OTTAWA, ONTARIO – The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and Major-General Dennis Tabbernor, Chief - Reserves and Cadets (C Res & Cdts) presided over a military ceremony to mark a century of service for the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) on May 1, 2009.
“Cadet Instructors have provided much for our country to be proud of,” said Minister MacKay. “I’ve been encouraging my colleagues in Parliament to participate and support their local efforts to join me in recognizing the Cadet Instructors and their Cadre as they celebrate 100 years of services. Here’s to the next 100 years”.
The signing of the proclamation and unveiling of the branch flag symbolizes the formal recognition of the 100th anniversary of the CIC and its predecessor, first established on
May 1, 1909.
Officers of the CIC are members of the Canadian Forces Reserve whose primary duty is the supervision, administration and training of teenaged youth of the Royal Canadian Sea, Army and Air Cadets in Corps and Squadrons across Canada.
“As we unveil those flags and begin the celebration of 100 years of service, I look to those young Cadets who brought the scrolls out and the Cadets here on the side; these Cadets have made the best choices to start off their life, and I am just so pleased because the future of Canada is in your hands. And we feel pretty confident. I am very, very proud to have been a product of Cadets and I'm proud to be your Chief of Defence Staff,” said General Natynczyk.
CIC Officers were also recognized in the House of Commons on Thursday, April 30, 2009 when all members of the House were invited to join Canadians in celebrating this 100th anniversary.
There are approximately 7,800 CIC Officers in over 1,100 Corps and Squadrons across Canada. To mark this significant milestone the CIC will participate in anniversary celebrations from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. The branch motto of “Illuminate Viam”, loosely translated as “Illuminate the way,” reflects the CIC’s aim in honouring the past, showcasing the present and ensuring the future of the CIC.
The proclamation reads:
“WHEREAS Canada and its youth have been well served by the Cadet Organizations since 1879,
AND WHEREAS, the Cadet Instructors Cadre, responsible for the administration, training and supervision of these cadets have diligently carried out their responsibilities in a highly professional manner,
AND WHEREAS, the Cadet Instructors Cadre predecessor under the Militia Act (1909) was first established on May 1, 1909,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the year 2009 shall be designated the 100th Anniversary Year of the Cadet Instructors Cadre in Canada,
AND THEREFORE, Canadians are encouraged to commemorate this historic occasion by conducting celebrations from sea to sea to sea”.
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For more information on the Cadet Instructors Cadre please contact Captain Kimberley Banaszkiewicz, national youth public affairs officer, at 613-992-6865 or e-mail kimberley.banaszkiewicz@forces.gc.ca or 1-800-627-0828 or visit the website at: www.cadets.ca/bac-ccb/index.htm.
