are derived from), he is in violation of our beloved <a href="https://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14979" target="_blank">Order-in-Council 1998-891</a>, section 7, which states, "The insignia of orders, decorations and medals not listed in this Directive, as well as foreign awards, the award of which has been approved by the Government of Canada, SHALL NOT BE MOUNTED OR WORN in conjunction with orders, decorations and medals listed in this Directive." (i.e. all Canadian honours). This applies to both miniature and full size medals. </div>
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Hopefully by the time Remembrance Day rolls around the Minister will have corrected this serious infraction. Having the head of the national police force, Commissioner Bob Paulson parade around wearing a popcorn police medal is bad enough without adding members of the Federal Cabinet to the list of public offenders of the rules they are suppose to uphold. </div>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-59622833243603121512016-09-28T07:52:00.000-07:002016-09-30T05:38:24.399-07:00A Bad Brigadier General: Rob Roy MacKenzie<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIS7-bi4iB9NMaoa7oEZ8ZR35Z06ufisZashWlUbyqH5vCPT1jP2mA-aWdsT122_U3UYqs97YpoAPNGwJEGVRAXljHxd5m2ESCajKaKcaA0L8nHoGkDJ67scUcIoC7WSrheqe2lmvni1d/s1600/MacKenzie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIS7-bi4iB9NMaoa7oEZ8ZR35Z06ufisZashWlUbyqH5vCPT1jP2mA-aWdsT122_U3UYqs97YpoAPNGwJEGVRAXljHxd5m2ESCajKaKcaA0L8nHoGkDJ67scUcIoC7WSrheqe2lmvni1d/s320/MacKenzie.png" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brigadier General Rob Roy MacKenzie, not wearing his "popcorn" <br />
Vancouver Police Department Medal with his undress ribbons... probably <br />
because the ribbon can't be ordered from Logistic Unicorp. </td></tr>
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A kind reader recently spotted Brigadier General Rob Roy MacKenzie, who is now the Canadian Army's Chief of Staff for Reserves, parading around wearing a phoney medal. While the General demonstrated admirable and lengthy service in Afghanistan, it seems he has felt it necessary to dress up his group with a totally unapproved popcorn medal. Aside from being an Officer of the Order of Military Merit and having earned a slew of honours for service overseas in unpleasant places, the General has "enhanced' his group with the Vancouver Police Department 125th Anniversary Medal. The medal, which cost $20,000 to issue to members of the VPD and others "supporters" was funded through the Vancouver Police Department Foundation... a rather colossal waste of money that could have been used in a more constructive manner than creating another police popcorn medal.<br />
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It is more than a little embarrassing to have a General Officer prancing around wearing a popcorn medal that is not authorized at all. Even more so as he stands beside a veteran of the Second World War who served in France & Germany and Italy amongst other places. Of course the Second World War veteran has NOT enhanced his group in any way. Where is an RSM to call the General out on his medal wearing buffoonery?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsb8Igv0R6xBPyyVZuURhyphenhyphenr6dggufYwpbo3Tj3ysX0TlTDJ2e-IfxgPJIHmEooG5ajXUnmsm7ZuW43Ti9R3doVIEDZLHD2G9nmnbxNXmfVtYH0qzlCMyOy3YZYb_eYX2PEiUNBeCtNXnV/s1600/Rob+Roy+MacKenzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsb8Igv0R6xBPyyVZuURhyphenhyphenr6dggufYwpbo3Tj3ysX0TlTDJ2e-IfxgPJIHmEooG5ajXUnmsm7ZuW43Ti9R3doVIEDZLHD2G9nmnbxNXmfVtYH0qzlCMyOy3YZYb_eYX2PEiUNBeCtNXnV/s640/Rob+Roy+MacKenzie.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brigadier-General Rob Roy MacKenzie taking the salute, while wearing<br />
the Vancouver Police Department 125th Anniversary Medal. Another popcorn police gong, totally unauthorized for wear with anything but a Halloween costume. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-68346919685127484482016-09-23T16:18:00.001-07:002016-09-23T16:18:54.927-07:00Commissioner Paulson: The Habitual Breaker of Regulations... even his own<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;">Several kind readers have sent us recent photos of the Commissioner of the RCMP, Bob Paulson, committing various offences related to medal wearing. Yes he continues to wear the unapproved British Columbia Police Meritorious Service Medal, which we revealed in our post of September 25, 2015. It seems the head of our national police forces remains immune from following the direction of the Government of Canada (a.k.a. his boss) when it comes to wearing orders, decorations and medals. Or perhaps he has a "get out of jail free card" for habitually wearing unrecognized medals.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPwk7RRH6X6Xp7zvZgmMTeyAETeXYa9TupvHdyQfRbqzv21IlBwZ-woHzDW8LASbemq4GhlrAWt8frvOCj2Fvqgd4ojjQ68lmlWUXzp8etdJQNBEImymdPn8A5FwUg32NPhLF5XQSTTBW/s1600/oogg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPwk7RRH6X6Xp7zvZgmMTeyAETeXYa9TupvHdyQfRbqzv21IlBwZ-woHzDW8LASbemq4GhlrAWt8frvOCj2Fvqgd4ojjQ68lmlWUXzp8etdJQNBEImymdPn8A5FwUg32NPhLF5XQSTTBW/s320/oogg1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cmmr. Paulson: "Why officer, I have this card that allows me to break the rules, <br />
allow me to present it to you... you do know who I am of course. Why would I, head of the<br />
national police force and enforcer of the laws of the land, have to follows some<br />
regulation that prevents me from wearing whatever crackerjack medals I like!"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";">Last Friday the Governor General held an investiture for the Order of Merit of the
Police Forces. As per tradition a parade of police officers presented
themselves to the GG to receive their medals, and as usual, a number of
completely phoney and unrecognized medals were worn by the people who are sworn
to uphold the law of the land. Now violating a mere Order-in-Council
(1998-591), the regulation that outlines what medals a Canadian can wear with other
official honours, might seem a minor thing, but having those who have a duty to defend the law breaking these sorts of rules is bothersome. </span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";">We
don't get to pick and choose which regulations and laws we follow... unless it
would seem you are certain police officers; then you can just do whatever you like
with no fear of sanction -- just the ridicule of a minor blog. </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpXbhVo4aQYhDE6C2CDL_oaofQ6JfF4cuj2vbW1zF-zu9lnBFWkfeal-GKgG7Czb_M9B54NSjuiCC-eRUVC-54lK6XNwVyUhQlpavRlpXq4Sh3PWYFwqTfX0z3rSXUxm3hxoMfewt2MlP/s1600/Paulson+at+RH.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpXbhVo4aQYhDE6C2CDL_oaofQ6JfF4cuj2vbW1zF-zu9lnBFWkfeal-GKgG7Czb_M9B54NSjuiCC-eRUVC-54lK6XNwVyUhQlpavRlpXq4Sh3PWYFwqTfX0z3rSXUxm3hxoMfewt2MlP/s320/Paulson+at+RH.png" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit A: Commissioner Paulson with his trumped up medal group. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Of
course our illustrious Commissioner of the RCMP showed up at Rideau Hall again
wearing his illegal medal, the British Columbia Police Meritorious Service
Medal, yet another one of those provincial cracker jack gongs that duplicate a
national honour. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZwMQm6mHeFEITqwvjk6ZJBfLw17LEPinPAHykSvvWfsFJgxRQb8FLVl42w08_nq1pLRIz3Hwl2saRM1pEz5rJKgl_aBwkfCrO6NSoQlA7c77nlisg-cIz5DLUvk_hBOzc6w4KyuMZobE/s1600/Paulson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZwMQm6mHeFEITqwvjk6ZJBfLw17LEPinPAHykSvvWfsFJgxRQb8FLVl42w08_nq1pLRIz3Hwl2saRM1pEz5rJKgl_aBwkfCrO6NSoQlA7c77nlisg-cIz5DLUvk_hBOzc6w4KyuMZobE/s400/Paulson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit B: The Commissioner on parade... issue that <br />
man with a ticket for wearing an unauthorized gong!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #434343;">It is more
than a bit disturbing to see that the Commissioner is not only suffering from
the dreaded </span><span style="color: red;"><u>Instant Dictator Syndrome,</u></span><span style="color: #434343;"> by wearing a phony medal, but that he is now also engaging in Reichsmarshall Herman Goering's favourite wartime hobby of
improvising and enhancing his collection of uniforms. Where is the RCMP's
buttons, ribbons and bows brigade to correct the wayward Commissioner? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";">How precisely has he enhanced his uniforms? Well first off it it a bit bizarre to see the Commissioner wearing RCMP Collar Badges on his Red Serge tunic that have not been authorized for wearing since 1955 (i.e. they have a King's Tudor Crown on them and are silver)... but he can make up the rules, he is after all the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: #434343;"> </span><i><span style="color: red;">El Supremeo</span></i><span style="color: #434343;"> leader of all the men and women in red serge. Somehow I don't think RCMP Constables have the same degree of freedom to improvise what they pin on their uniforms. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br /><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "times new roman";">But wait, there is more! He has invented an entirely new order of dress, for "Commissioners Only" it would seem. </span>Recently the Commissioner was spotted, in Ottawa</span><span style="font-size: large;"> wearing his RCMP Blue Serge tunic with full size medals. Now last we checked in the RCMP Dress Regulations -- and this is confirmed by a few of our enthusiastic readers who are members of the RCMP -- no one is authorized to wear medals with this order of dress (undress ribbons only). It seems likely that the Commissioner didn't want to show up to an Army event wearing Red Serge, sticking out like a carrot in an omelet, but what to do for an event were everyone else will be wearing medals? I know, just break your own rules and invent a new order of dress! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course it's not a "uniform" if you're the only one wearing it, its just a costume... so Blue Serge with Full Size Medals = <span style="color: red;">The Paulson Costume</span>... several months ahead of Halloween!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWGTcyhQNKpVd5IeIQuL4qVYADeZHk0Ga3HHmaoJ7kQQmpprsJYJXcxSoh5XfJNv-lyQ1C07pQyxILTfMeIAQPmq-mtEDHOYvBq3rCZdzwikINeIhwIK2ajDeDJuS1cRt2QpeH7suO3Me/s1600/Blog2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWGTcyhQNKpVd5IeIQuL4qVYADeZHk0Ga3HHmaoJ7kQQmpprsJYJXcxSoh5XfJNv-lyQ1C07pQyxILTfMeIAQPmq-mtEDHOYvBq3rCZdzwikINeIhwIK2ajDeDJuS1cRt2QpeH7suO3Me/s320/Blog2.png" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RCMP Blue Serge Tunic with medals... that hasn't been in the RCMP regulation for many years.<br />
But hey, the Commissioner can just invent the rules... it worked for various military leaders, most of<br />
whom fought for the Axis powers.<br />
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</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Proper RCMP Officers don't go dressing up their medal groups with crackerjack medals, nor do they enhance the dress regulations. Commissioner Paulson should follow the sterling example of Sir Sam Steele, an early member of the Force who will be remembered long after Paulson has been pensioned off.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx_l56P67M1T8U7Y-3_VrbdbnCYjG5HRJuov93uoZQjGQ2iQs2dAJ7BP2rG32TbyNbYXoUdco9DN4XvSbk1hvhDum65wKbIZA-_fqZf-C9iqUjLXeW7ShPxjgoc4Qbl_3SstPdE8LNN0k/s1600/sam-steele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJx_l56P67M1T8U7Y-3_VrbdbnCYjG5HRJuov93uoZQjGQ2iQs2dAJ7BP2rG32TbyNbYXoUdco9DN4XvSbk1hvhDum65wKbIZA-_fqZf-C9iqUjLXeW7ShPxjgoc4Qbl_3SstPdE8LNN0k/s1600/sam-steele.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A proper RCMP Officer, Sir Sam Steele.<br />
Steele had no need for fake medals, but then again, of his six gongs, four were for fighting in actual wars.</td></tr>
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<br />Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-53081100807383323592016-05-01T17:04:00.000-07:002016-05-01T17:06:05.830-07:00Remembrance Day Faux Pas: Mike BlaisWe had half a dozen emails about Remembrance Day 2015 and apologies to those who have been patiently awaiting for this post. We always find it amazing that with the prospect of being on national television, some people who attend the service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, will still "enhance" their group of medals with phoney gongs -- or at least insignia they shouldn't be wearing when they are wearing officially recognized orders, decorations and medals that they have rightfully earned.<br />
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Here we have Michael L. Blais, CD, founder of <a href="http://canadianveteransadvocacy.ca/" target="_blank">The Canadian Veterans Advocacy</a> wearing his well earned Special Service Medal, Peacekeeping Service Medal, UN Medal for Cyprus and Canadian Forces Decoration. But what is that around his neck? Was Blais awarded Canada's highest decoration for civil bravery the Cross of Valour... which is also worn around the neck on a red ribbon. Is it Imperial Russia's Order of St. Anne for service in the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force (1919-1920), or has Mr. Blais been made a Commander of some fancy South American Order? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHNWEqaEialGr2r4yq4Jb5IgsQdz4TftasVsZ_xdpjnxCA3exaufoXqCuxipTQRe7ptsVhxroGSwFEo8TDBNH0UuYC7VQqJiXM7nF05hy-wKVfcfW3Wzn996H_tCVBB1u_N2lBn_TRook/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-05-01+at+8.29.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHNWEqaEialGr2r4yq4Jb5IgsQdz4TftasVsZ_xdpjnxCA3exaufoXqCuxipTQRe7ptsVhxroGSwFEo8TDBNH0UuYC7VQqJiXM7nF05hy-wKVfcfW3Wzn996H_tCVBB1u_N2lBn_TRook/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-05-01+at+8.29.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M.L. Blais wearing a mystery medal at the neck -- Prime Minister Trudeau looks on wondering "that looks a bit like the Companion of Honour medal that the Queen gave my dad... how did yo get something like that?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxMoi826VDRwejYZpvtvoUEvg0lBzDTuVQMI1JfcjcV_qKVrmf6DVRNdf5OFD6xxrjlFoRLqOgz7XM0bC9DF18SO8y5ujSQ4xvGC7ySfQ0Hl1VVqBUbQU-YE7MgB7re5Bl8bPWrtz7r6c/s1600/vets-blais-nn-111114_lead_media_image_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxMoi826VDRwejYZpvtvoUEvg0lBzDTuVQMI1JfcjcV_qKVrmf6DVRNdf5OFD6xxrjlFoRLqOgz7XM0bC9DF18SO8y5ujSQ4xvGC7ySfQ0Hl1VVqBUbQU-YE7MgB7re5Bl8bPWrtz7r6c/s320/vets-blais-nn-111114_lead_media_image_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that the Cross of Valour you're wearing Mr. Blais? </td></tr>
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It appears that Mr. Blais is wearing the International Knightly Order of St. George. The Order is a charity of some sort which hands out orders, decorations and medals to donors and do gooders... of course none of these "medals" are officially recognized, and it is against the rules for wearing Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals, to wear the insignia from this group with any official honours -- not even with miniatures. Below is the insignia of the Order -- displaying the Holy Crown of Hungary at its top. One has to wonder what the Government of the Republic of Hungry thinks of this important part of their Coat of Arms being used by some group in Canada.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ott320sEPcpes8WmwCjY-0Y8CBPnmdMHN3wAE9IRbfV3QYyZE9ugkyQ7yI1E-JZDdizd1FQzNpeOwKlzTNWZNs6cwokngEKU0mnuzHE4tDh3c9v3zanuFZE4TmZunQvOyvLIrGXq3WNM/s1600/Hillier2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ott320sEPcpes8WmwCjY-0Y8CBPnmdMHN3wAE9IRbfV3QYyZE9ugkyQ7yI1E-JZDdizd1FQzNpeOwKlzTNWZNs6cwokngEKU0mnuzHE4tDh3c9v3zanuFZE4TmZunQvOyvLIrGXq3WNM/s400/Hillier2.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Order of St. George, as worn by former <br />
Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkPdweLcbCmWXMQM05u3yiFx79TBGV2CzhkLtg7bPYd-XULsJRW4vQwSMfKWSaqyacpZN3Sk4zeFlGl3hxpb4ZgjqdQUDQtuIh73HzMoC3tARZNbDRebprja7FvEHxm9TSgOOp8Mp1Dyo/s1600/Hillier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkPdweLcbCmWXMQM05u3yiFx79TBGV2CzhkLtg7bPYd-XULsJRW4vQwSMfKWSaqyacpZN3Sk4zeFlGl3hxpb4ZgjqdQUDQtuIh73HzMoC3tARZNbDRebprja7FvEHxm9TSgOOp8Mp1Dyo/s200/Hillier.JPG" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Order of St. George pooh bah, Rick Hillier. <br />
Wearing a dinner jacket and miniatures in the middle of the day... <br />
but that is a whole other issue. We hope the Air Cadet isn't taking pointers on deportment from the retired General.</td></tr>
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As we pointed out in our February 4, 2015 posting about another veterans' advocate Sean Bruyea, if you're going to become a champion for the cause of veterans, you had better not go dressing up your group of medals. Wearing fake and unrecognized orders, decorations and medals just drains you of any legitimacy. For the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Rick Hillier to be parading around wearing this bauble is an embarrassment. How long until he tries to wear this along with his OC, CMM and ONL all simultaneously?</div>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-26023029804725548362016-05-01T15:52:00.000-07:002016-05-01T16:12:02.268-07:00Calgary: Crazy About Imaginary MedalsSince Christmas we have had a number of emails asking for a post on this topic. Following an all too common practice amongst a variety of protective services across Canada (QC, NS, BC, MB, SK, AB are all offenders), the Province of Alberta and Calgary Police Force have taken upon themselves to establish a whole range of medals. This wouldn't be a problem if the recipients of these medals chose to either not wear them at all, or to wear them on the righthand side of their uniforms -- sadly the allure of looking like a war hero and dressing up a group of medals has been too much for Calgary's constabulary to resist.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq4D8FszQrD-T_7Nrf5-2g7ZBox1VAhrdAm8xmzbHtRsrmySqvpfKnUIleHc6Nu8PQglf4_9WAgkGLT6CC7QRiZhORZY6Wgi_rGYOS4EAgTxRG-FIz_QjQgH_xFYdz19leYegUyyiYOK9/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTq4D8FszQrD-T_7Nrf5-2g7ZBox1VAhrdAm8xmzbHtRsrmySqvpfKnUIleHc6Nu8PQglf4_9WAgkGLT6CC7QRiZhORZY6Wgi_rGYOS4EAgTxRG-FIz_QjQgH_xFYdz19leYegUyyiYOK9/s200/Unknown.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberta Law Enforcement <br />
Long Service Medal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are two medals (so far!); the Alberta Police Long Service Medal and the Calgary Police Long Service Medal -- both are totally unauthorized for wear by Federal authorities, so they are in fact just what many members of the Canadian Armed Forces call "popcorn medals." Other monikers such as "crackerjack awards" or "I want to look way more important than I am medals" are also totally appropriate. Were Alberta or Calgary an independent city state in medieval Europe all this would be fine. The reality is city and its police force are municipal bodies established by the province and neither the city nor the police force have any authority to create "honours." While the province can create honours, if they aren't recognized by the federal government they cannot be worn. At least not without breaking all the rules.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifET1Nt_j7kz8mXWxiBZ5hR97jbZStP__MNQjAskRkMvHhWbE671fH1ivqfqtV7wV8pUiVgTMpqrnjIuiJhqEAijrx5zLsH6sWjE_7TdwhJAJ5uGuQfmHZTDjcs_MbITG7k16Hb3svElLX/s1600/Calgary+Rich+Hanson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifET1Nt_j7kz8mXWxiBZ5hR97jbZStP__MNQjAskRkMvHhWbE671fH1ivqfqtV7wV8pUiVgTMpqrnjIuiJhqEAijrx5zLsH6sWjE_7TdwhJAJ5uGuQfmHZTDjcs_MbITG7k16Hb3svElLX/s320/Calgary+Rich+Hanson.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Calgary Chief Constable Rick Hanson, <br />
wearing the undress ribbon of 2 unauthorized "fake" medals. </td></tr>
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Calgary's former Chief Constable Rick Hanson is pictured left, wearing 2 of the imaginary "Alberta/Calgary City State Medals." So along with his Order of Merit of the Police Force, Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal, Police Exemplary Service Medal and the Alberta Centennial Medal, Hanson has 2 mystery medals. The first mystery medal is the Alberta Law Enforcement Long Service Medal. Created by the provincial government it is awarded for 25 years service. I guess the federal Police Exemplary Service Medal which is awarded for 20 years service (then bars at 30 and 40 years) was not sufficient recognition.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi_dlZp875HvRGLBJZPbEkbArCQfKp7bwxn0nGAbORckJ4OjlDJfsHJTWxBTILrsgw8NszLU-15UkXjznUNKTfFdVvLagsqagvjxnbrIa-NThybNO4viix1nUkDN_aXkE-qLK70H_vype/s1600/Calgary+Police+LSM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi_dlZp875HvRGLBJZPbEkbArCQfKp7bwxn0nGAbORckJ4OjlDJfsHJTWxBTILrsgw8NszLU-15UkXjznUNKTfFdVvLagsqagvjxnbrIa-NThybNO4viix1nUkDN_aXkE-qLK70H_vype/s320/Calgary+Police+LSM.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Calgary Police Long Service Medal</td></tr>
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The last one is the Calgary Police Long Service Medal -- which I am sure you will be glad to know can be purchased on eBay for under $40.00. The beautiful cast quality of this medal makes it look suitable for conferral by the Head of State of any failed less developed country (TPLAC). Clearly those great minds in the Calgary Police Department felt that having a long service medal from the Government of Canada/Queen of Canada was not sufficient, so they invented their own. For those of you who have a cursory understanding of Canadian honours policy you will know that dual recognition (that is receiving 2 medals for the same thing) is not allowed, at least not when it comes to the creation of new honours. Certainly Calgary must win some prize for allowing its police officers to wear no less than THREE medals for the same long service. The "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excessive Recognition Medal" would be a nice addition to their homemade honours system.<br />
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The problem is all compounded in the photo below of the new Calgary Chief Constable Roger Chaffin, being invested as an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by the Governor General -- that stand-in for the fount of honours, the Queen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNsVC66hUHwoM2PaLT0ryW9Rl_H8l9k4UjAdju7T14JtrCZo-LKd9pa-aNFa-p2zMluWkoTMALt_F1HC10PhBfHTXTBvUBrPqikrHuqo-fdpaMUss7rMI7PSUb6N6V92_xclZUTBc0X_g/s1600/Roger+Chaffin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNsVC66hUHwoM2PaLT0ryW9Rl_H8l9k4UjAdju7T14JtrCZo-LKd9pa-aNFa-p2zMluWkoTMALt_F1HC10PhBfHTXTBvUBrPqikrHuqo-fdpaMUss7rMI7PSUb6N6V92_xclZUTBc0X_g/s640/Roger+Chaffin.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary Chief Constable Roger Chaffin with the Governor General.<br />
I guess no one at Rideau Hall noticed all the unauthorized medals on the <br />
Chief Constable's chest? </td></tr>
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Good manners cost nothing, so really, who shows up to the Governor General's house wearing a host of imaginary medals?!! I can hardly wait until every province has established a long service medal for those of its residents who wear a uniform. There are thousands of members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have lived in multiple provinces -- they will look resplendent when (I am making some of these up) the Ontario Uniformed Service Medal, Nova Scotia Protective Services Medal, Alberta Protective Services Medal, Quebec Public Protection Medal and Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal are mounted beside their CD and overseas operations medals.<br />
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The Gilbert & Sullivan line out of the Gondoliers, "when everyone is somebody, then no-one's anybody!" holds true with orders, decorations and medals. When everyone is wearing a sea or coloured ribbons and clinking medals, they become meaningless baubles.<br />
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Sadly as we have seen in the previous post, our national police force, the RCMP and its Commissioner, Bob Paulson, who has come down with a bad case of the dreaded Instant Dictator Syndrome, no longer feel they should be bound by the rules set out by the Governor General. I guess when it comes to wearing medals the police are above the law -- let us hope this attitude doesn't bleed over into other areas of the policing profession!<br />
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<br />Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-26155804184025510962015-09-25T08:02:00.000-07:002015-09-25T08:02:54.096-07:00RCMP Musical Medals or Mix and Match with Commissioner Paulson<div class="MsoNormal">
It would appear that the poor Commissioner of our national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has great difficulty figuring out what medals he should be wearing… indeed, it seems as though he has several sets of medals.<br />
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Early on in Commissioner Paulson's term he had a habit of "enhancing" his group of medals by wearing both his Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM) insignia along with his Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (OOM) insignia. Now this would be totally acceptable in one instance alone; when he
was promoted from OOM to COM. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug4XiPqqvzMluh_GU6uJ22hFTgfai475K4upCVz0_4b5MCU7_l1wfFfz2fK8WVOMZKJighTAyMRwhjdOzkthWxLcJrc0TvT8nPFuoEZZ0EU5Yb2PgIQ53U_C4xGTKQnH6XEPxp8n25n2q/s1600/Paulson+July+2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug4XiPqqvzMluh_GU6uJ22hFTgfai475K4upCVz0_4b5MCU7_l1wfFfz2fK8WVOMZKJighTAyMRwhjdOzkthWxLcJrc0TvT8nPFuoEZZ0EU5Yb2PgIQ53U_C4xGTKQnH6XEPxp8n25n2q/s320/Paulson+July+2014.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doubling up on his COM and OOM,<br />
and this was months AFTER Paulson was made a COM.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6RfzZwcvxaRLzqwr413zQVtFA3Yw8QlXq_cPbA9Qb-LvIoVUT4n7lDelHDopMZQuH1KrtnV12DMPb0RDQJmLUsLBDMjXt6oSpmpOXzYjvkvbHGnXyTGiDk4yifl04V1z05e6jstH3XVL/s1600/Rideau+Hall+24+April+2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6RfzZwcvxaRLzqwr413zQVtFA3Yw8QlXq_cPbA9Qb-LvIoVUT4n7lDelHDopMZQuH1KrtnV12DMPb0RDQJmLUsLBDMjXt6oSpmpOXzYjvkvbHGnXyTGiDk4yifl04V1z05e6jstH3XVL/s200/Rideau+Hall+24+April+2014.png" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is Paulson committing the same medal wearing offence at Rideau Hall.</td></tr>
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Thankfully, after about 8 months of committing this medal wearing offence, someone must have told the good Commissioner that he shouldn't be dressing up his group with multiple versions of the same Order. So all was right in the medal wearing world at RCMP HQ and their chief brass hat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u-S7JLNYap-3uXH3pard5wkhif_TIJgUOO-RVmZBb1_WDkJMj6TRAEWsG7hLxWQiBH9jcUxuWptreVSf9ZhHVORP6xm35A89e5sFzX8KZa3e-Bsy9Sm75r2pESv8Pvs6pZpMgLHR9zfr/s1600/Paulson+Correct+medals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u-S7JLNYap-3uXH3pard5wkhif_TIJgUOO-RVmZBb1_WDkJMj6TRAEWsG7hLxWQiBH9jcUxuWptreVSf9ZhHVORP6xm35A89e5sFzX8KZa3e-Bsy9Sm75r2pESv8Pvs6pZpMgLHR9zfr/s320/Paulson+Correct+medals.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Commissioner correctly turned out at last.</td></tr>
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Despite this progress, as shown in the photo immediately above where the Commissioner is wearing his medals correctly, his group has very recently grown a new and unofficial medal. Yes it appears that the Commissioner has succumbed to the dreaded "<span style="color: red;">Instant Dictator Syndrome;</span>" the first Commissioner of the RCMP to publicly suffer this illness. The RCMP Corps Sergeant Major also seems to be suffering the same illness as he too is wearing the British Columbia Police Meritorious Service Medal.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FB-14OCVPh3o_Rlfd4KJNAkryKcL9ytb67ghRs6panW31w0sLittstgQhJH23C247t5SdBisKQWsy_qnvx_xsbJtHrsgI2RzMLoedvI8Di1U47H6rOFklW65V5xhkGpfYal5Ks2MrtHN/s1600/BC+Gong.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FB-14OCVPh3o_Rlfd4KJNAkryKcL9ytb67ghRs6panW31w0sLittstgQhJH23C247t5SdBisKQWsy_qnvx_xsbJtHrsgI2RzMLoedvI8Di1U47H6rOFklW65V5xhkGpfYal5Ks2MrtHN/s640/BC+Gong.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commissioner Paulson's new medal from a BC Government website.<br />
Unauthorized for wear according to the rules the rest of us Canadians are required to follow. </td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">Awarded by the Government of British Columbia and presented by the Lieutenant Governor, this award is not officially recognized by the Government of Canada, nor is it included in the Canadian <a href="http://gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14979&lan=eng" target="_blank">Order of Precedence for wearing Orders, Decorations and Medals</a>. So it is unofficial and not authorized for wear along with officially granted orders, decorations or medals. This situation is part of a broader trend that seems to be gripping many uniform wearing services across Canada. Police forces especially have</span> an ever increasing propensity to wear unofficial provincial and even municipal awards that are totally unrecognized and often unrecognizable to even the most seasoned medal pooh-bah.<br />
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HweJaBH8ffr0CDsE8xY_mksNjUXiRnbQ1rIMBMfJmc3ISvnaPmZzVFP4R2TKVY_yiWE0An8oMKCtziV792bvJ7qtFloZ63948u_wNrPIU6cBNJi30y23PS_MiI7rtNQymA6bxqIlQMcF/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-22+at+7.15.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HweJaBH8ffr0CDsE8xY_mksNjUXiRnbQ1rIMBMfJmc3ISvnaPmZzVFP4R2TKVY_yiWE0An8oMKCtziV792bvJ7qtFloZ63948u_wNrPIU6cBNJi30y23PS_MiI7rtNQymA6bxqIlQMcF/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-09-22+at+7.15.01+PM.png" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Commissioner wearing an unofficial <br />
medal at the end of his group. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In short "Dear Commissioner, and friends, if it doesn't appear on this<a href="http://gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14979&lan=eng" target="_blank"> list,</a> a list issued under the authority of your bosses (the Governor General and the Prime Minister), you are not allowed to wear it. Neither you nor the RCMP has the authority to authorize you to wear a medal. You had really better get your medals re-mounted PDQ."<br />
<br />
It is more than a bit embarrassing to have the head of our national police force flagrantly violating the rules that everyone else is required to follow.</div>
Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-59688851804716984422015-05-25T00:08:00.000-07:002015-05-30T06:42:30.499-07:00Correcting Mistakes: Fire-Captain Paul Hurst<h3>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We have heard from Chief Hurst and he indicates that he was unaware of the error in medal mounting and is having the situation rectified. It would appear that the medal mounting error was an honest mistake, which although unfortunate is by far the best reason for such a situation. Thankfully this was not a case of Instant Dictator Syndrome. We are delighted to learn that Chief Hurst is having his medals remounted correctly and apologize for the general tone of the previous post which has now been removed.</span></div>
</h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuuN7JJr2oORSAcVlxne0nsmZJCCXVz80tozRmh_IBUuL634LO48bmbq_FmAdpC36xrbN_B1wNaHa0mr2fM_Vi2FEgNyK9ZOSEr9NtqE3iChlPtg4UG1vH515ibVEoGnz2hfH1UdoONAQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-05-11+at+5.45.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuuN7JJr2oORSAcVlxne0nsmZJCCXVz80tozRmh_IBUuL634LO48bmbq_FmAdpC36xrbN_B1wNaHa0mr2fM_Vi2FEgNyK9ZOSEr9NtqE3iChlPtg4UG1vH515ibVEoGnz2hfH1UdoONAQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-05-11+at+5.45.30+PM.png" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fire-Captain Paul Hurst, MB, of Victoria BC. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_owzRnEFaBinm6nq7-s5qYjveWHhm3C1FEGPr8KXpp0kDajWJV-g0FiYE47vWj1iQhlORriaYPDPwEXC6rpMWXLf5r4l7gJMJl5dctRy7McsbXHHU2ju85WVeD0-TD5Rr8SKgx9ixBE0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-05-11+at+5.45.30+PM+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_owzRnEFaBinm6nq7-s5qYjveWHhm3C1FEGPr8KXpp0kDajWJV-g0FiYE47vWj1iQhlORriaYPDPwEXC6rpMWXLf5r4l7gJMJl5dctRy7McsbXHHU2ju85WVeD0-TD5Rr8SKgx9ixBE0/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-05-11+at+5.45.30+PM+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">What is the "Mystery Medal" at the end of the group?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For the record Chief Hurst's group should b</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: normal;">e worn; (1) Medal of Bravery, (2) Diamond Jubilee Medal, (3) Fire Exemplary Service Medal, (4) BC Firefighter Medal for Bravery, (5) BC Fire Service Long Service Medal. The RCHA Bravery Medal and “Mystery Medal” should not be mounted or worn with the rest of the group.</span></span></h3>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-15134026436174186072015-02-04T12:47:00.003-08:002015-02-04T12:47:58.836-08:00Veterans Dressing Up their Medal Groups; Sean Bruyea and Ernie HughesThankfully most veterans follow the rules of how to wear their hard earned medals, however there seems to be an increased propensity for some veterans of the First Gulf War to embellish their group with unauthorized medals from foreign lands. Here we have Sean Bruyea wearing his Gulf and Kuwait War Medal and Canadian Forces Decoration along with two totally unauthorized medals for service in the First Gulf War; the Kuwait Medal for service in the war and the Saudi Arabian Medal for serving in the war. So this fellow is wearing three medals for the same conflict. Can you imagine what those who served in the Second World War would have looked like if they dressed up their groups with medals from the various countries they helped to liberate; France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and more than a dozen others. <div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenAvBvyU23mcYNhOGExARHPGYe6gGgNNIFxSwfM6tpvNTJ7ZPw9eRUowsQs5TYn3nO2JwwkFHEv-0pH7HAfFxOHYhRHUGUOV0aV-9z5OWL1qTVydFhhg1n9928otnsYMjulKC6QiDWBvy/s1600/sean.bruyea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenAvBvyU23mcYNhOGExARHPGYe6gGgNNIFxSwfM6tpvNTJ7ZPw9eRUowsQs5TYn3nO2JwwkFHEv-0pH7HAfFxOHYhRHUGUOV0aV-9z5OWL1qTVydFhhg1n9928otnsYMjulKC6QiDWBvy/s1600/sean.bruyea.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean Bruyea -- doubled his group with unauthorized medals. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and a number of other gulf nations sought to recognize Canadians who served in the conflict and Canadians were permitted to accept these medals as "mementoes" -- with the explicit understanding that they would never be worn Alas, <span style="color: red;">Instant Dictator Syndrome</span> seems to effect even those fighting for veterans' rights. So much for following the rules when it comes to foreign honours.<br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next we have a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Mr. Ernie Hughes. Before we go any further it is worth noting that the Royal Canadian Legion has been at the forefront of ensuring that its members do not wear phoney medals, and the Legion has long been and example to other organizations in that it only allows internal awards (ie. the various Royal Canadian Legion Medals and Awards) to be worn on the right side -- not mounted with official national honours. Nevertheless, here we have a conspicuous offender in the form of the <span style="color: red;">El Presidente of the Barrhaven</span> branch of the Legion Ernie Hughes. At the neck Mr. Hughes appears to be wearing the Order of St. George and on the breast he has his mounted set of medals (nicely displayed and properly done) but a breast star -- perhaps as a Knight Grand Templar of the Order of St. George?? Neither of these awards are given out by a recognized government or are they in any way official honours. Again, it is against the rules for wearing Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals to wear these outlandish insignia along side official national honours.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A note on deportment -- one never wears breast stars while in a sports jacket, blazer or business suit (lounge suit); at the very least Mr. Hughes should be in morning dress if he is going to wear a breast star during the day. Nevertheless here we have Mr. Hughes looking like the dictator of a small less developed European potentate. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you are going to become the poster child for a veteran's cause then you had best not go around sporting medals you aren't authorized to wear -- unless you want to haemorrhage credibility and legitimacy. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiGVpTN2_rxxLoolTvoTTeSmQq0kQpNwm9l-XtcjmF9pkeEzfziDd2WpeTuLrX3pRpsek2bzyRtYgevcjEeSXtaEdTI-y399OXo9-OBYGUKo8wdVNnxZKuhX1ktXIO8okJ92AaOYQxtI0/s1600/president-of-the-royal-canadian-legion-barrhaven-ernie-hughes-poses-for-a-portr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiGVpTN2_rxxLoolTvoTTeSmQq0kQpNwm9l-XtcjmF9pkeEzfziDd2WpeTuLrX3pRpsek2bzyRtYgevcjEeSXtaEdTI-y399OXo9-OBYGUKo8wdVNnxZKuhX1ktXIO8okJ92AaOYQxtI0/s1600/president-of-the-royal-canadian-legion-barrhaven-ernie-hughes-poses-for-a-portr1.jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Presidente Ernie Hughes, Supreme Ruler of Barrhaven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-63339808430162707372014-12-29T17:56:00.001-08:002014-12-29T17:56:59.535-08:00Vice Regal Report Card 2013-14<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We have had many requests for an updated
Vice Regal Report Card, so as the year comes to an end here it is. Several of
the Queen’s representatives across Canada have changed over the past 24 months; a
few key offenders have gone on to retirement and been replaced. One notable
improvement has come in Alberta where the Lieutenant Governor has started
wearing the Lieutenant Governor’s Uniform (Windsor Uniform) that allows him to
properly wear three neck decorations simultaneously. Unfortunately Colonel
Ethell continues to occasionally wear his Order of Canada and Alberta Order of
Excellence simultaneously. Earlier this year he was witnessed in Ottawa wearing
his OC and AOE while being presented with the Pearson Peace Medal. Nevertheless
he has improved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The frequently offending Gordon Barnhard,
formerly Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan – who routinely wore his Knight of the Order of St.
John as a breast decoration with his medal bar – has been replaced by the
impeccable Vaugh Solomon Scolfield, who has thus far proven flawless in her
deportment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The worst and most frequent offender, Stephen Point,
former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia went out with a bang, choosing
to wear a kilt with the Lieutenant Governor’s Uniform, something that had never
happened before – it looked ridiculous. His term as Lieutenant Governor was
replete with medal wearing faux pas the likes of which we will hopefully never
see again. His successor Judith Guichon has done an excellent job of wearing
her orders and medals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="color: red;">NOTE ON NEW STUDENTS</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The new Lieutenant Governors; Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, have been doing a commendable job of following the medal wearing rules. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAHxD0-mshGv29vcak-HWQUOWqgwxYsjWuEWOMJpYWi4RQXLM2nnHH0AH_udUIeWeNLrVEoqeEe3OT-xmph51ANgM8Vhp8E0Q6RAbKrg5cyO29Lmu8excc03ZifJOKbEFvj2HiN3u686S/s1600/VR+Report+Card+2013-14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAHxD0-mshGv29vcak-HWQUOWqgwxYsjWuEWOMJpYWi4RQXLM2nnHH0AH_udUIeWeNLrVEoqeEe3OT-xmph51ANgM8Vhp8E0Q6RAbKrg5cyO29Lmu8excc03ZifJOKbEFvj2HiN3u686S/s1600/VR+Report+Card+2013-14.png" height="640" width="490" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Governor General has done as reasonable
job of wearing his insignia; nevertheless there continue to be errors. At the installation of Pope Francis His Excellency was present wearing just his
Companion of the Order of Canada, with no other medals. Some Aide de Camp
should remind His Excellency that honours are not jewelry, you do not mix and
match – you wear the insignia that is appropriate for the event and order of
dress that you are wearing; in this case His Excellency should have also worn
his full size medal bar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Thanks goes out to a number of regular correspondents from across Canada who promptly forward comments and emails about which Lieutenant Governors are following the rules and those who are violating them. </div>
Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-47045883680522634622014-12-20T15:52:00.002-08:002014-12-20T15:52:53.587-08:00Delusions of GrandeurWe generally do not like to pick on veterans who have served their country in any honourable capacity, however this individual, James Francis Edward, CM, DFC, DFM, CD, clearly knows better. This highly decorated RCAF pilot, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar and the Distinguished Flying Medal and then went on to serve at least 22 years in the Canadian Forces (CD and bar), has found a new and highly curious method to wear his Member of the Order of Canada medal. He has eleven medals for gallantry, wars service and long service, and spent more than two decades in uniform, so the individual pictured here knows that there are absolutely NO circumstances under which you wear a medal pinned to your necktie! Perhaps he felt he should have been appointed a OC or a CC.<br />
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Obviously his CM should be mounted in with the remainder of his group. As an aside it is nice to see that the Lieutenant Governor of BC has such a strong record of wearing her orders and medals correctly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62JThTNE8MMPIgSSDWdRpEY-5izSa0R1B-RCFGo3ywRdhlD64pwL4GLqvHRnTg_L8_ZJ0FBsjfe5IualBI-PR4NKpxP0G94pL9ITKmpH5w3yzwEqhqRKzI7iB8G47LBemBSBiuuSkaJDn/s1600/delusions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62JThTNE8MMPIgSSDWdRpEY-5izSa0R1B-RCFGo3ywRdhlD64pwL4GLqvHRnTg_L8_ZJ0FBsjfe5IualBI-PR4NKpxP0G94pL9ITKmpH5w3yzwEqhqRKzI7iB8G47LBemBSBiuuSkaJDn/s1600/delusions.jpg" height="609" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The latest in style for tie pins, use your Member of the Order of Canada!</td></tr>
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<br />Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-36039095831246263342014-12-20T15:11:00.002-08:002014-12-20T15:11:43.150-08:00Peter C. Newman, CC, CD, RCNHere we have Captain Peter C. Newman, CC, CD, RCN (ret'd), a venerable old sort who seems to need a bit of direction on how to wear his Order of Canada. Newman spent a good number of years in the RCN rising from service as a rating to being a four ringer. Unfortunately no one has bothered to inform Mr. Newman that when in mess dress he is required to wear his CC insignia from a miniature width ribbon. Sadly the internet is littered with photos of him wearing his CC in the Adrienne Clarkson "Olympic medal style" (see the very post ever made to this blog for a full description).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqDcUqsOfBNF4lbpLqklvK0DJ5DR6mUQ6jtTZZnBkn7rNhi5cRmNRP0QBp189nGSfULGXWoe2Lw-YTB5-uoE-fhLU1jeGrSqijVpqV9mlZV0llRyjRh5MrlXhOboEWt2nkHlskBFZQGTY/s1600/DSC_1231_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqDcUqsOfBNF4lbpLqklvK0DJ5DR6mUQ6jtTZZnBkn7rNhi5cRmNRP0QBp189nGSfULGXWoe2Lw-YTB5-uoE-fhLU1jeGrSqijVpqV9mlZV0llRyjRh5MrlXhOboEWt2nkHlskBFZQGTY/s1600/DSC_1231_cropped.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter C. Newman wearing his CC in the <i>Clarkson Olympic Medal style</i></td></tr>
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Disturbingly Newman has committed a more serious offence in the wearing of no less than FIVE unofficial medals -- in violation of Order-in-Council 591-1998. The first medal is the Royal Lifesaving Society of Canada's Medal of Merit, the other insignia are all of unknown origins (if you recognize some of them please write and let us know). The last one appears to be one of the Japanese Red Cross Medals with rosette. There is really no need to suffer from Instant Dictator Syndrome when you have a CC and such a distinguished career to back you up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62B39r0ZEf61RG31xEXGT_09IzQzcMVkfql1KJ0dVD9LY1nFNAzAB7GQy4XOoMcdYBS3FIGcAtpQbIszO8f0QOBLsM-FYLXO7G_oPPD8knVFNZOrWR2g4UCshl3sQkBiXmu_qj1XDe-2s/s1600/Newman+and+Unofficial+Medals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62B39r0ZEf61RG31xEXGT_09IzQzcMVkfql1KJ0dVD9LY1nFNAzAB7GQy4XOoMcdYBS3FIGcAtpQbIszO8f0QOBLsM-FYLXO7G_oPPD8knVFNZOrWR2g4UCshl3sQkBiXmu_qj1XDe-2s/s1600/Newman+and+Unofficial+Medals.png" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newman again wearing his CC incorrectly, <br />along with a bevy of unofficial honours on his miniature medal bar. <br />The poor Governor General has to smile no matter how poorly turned out a person is. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOC8NJm9m-UH4m-1uJl_JVT_Mt0yyvD7rDlnZFFuc860EtKiOoEZHUZGguYg8ZI40cTOSEVhhO1q5Vc_KxWi-AUTS66s1cVb1K4yZbtwjaZgy4zkt28g4ouP7SI4n_QPpvXzLcUfbKWhBB/s1600/Newman+and+Unofficial+Medals.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOC8NJm9m-UH4m-1uJl_JVT_Mt0yyvD7rDlnZFFuc860EtKiOoEZHUZGguYg8ZI40cTOSEVhhO1q5Vc_KxWi-AUTS66s1cVb1K4yZbtwjaZgy4zkt28g4ouP7SI4n_QPpvXzLcUfbKWhBB/s1600/Newman+and+Unofficial+Medals.png" height="264" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Help us identify the mystery medals… is the last one really the Nigeria Independence Medal? <br />Is the one beside it the Japanese Red Cross Medal? </td></tr>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1465975905787503000.post-29817911261452504742014-09-11T17:13:00.000-07:002014-09-23T06:18:32.294-07:00OFFENDER OF THE MONTH: Adrienne Clarkson of the PPCLISince coming into public office as Governor General of Canada in October 1999, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, PC, CC, CMM, COM, CD, has made it her life's work to wear her orders, decorations and medals incorrectly.<br />
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The litany of Clarkson errors dates back to her first official portrait as Governor General where she was pictured wearing her Order of Canada insignia on a full length investiture ribbon -- like a giant olympic medal. Our post of October 2010 "The Clarkson Years and Beyond" catalogues the Clarksonian medal wearing stupidity that no mandarin at Rideau Hall or the Department of National Defence ever deigned to correct.<br />
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How sad that she has continued this quest to offend the rules for wearing medals as the Colonel-in-Chief of one of our most auspicious regiments, The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. As the venerable and valorious PPCLI celebrate the centennial of their establishment members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the general public have been subjected to regular appearances by Mme. Clarkson, invariably wearing his medals incorrectly. </div>
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What is Clarkson doing wrong? She is wearing her Companion of the Order of Canada around the neck while also wearing her Commander of the Order of Military Merit on her shoulder on a bow. The rules for wearing orders, decorations and medals in Canada require that she can only wear one of these insignia at a time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIvoDdRJFcLkO7uDAPWQyu92ACXB5XXPo9YAN3BCRuJTunVEQqrYR1yyWEKZW8-AYQCg3ZHTspmVfp-qRPDk1dwMSU2oIDfLH7od-Jpy6_CeeFQ4ULBe4xMfp23Kftyjvr8FZ0WLkCo-N/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIvoDdRJFcLkO7uDAPWQyu92ACXB5XXPo9YAN3BCRuJTunVEQqrYR1yyWEKZW8-AYQCg3ZHTspmVfp-qRPDk1dwMSU2oIDfLH7od-Jpy6_CeeFQ4ULBe4xMfp23Kftyjvr8FZ0WLkCo-N/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" height="224" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rt. Hon Adrienne Clarkson, <br />
once again doubling up with her CC around the neck and CMM on a bow, all at the same time. </td></tr>
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It is unfortunate that no one in the entire Canadian Armed Forces has yet bothered to inform her of the constant error and embarrassment that she is causing, not only to herself but the PPCLI and the CF as a whole. </div>
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Perhaps more worrisome -- is the likelihood that she has been informed of the repeated errors, but simply does not care. Evidence of the dreaded INSTANT DICTATOR SYNDROME. An inability to respect and adhere to the ceremonies and traditions of the CF, and the rules for wearing medals issued by the office she once served, should certainly disqualify her for the position of Colonel-in-Chief. If Mme. Clarkson doesn't like the rule that she cannot wear a full size Order insignia around the neck and a full size Order insignia on a bow simultaneously, then she should petition to have the rule changed rather than just breaking the rule.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EqhtE3jk-rxhCd8GfTtsIKewClFlZCOAy17fJda04nVbvmq3QizPiYaemyO3Z-cw0nVf66P_R0AS65upwuIa9ABEsCYlB565esuHEVORZV4vFuVHAnSTwP1uM6hJ7VizClQLA3EcqjcP/s1600/AC+Wrong+Again.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EqhtE3jk-rxhCd8GfTtsIKewClFlZCOAy17fJda04nVbvmq3QizPiYaemyO3Z-cw0nVf66P_R0AS65upwuIa9ABEsCYlB565esuHEVORZV4vFuVHAnSTwP1uM6hJ7VizClQLA3EcqjcP/s1600/AC+Wrong+Again.JPG" height="307" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major, you should speak to your Colonel-in-Chief and let her know she is wearing her medals wrong. <br />Basic training for an Aide de Camp/Equerry is ensuring that your principal is properly turned out.</td></tr>
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Let us hope that at some point during the PPCLI's Centennial Year that a well informed member of the Regiment will take it upon themselves to inform their Colonel-in-Chief that she needs to correct her order of dress and the manner in which she has been wearing her insignia. Lady Patricia Ramsay, for whom the PPCLI is named, and her illustrious father, HRH Field Marshal the Duke of Connaught, would certainly not be amused with what has become of the Colonel-in-Chief of their beloved Regiment. </div>
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After so many years of suffering from Instant Dictator Syndrome, is it possible that Clarkson in incurable of this terrible affliction?</div>
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Inspector Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00651673638838602099noreply@blogger.com2