In The Navy: The Ville de Québec's Toronto Visit and a Map of NATO Troop Deployments in Afghanistan

Posted on: 02 November 2009 by Mark Brosens

During tonight’s program we discussed the Royal Canadian Navy’s “Great Lakes Deployment” with Vice Admiral Dean McFadden. The Navy took the HMCS Ville de Québec through the St. Lawrence Seaway this summer, so the public could tour the ship, engage Navy personnel, and hopefully enlist.

The Navy is going to such lengths to lure new recruits because the maritime force is very short on sailors. As reported by the Toronto Star, the Navy is short 954 sailors out of a regular force of 8,541 people (that is more than an 11 per cent shortfall). To keep the boats in the water, some Canadian warships have gone to sea at 13 per cent below personnel guidelines.

When the Ville de Québec made its stop in Toronto during the September long weekend, I was fortunate enough to tour the ship. My friend, Sean Quinlan (both of whose parents were in the Canadian Forces), took the pictures below, which he was kind enough to share with me.

According to the Navy, the Ville de Québec is a Halifax-class frigate with a displacement of 4,750 tonnes, a top speed of greater than 27 knots, a crew of 225 people, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles. It is truly an impressive vessel.

The current Ville de Québec shares its name with a retired Flower-class Canadian corvette, commissioned in 1942. That Ville de Québec served in the Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel, and the Atlantic Ocean during World War Two.

The current Ville de Québec has protected United Nations’ World Food Program ships in Somalia and done humanitarian work in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.

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Map of NATO Troop Deployments in Afghanistan

Finally, because of our conversation with Rick Hillier at the beginning of tonight’s program, I have embedded a map of NATO’s troop deployments in Afghanistan made by The Agenda’s own David Erwin and Alan Echenberg.

View Afghanistan Troop Deployment in a larger map

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Comments

Low ratings?

People tune out any story that doesn't provide clues as to how it might turns out. Afghanistan is such a story.

Go with the wisdom of crowds on this one; it's hard to root for a victory that will only show up in history as an early skirmish in The Long War.

posted by Peter G. on 02 November 2009 at 8:56 PM

Little more than a Stone Age Society.

I recall my father telling me about the situation that prevailed in the Khyber pass (between India and Afghanistan) at the turn of the 20th century. British soldiers, who were on guard duty, had to have their rifles chained to their bodies in order to discourage Afghans from killing them for their weapons.

The Afghans weren't much more than cave men at that time, and they appear to have made little progress in the past 100 years.

The entire country is a write-off. It is regrettable that Canadian blood is being shed on behalf of this benighted crowd.

posted by Ex-T on 02 November 2009 at 10:44 PM

Canada's Navy and such

A joke really. I've worked on a couple of naval programs and other big military programs like the CP140 and MHP. Anyhow, we developed the requirement spec for those off the cuff. I remember sitting there asking - shouldn't we be talking to the operators. No, they said in a stern voice. We basically took an old requirement spec and cut & pasted for hours on end for the CP140 then we took that spec and did the same for MHP. Now, where do these programs stand - General Dyanmics is about to lay off another 200 workers! hmmm.... wonder why. Meanwhile, various government departments have hired new grads on to work on critical programs. Paying them well over 85k+ a year (probably to keep the GDP rocking and rolling as these new grads go out and buy buy buy!). Meanwhile, programs suffer because of lack of top talent (experienced people!). I call it pure opportunism!!! Lack of passion. Good sales pitch though. But, it really puts people's lives in danger!!! I've spoken up plenty of times. Getting bashed in the head many of times. It isn't just happening in the Canadian military, but in other agencies. Many in a rush to get their numbers up as money flows in and out of the private sector to the public sector then to debt (I wonder what debt is made up of - inefficiency, scandal, espionage... ). Lots of opportunism I take it. Lack of good product being built. Lack of passion for it all. Anyone going against the grain is steeped on big time! I've tried without success. Keeping the Canadian tax payer in mind. Yikes, do you ever get your hand slapped for that!

posted by jacob02 on 03 November 2009 at 12:10 AM

con't canadian navy and such

So, after working on some of these big contracts (requirement specs), what did I learn? That there are very few real passionate people at the top now a days. Its all about building things quick no matter what so they can get their next stripe. And, don't ask why. Don't ask questions no matter what or you will get your hand slapped.

Here's another good one though, one large company I was working for had this guy: see page 131 of http://spybusters.blogspot.com/2009/09/canadas-nest-of-spies.html http://www.tovantran.com/ -- I'm really unsure what he got away with. I told authorities. They really didn't seem to give a damn...

Anyhow, I really question Canada now. Is it all about the economy? I think the war is won by economic take overs now. Sure we need some military (in the arctic, for example). But, even more so, we need to get control of the white collar crime and espionage that is taking place in Canada. I think that is a much much more larger threat. Yet, our economy runs the show. And, white collar crime projects have been cut recently in favor of fluff programs!!!

Oh canada I guess. I did have a passion for this once great country. Not anymore. Not after all the opportunism I have come across and "make a quick buck" mentality that runs the show.

But, what can we expect from our systems... To fix it all would take massive amounts of restructuring, total change in culture, and someone with balls.

posted by jacob02 on 03 November 2009 at 12:19 AM

Conflict Reality

jacob02: .... But, what can we expect from our systems... To fix it all would take massive amounts of restructuring, total change in culture, and someone with balls.

I think the biggest political snow job and policy blunder in our entire history is the propaganda about Canadians being "Peace Keepers". Sorry - there is no peace to keep in the real world of conflict. The Military is there to protect our sovereign interests, not to get shot at by both sides in a remote cultural conflict. Afghanistan ? If they want to continue being a collection of warring tribes go for it ! They were ever thus. As for the terrorist threat - let's fix our border security and keep out the riff-raff. To participate in such remote conflicts merely generates misleading expectations of humanitarian success. Great interview with General ( ret. ) Hillier.

About the family jewels: since it is a given these days that the sexes are "equal" it may take a while to find them !

posted by DieterH on 03 November 2009 at 11:47 AM