Overview
- On Oct. 30 in Ottawa, Gen. Jennie Carignan and Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann apologized on behalf of the CAF to current and former members and their families for racial discrimination and harassment.
- The apology follows a class-action settlement covering incidents from 1985 to January 2025 worth up to $150 million, with individual payments ranging from $5,000 to $35,000.
- CAF leaders acknowledged systemic racism in the institution and pledged to remove barriers, strengthen equity and inclusion, and hold members accountable.
- DND says all eight National Apology Advisory Committee recommendations are addressed, about 31 of 39 Advisory Panel recommendations are implemented, and 38 recommendations are targeted for completion by December 2025.
- Measures cited include integrating the Hateful Conduct Spectrum into training, embedding Defence Advisory Groups in governance, establishing an anti-Black racism ministerial advisory committee, and allocating $2.25 million to commemorate the No. 2 Construction Battalion, as survivors urged measurable, lasting change.