I was posted to 4 Wing Cold Lake from the summer of 1996 until the summer of 2002 when I was posted to CFB Shilo as a brand-new Lt after getting accepted into the University Transfer program – NCM (UTPNCM) and completing my degree at the Royal Military College of Canada along with completing my Military Police Officer Course.
I have so many memories from Cold Lake and some I would love to share. This was my first posting to an Air Force base, and I knew right away it was going to be different, there was an immediate sense of community and support. From Winterfest and intersection hockey up to shaving my head for ‘Cops for Cancer’ and camping at Marie Lake where I went fishing with my father-in-law before he passed away from cancer and my own father when we caught five walleyes in the matter of three minutes with both my daughters and my niece in the boat – I would share our location but we will keep that spot secret.
My wife was embraced by the community and worked as a teacher’s assistant in the English program at the French School when it was still on the base. Who could forget Maple Flag – as an MP on shift it was hopping with the military population doubling overnight; however, the people I met from the USAF Security Police and our times at the MP Club were priceless – these stories I probably can’t share. The MP Club was where the old Ski Club chalet was and I can remember in the winter, during the MP Hockey tournament, there would be prizes for any team that could ride the plastic Bacardi Rum sign down the old run and not fall off – I do not recall any prizes ever being presented – lots of first aid practice however!.
When I became an officer, I experienced my first Officer mess function when they transformed the Mess into three dance levels – ballroom dancing on one floor, disco on another and mixed music on another – everyone was in ball gowns and mess kits – we looked awesome and there was a bouncy castle – seeing everyone in ball gowns and mess kits in there was priceless.
Cold Lake was the launch pad for my career as a Military Police Officer as I went on to the National Counter Intelligence Unit as the Operations Officer and DCO and deployed to Afghanistan as the task Force Counter-Intelligence Officer on two occasions and earned the VCDS Commendation. I was also a detachment commander with the National Investigation Service and in charge of the support detachment responsible for Surveillance, The National Drug Enforcement Team and the Integrated Technical Crime Unit.
During my tenure with the NIS, I deployed to Tripoli, Libya as the Task Force Commander responsible for leading a small team protecting the Ambassador and his Global Affairs staff. I retired from the Regular Force in 2014 as a Major, and loved the uniform so much, got back in the Primary Reserves in 2016 and deployed again, this time to Baghdad, Iraq as a Counter-Intelligence staff officer supporting the NATO Mission in Iraq.
I hung up the spurs as of 30th of November 2021.
“Shaving my head for Cops for Cancer” – Supplied Photo
