What's New: MGERC visits CFB Halifax / MARLANT

May 28-29, 2014

The MGERC delegation aboard the frigate HMCS Ville de Québec

On May 28-29, 2014, a delegation from the Military Grievances External Review Committee (MGERC), headed by the Committee’s Chairperson, Bruno Hamel, visited Canadian Armed Forces Base (CFB) Halifax / MARLANT. In addition to the Chairperson, the delegation included the Committee members Sonia Gaal and Denis Brazeau, as well as Senior Grievance Officers Sophie Brunette, Shantie Lithopoulos and Roger Wyse.

During the visit, the Committee held a town hall meeting which provided an opportunity to explain the independent role the MGERC plays in the military grievance process. It also allowed for direct exchanges about issues and concerns related to complaint resolution as well as trends identified by the Committee through its review of grievances. The Chairperson also held briefing sessions for senior base staff and the delegation met with various stakeholders involved in conflict resolution at the base.

It was a fantastic opportunity for us to visit the Maritime Forces Atlantic which is a key contributor to marine security in Canada. Our interactions with senior leadership were very successful and we were very pleased to see that MARLANT's leaders are highly committed to conflict resolution, the Chairperson said.

During our visit to CFB Halifax, we had the opportunity to go aboard two impressive vessels: the Halifax-class frigate Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec as well as the Iroquois-class destroyer HMCS Athabaskan. The exchanges with the crew members allowed us to better understand their challenges, working conditions and particular areas of concern, he added.

The Committee’s delegation also toured the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School’s Damage Control Training Facility Kootenay.

As an administrative tribunal independent from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the Committee reviews military grievances referred to it by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and provides findings and recommendations to the CDS and the grievor.

The Committee makes periodic visits to CAF formations/units to learn about taskings and activities and to see, firsthand, CAF members in the environment in which they serve. In turn, the Committee holds briefings, both formal and informal, where all ranks are encouraged to participate in grievance related discussions.