Canadian Armed Forces Apology for Racial Discrimination and Racial Harassment – Event Details

Captain (Navy) Kelly Williamson, MMM, CD, is a trusted leader who has served Canada with distinction as a Naval Warfare Officer and a Public Affairs Officer. Capt(N) Williamson demonstrated strength and resilience on missions in places like Haiti, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Capt (N) Williamson has been recognized for outstanding leadership of diverse teams at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Williamson was twice named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2017, 2020) and was invested into the Order of Military Merit in 2019.

As Ottawa’s former English Poet Laureate, Albert Dumont is an activist, a volunteer and a poet. Albert has dedicated his life to promoting Indigenous spirituality and healing and to protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Indigenous youth.

Wendy-Anne Jocko is a distinguished Indigenous leader, military veteran, and public servant with over four decades of dedicated service. A veteran of the Canadian Forces (1979-2002), she served as a Supply Technician, including notable tours in Bosnia and Croatia. A member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, Wendy held leadership roles as Councillor and Chief (2020-2023), managing crucial portfolios like Finance, Health, and Housing. Throughout her career, Wendy significantly strengthened relations between the Canadian Forces and First Nations.

Kevin Junor is an accomplished professional with a distinguished career in the Canadian Armed Forces and public service. A retired officer, he rose to Regimental Sergeant Major and Captain, deployed to Sierra Leone and Jordan to enhance local security capabilities. He also served as the national military co-chair for the Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group. Kevin was a member of the National Apology Advisory Committee, advising the Government of Canada on the apology to the descendants of the No. 2 Construction Battalion. Recognized for his contributions, he is a recipient of the Order of Military Merit, the Harry Jerome Professional Excellence Award, and the Order of Ontario.

Appointed Citizenship Judge for the Greater Toronto Area in June 2014, Judge Albert Wong had over thirty-nine years of service in the CAF, serving in various public affairs positions across Canada, with the United Nations in Eritrea and Ethiopia, and in Afghanistan. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Judge Wong is a recipient of the Chinese Canadian Legend Award (2012), the NAAAP 100 award (2015), and the Transformation Award for Public Service (2015). He was named Diversity Magazine Person of the Year in 2016. He served as the Chief Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2013 to 2020 and was awarded the Vice-Regal commendation in 2014.

Michaëlle Jean was born in Haiti in 1957 and came to Quebec as a refugee. Following a career in journalism, she was appointed the 27th Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada in 2005, the first Black woman to hold the highest constitutional office. After her five-year term, she served as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti's reconstruction and as Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. In 2014, she was elected Secretary General of La Francophonie, the first woman to lead the 88-member multilateral organization. A seasoned diplomat known for her unwavering commitment to humanistic values, democracy, and justice, she actively promotes global goodwill. She also co-chairs the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, supporting vulnerable youth in Canada, and serves as Chancellor of United College at the University of Waterloo. She is a Commander of the Order of Military Merit.

A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada in Engineering, General Jennie Carignan was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990.

Since then, she commanded two Combat Engineer Regiments, Royal Military College Saint-Jean and the 2^nd Canadian Division, where she led more than 10,000 soldiers and spearheaded crisis operations during the flood relief efforts in the spring of 2019 in Quebec. More recently, she led NATO Mission Iraq from November 2019 to November 2020. Gen Carignan participated in three previous expeditionary operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Golan Heights, and Afghanistan. From 2021 to 2024, Gen Carignan was appointed Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture.

Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He began his military journey in 1983 by joining the 725 Massey-Vanier Air Cadets Squadron, where he remained until 1988.

In 1989, he In 1989, he enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Mobile Support Equipment Operator, completing his training at the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre in Borden, ON. Throughout his career, he has served in various locations including Bagotville, Valcartier, Gagetown, Kingston (twice), Germany, Borden, and Ottawa.

Rear Admiral Jacques P. Olivier joined the CAF in 1986 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada (Kingston) in 1991 as the recipient of the Navy League of Canada Prize. After completing marine systems engineering officer duties in Victoria, British Columbia, Plymouth, England, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, he moved to Ottawa and gained experience in complex program management while serving at the National Defence Headquarters and as an exchange officer in the Royal Navy in Bristol, England. A licenced Professional Engineer and certified Project Management Professional, Rear Admiral Olivier holds several post-graduate studies including a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Defence Studies. Promoted to the rank of Commodore in 2021, he was the Director General Professional Military Conduct until his promotion to Rear Admiral in 2024 and his appointment to the position of Director General of Culture. He is the Defence Team Champion for Racialized Persons and the Champion for the Defence Team Black Employees Network.