Royal Military College of Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | Truth, Duty, Valour |
|---|---|
| Established | 1876 |
| Type | Military college |
| Chancellor | Minister of National Defence (Canada) |
| Principal | John Scott Cowan |
| Staff | 200 |
| Undergraduates | 1,040 |
| Location | Kingston, ON, Canada |
| Campus | Waterfront |
| Sports teams | Paladins |
| Colours | Red and White |
| Website | rmc.ca |
The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), is the military academy of the Canadian Forces and is a full degree-granting university. The older, historic buildings, located on the 41 hectare peninsula in Kingston, Ontario, blend with the modern academic, athletic and residential facilities.
[edit] History
RMC was established by an act of the Canadian Parliament in 1874 "for the purpose of providing a complete education in all branches of military tactics, fortification, engineering, and general scientific knowledge in subjects connected with and necessary to thorough knowledge of the military profession."[1] On June 1, 1876, the Military College of Canada opened its doors to the first class of eighteen cadets. The names of these "Old Eighteen" are memorized by all cadets today.
In 1878, Her Majesty Queen Victoria, granted the college the right to use the prefix "Royal." The first Commandant, Major Edward Osborne Hewett, chose the college motto, "Truth, Duty, Valour". Since the college was founded, the full dress uniform of officer cadets has remained essentially the same, however, pill-boxes have replaced the shako. The pith helmet remains in use for ceremonial parade positions only. [2]
On June 20, 1942, a final parade was held and the college colours were laid up in St. George's Cathedral in Kingston. For the remainder of the war the College served as a wartime training area, offering courses such as the Company Commanders Course, Intelligence Course, and the War Staff Course. In 1948 RMC reopened with the "New One Hundred" cadets.
In the Post-War re-organisation of the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Military Colleges Circle (CMC) was formed with RMC, Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR, established in 1952). CMC was established in order to conduct tri-service cadet training within the Canadian Forces.
The Band of the Royal Military College of Canada, founded in 1953, includes a Brass and Reed Section, a Choir, and Highland Dancers. The Band CDs were recorded in 1996 and in 1998 [3]. The RMC College March, Precision (march) was composed by Madame Denise Chabot in 1932[4]. Madame Chabot, the wife of a College staff member, Major C.A. Chabot, RCA was inspired by the sound of the cadets marching past her home in married quarters. The College March for bagpipe is "Alexander Mackenzie" [5].
The province of Ontario granted a university charter to RMC by passing "The Royal Military College of Canada Degrees Act" in 1959 enabling RMC to offer degrees in Arts, Science, and Engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Canadian historian, #4393 Doctor Desmond Morton was the first graduate to receive his RMC degree in 1959.[6]
In 1995, following the end of the Cold War and massive government cutbacks on defence spending, the Department of National Defence closed Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR). CMR now operates as part of ASU Saint-Jean as Campus St-Jean where preparatory year ("Prep year") cadets acquire the necessary academic standard needed to attend RMC. RRMC Royal Roads Military College is no longer a military institution, and is now maintained by the Government of British Columbia as Royal Roads University. The loss of RRMC along with its many traditions and history as a military college still remains a bitter event for many cadets and alumni. [citation needed]
In 2003, a National Film Board of Canada Documentary, The Royal Military College of Canada - A History celebrated the 125 year history of the college.[7]
Today, the RMC mission is to educate, train and develop Officer Cadets for leadership careers of effective service in the CF. For most students, education is free and a monthly salary is paid which meets incidentals. The courses are offered both on site and by distance learning in both official languages: English and French. The college’s four pillars are academic, military, physical education, and second language training. There are approximately 1000 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students on campus. The Division of Continuing Studies, formed in 1996, now serves more than 3,000 additional students around the World. It offers more than 100 distance learning courses, many of them web-enabled. In addition to traditional university education, the Division of Continuing Studies also delivers the Officer Professional Military Education (OPME) programme to members of the Canadian Forces.
The Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada Foundation Inc. is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 1966. This charitable organization performs fundraising in support of the Royal Military College of Canada.
[edit] Campus
RMC is located on Point Frederick, a small peninsula at the point where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario and where the Rideau Canal system starts. The location has been an active military base since 1789 and was an important naval base during the War of 1812. [8]
Additional military fortifications nearby are Fort Frontenac, established in 1673 across the Cataraqui River from Point Frederick, and Fort Henry, constructed between 1832-36. At the tip of Point Frederick is Fort Frederick, one of Kingston's Martello tower fortifications. When in the fort, officer cadets have the "freedom of the fort", a tradition where all officer cadets are equal independently of their year. They are also allowed to remove their head dress. Fort Frederick houses the RMC Museum. The Stone Frigate, a large stone building completed in 1820, was designed to hold gear and rigging from British warships dismantled in compliance with the Rush-Bagot Agreement. It served as a barracks briefly in 1837-38, and was refitted to house the Royal Military College of Canada by 1876.
[edit] Diversity
In the mid 1970s, RMC became institutionally bilingual and began to offer many programmes in both English and French. In 1980, the RMC became co-educational and the first females graduated from RMC in 1984.
RMC strives to recruit students from all regions of Canada and actively represents the diversity of the Canadian population. RMC recruits students from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, women and men, Francophones and Anglophones, Aboriginal peoples in Canada and visible minorities. Since diversity contributes to the operational capability of the Canadian Forces, RMC aims to produce future leaders who see diversity as a source of strength and creativity.
[edit] Admission Requirements
To be eligible to enter RMC, you must meet the course requirements for one of the undergraduate programmes in Kingston, Ontario, or the preparatory year in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec. In addition, you must meet the Canadian Forces' general admission conditions:
- be a Canadian citizen
- be 16 years old on January 1 of the year you enrol
- pass the medical
- pass the pre-enrolment tests
- pass the enhanced reliability check
- pass the Basic Officers Training Course
The RMC recruits well rounded students in the areas which correspond to the four pillars at RMC. In addition, RMC gives extra weight to those applicants with second-language skills, although this is not a requirement.
[edit] Military Training
Students are referred to as Officer Cadets (OCdt) in English or as Élève-officier (élof) in French, or for those in the Navy, Naval Cadet (NCdt) or Aspirant de marine (aspm). As an RMC cadet, military training begins with Phase I with the Initial Assessment Period (IAP) at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School Saint-Jean. During this nine-week period prior to the first academic year, the cadets take the first half of the Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC). The second half of BOTC, called the Basic Officer Training Period (BOTP), is a six week course held during the summer period between first and second years. After the completion of BOTP, those cadets who are not yet bilingual are usually enrolled in a seven week period of Second Language Training (SLT) at Canadian Forces Language School Detachment Saint-Jean. The remaining summers are spent completing Phase II, which are environmental training courses (depending on whether the cadet is Army, Navy or Air force), followed by Phases III and IV, which are trade specific training courses. On the Job Training courses (OJT) are also available to a number of cadets during the summer periods.
[edit] Ethics
As an Officer Cadet at RMC, the ultimate objective is to be commissioned as an Officer in the Canadian Forces, pledging to act ethically and carry out ones duties with:
- Loyalty,
- Honesty,
- Courage,
- Diligence,
- Fairness, and
- Responsibility.
Officer cadets are educated and graded on their performance according to the four components (academics, physical fitness, military and second language. The foundation of the ethical code at RMC is found in the College's motto, Truth, Duty, Valour.
[edit] Athletics
The school is represented in Canadian Interuniversity Sport by the RMC Paladins. In 1995, the sport teams were renamed the RMC Paladins from the RMC Redmen in order to better reflect a bilingual and coeducational institution. Interestingly, the "Redmen" are also the men's athletics teams at McGill University in Montreal. The varsity sports include Basketball (M/W); Fencing (M/W); Hockey (M); Rugby (M); Soccer (M/W); Taekwondo (M/W) and Volleyball (M/W).
Of note, RMC plays the United States Military Academy (Army) Black Knights, in the annual West Point Weekend hockey game. This series, conceived in 1923, is the longest running international ice hockey series in the world. Currently Army leads the Series 39-29-6. The 2006 game's final score was 3-3 after a stunning return by RMC during the last minute.
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association recognizes a claim that Kingston, Ontario is the birthplace of ice hockey from a game played between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada in 1886. This game is memorialized by the International Hockey Hall of Fame annual Historic Hockey Series.
[edit] Royal Military College Museum
The Royal Military College Museum, founded in 1962, is located in Fort Frederick on the campus of the Royal Military College of Canada. The Museum mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display material relating to the history of the College, its former cadets and its site, the Point Frederick Dockyard. In addition, the Museum holds the Douglas Arms Collection and the Leinster Plate
The RMC Museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc. The RMC Museum is an accredited museum within the Canadian Forces Museum System. [9]
[edit] Features and Buildings
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| Building | Date | Description | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Frederick | 1789 | A fortification consisting mostly of earthworks with a North wall of stone masonry. Contains one of the Martello Towers situated around the city of Kingston, and houses the RMC museum | Frederick, Prince of Wales |
| Mackenzie building | 1876 | Centrepiece building of the college overlooking the parade square. | Rt. Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, former Prime Minister |
| The Old Hospital | Administrative building. | ||
| Sawyer complex | 1977 | Academic buildings containing offices, classrooms, and science and engineering labs. | 1557 W.R. Sawyer, director of studies (1948-1967) |
| Currie building | Houses Currie Hall, the Language Centre, and contains administrative offices and Otter Squadron lines. | Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie | |
| Girouard building | 1977 | Academic building | Hon. Désiré Girouard former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada |
| Yeo Hall | 1936 | A multifunctional building. Houses the Cadet Dining Hall and the Cadet Mess. The RMC barber and CANEX are located in the basement. | Hon. John Yeo, former Senator and Member of Parliament |
| Stone Frigate Naval Academy (The Boat) | 1817 | Dormitory housing 1 Squadron. | Rt. Hon. Jeanne Sauvé, former Governor General |
| Fort Sauvé | 2001 | Dormitory housing 5, 6 and 7 Squadrons. | Rt. Hon. Jeanne Sauvé, former Governor General |
| Fort Lasalle | 1913 | Dormitory housing 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons. | René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle French explorer |
| Fort Haldimand | 1949 | Dormitory, currently closed for renovations. | Sir Frederick Haldimand, former governor of Quebec |
| Fort Champlain | 1965 | Dormitory, houses 8, 9 and 10 Squadrons. | Samuel de Champlain , famous explorer and founder of Quebec City |
| Massey Building | 1960 | Academic building. Houses offices, classrooms, and 1 of 2 college libraries. | Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey, former Governor General |
| Old Gym | The old gym. Current salle d'armes and home of the RMC fencing team. Houses a shooting range in the basement. | ||
| Panet House | Houses the RMC Club, and RMC Club gift shop. | Lt Col. Charles-Eugène Panet (1829-98), Senator (1875), Deputy Min. of Militia (1875-98) | |
| Commemorative Arch | 1923 | Monument which honours the Lady and Gentlemen Cadets who have died in combat or while attending the College. |
[edit] Memorial Arch
- The Commemorative Arch, at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, built in 1923, is a monument which honours the Lady and Gentlemen Cadets who have died in combat or while attending the College. New officer-cadets pass through the Commemorative Arch on their first day of university and upon graduation. Other than on Remembrance Day, officer-cadets do not pass under the Arch before their graduation from college. Chiseled into the stone of the Memorial Arch are the opening lines of Rupert Brooke's poem, The Dead: "Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!"
[edit] Massey Library
- The Massey Library collection consists of aproximately 135,000 books, 1,800 audio-visual items and 1,200 periodicals in English and French. The major collections follow:
| Collection | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 2006-present | donated by the class of 1956 |
| John W. Spurr | post WWII | military studies |
| Reginald E. Watters | 1980-present | Canadian literature |
[edit] Notable graduates of the Royal Military College of Canada
Shown with college numbers.
| Student # | Name | Graduation | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7344 | Robert Brown | 1967 | businessperson, philanthropist |
| 851 | Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave | 1912 | signed Japanese Instrument of Surrender (1945) |
| 2082 | Brigadier-General Charles Drury PC, CBE, DSO | 1929 | soldier, businessman, politician |
| E2171 | William R Foster | Equerry-in-Waiting to the Queen | |
| 8276 | Doctor MJ Garneau CC, CD | 1970 | Canadian astronaut |
| 5105 | Doctor JL Granatstein OC | 1961 | Canadian historian |
| 1681 | Mr. Walter L. Gordon | 1926 | Canadian politician |
| 22458 | Captain Nichola Goddard | 2002 | First female Canadian soldier killed in combat, in Afghanistan |
| 13738 | Colonel (Ret'd) Chris Hadfield CD | 1982 | Canadian astronaut |
| 12560 | Major (Ret'd) Bruce Henwood MSM,CD | 1980 | peacekeeper |
| 2585 | Sir Edwin Leather KCMG, KCVO | 1937 | former Governor of Bermuda |
| 2102 | J.D. MacKay (RMC 1929) | 1929 | former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario |
| 1865 | Lieutenant Colonel (Ret'd) Theodore Meighen | 1925 | lawyer and philanthropist |
| 1866 | Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret'd) Cecil Merritt | 1925 | politician, awarded a Victoria Cross |
| 1800 | Honourable Hartland Molson | 1924 | former brewer, owner of the Montreal Canadiens |
| 4393 | Doctor Desmond Morton (historian) | 1959 | Canadian historian, awarded the first RMC degree |
| 126 | Philip Primrose | former police officer, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta | |
| 2802 | Robert Gordon Rogers | 1940 | former Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia |
| 52 | William Grant Stairs | explorer | |
| RCNSE54 | Rear Admiral Robert Walter Timbrell | 1937 | awarded Distinguished Service Cross during WWII |
| 96 | James White, Geographer | produced 1st edition of Atlas of Canada |
[edit] First 32 Female Graduates of the Royal Military College of Canada
Shown with college numbers.
| # | Name | # | Name | # | Name | # | Name | # | Name | # | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14481 | Linda Newton | 14423 | Liz Dyson | 14484 | Jacquie Pothier | 14390 | Kathy Armstrong | 14397 | Chris Best | 14433 | Debbie Fowler |
| 14396 | Kathleen Beeman | 14512 | Cheryl de Bellefeuille | 14451 | Theresa Hutchings | 14467 | Joanne MacIsaac | 14478 | Theresa Murphy | 14448 | Becky Horn |
| 14400 | Sylvie Bonneau | 14504 | Brigitte Vachon | 14412 | Helen Davies | 14491 | Karen Ritchie | 14444 | Dorothy Hector | 14487 | Sue Raby |
| 14510 | Sue Wigg | 14479 | Sue Nadarozny | 14460 | Lorraine Kuzyk | 14402 | Charmaine Bulger | 14501 | Marie Thomson | 14443 | Kathy Haunts |
| 14508 | Sheila Walters | 14418 | Marnie Dunsmore | 14477 | Brigitte Muehlgassner | 14411 | Ann David | 14394 | Laura Beare | 14407 | Marie-Pier Cloutier |
| 14419 | Johanne Durand | 14507 | Julia Walsh |
[edit] Old Eighteen
The term "Old Eighteen" refers to the first class of cadets accepted into the Royal Military College of Canada. First year cadets at RMC are required to memorize the names of the first class in the order of their college numbers:
| AGG Wurtele | HC Freer | HE Wise | WM Davis | TL Reed | SJA Denison | LH Irving | F Davis | CA DesBrisay |
| VS Rivers | J Spelman | CO Fairbank | AB Perry | JB Cochrane | FJ Dixon | GE Perley | HW Keefer | D MacPherson |
The term "Old Eighteen" also refers to a historical drill display team at RMC who perform at the "Sunset Ceremony" (a military tattoo the night before the graduation parade). The show traditionally consists of approxiamtely eighteen cadets, dressed in formal scarlet uniforms and wielding late 19th-century Enfield rifles fending off an attack by another group of cadets dressed as rebels using similar rifles of smaller caliber. [1]
[edit] Notable Non-graduate alumni of the Royal Military College of Canada
| Name | Left RMC in: | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Air Marshall Billy Bishop | 1914 | highest scoring British Empire flying ace of World War I, awarded a Victoria Cross |
| Sir William Throsby Bridges | 1879 | senior officer of the Australian Army, knighted |
| The Honourable Wilfrid Heighington | 1915 | politician |
| Edgar William Richard Steacie | 1921 | former president, National Research Council |
[edit] Notable professors/educators/staff
Shown with college numbers.
| Student # | Name | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| S155 | Willard Boyle | businessman, invented Charge-coupled device (CCD) |
| Gérard Bessette | author and educator | |
| G0053 | Alex Morrison | educator, founding president of Pearson Peacekeeping Centre |
| Lieutenant-General Kenneth Stuart | soldier, Chief of the General Staff 1941-1943, educator | |
| Lieutenant-Colonel George Pearkes | soldier, received the Victoria Cross; staff officer of RMC | |
| H8829 | Col. the Hon. George F.G. Stanley | educator and designer of Canadian flag |
The Royal Military College Flag was the inspiration for Dr. George F.G. Stanley, who was the Dean of Arts at RMC, in his design for the new Canadian flag which was adopted in 1965. [10]
[edit] Commandants
Shown with college numbers.
| # | Name | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1607 | Brigadier-General Jocelyn Lacroix | 2006 | Current Commandant |
| 6496 | Brigadier-General (Retired) Charles Émond | 2005 |
|
| 8850 | Rear Admiral (Ret'd) David Morse | 2002 |
|
| 8790 | Brigadier-General Jean Boyle | 1991 | fighter pilot, and businessman |
| RMC became co-educational in 1980. | |||
| 2364 | Air Commodore Leonard Birchall | 1960s | Graduate courses were added in 1964. |
| 2184 | Rear-Admiral Desmond Piers | 1957 |
|
| 1137 | Brigadier-General D.R. Agnew | 1950 |
|
| 3521 | General Guy Simonds | 1949 |
|
| 749 | General Harry Crerar | 1942 |
|
| 151 | Maj-Gen Sir Archibald Macdonnell | 1919 |
|
| Colonel G.C. Kitson | 1896 |
|
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| Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Osbourne Hewett | 1876-1886 |
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- The Commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada is appointed ex officio as honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Governor General of Canada
[edit] Quotes
| # | Name | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| H22982 | Governor General Adrienne Clarkson |
|
| Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie |
|
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| General Maurice Baril |
|
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| H24263 | Dr. John Scott Cowan |
|
| S140 | Robert J. Giroux |
|
| 749 | General Harry Crerar |
|
| Honourable Gordon O’Connor |
|
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| Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Tupper (1886) |
|
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| 2951 | General (Ret'd) Ramsey M Withers |
|
[edit] Trivia
- Two stone gargoyles, Bill & Alphie, who resemble two famous WW1 cartoon characters appear at the south entrance of Yeo Hall.
- There is a torpedo monument on campus said to pointing in the direction of the shortest path to the United States.
[edit] Stamps
- Issued in 1976, a commemorative stamp depicts a Wing Parade in front of the Mackenzie Building and another depicts a Colour Party, with the Memorial Arch in the background
[edit] Coins
- Issued in 2001, a 5 cent coin commemorates the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.
[edit] External links
- The Official RMC Website
- The Division of Continuing Studies at RMC
- RMC's Alumni Website
- Unofficial Homepage of the RMC Paladins Varsity Hockey Program
- Royal Military College of Canada-Institutional Virtual Campus
- RMC Profile
- RMC Museum
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.rmc.ca/about_e.html About RMC
- ^ http://phmc.gc.ca/cmh/en/image_504.asp?page_id=548 Officer Cadet Dress Uniform
- ^ http://www.rmc.ca/other/rmc_band/audio/index_e.html
- ^ http://www.rmc.ca/other/museum/march_e.html
- ^ http://www.rmc.ca/other/museum/march_e.html
- ^ www.journal.dnd.ca/engraph/Vol2/no3/pdf/13-20_e.pdf Military Knowledge and Scientific Pursuits
- ^ http://www.nfb.ca/trouverunfilm/fichefilm.php?v=h&lg=en&id=51299
- ^ http://www.rmc.ca/news_avis/0502bg_e.html Historical Sketch of the Royal Military College of Canada
- ^ www.rmc.ca/other/museum/index_e.html Museum of the Royal Military College of Canada
- ^ http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/df3_e.cfm Canadian Heritage Flags
[edit] Other Articles
- Royal Military College Museum
- War Museum: Royal Military College of Canada
- Schoolfinder Royal Military College
- Truth, Duty, Valour: Canada Connects
- A Brief History of the Royal Military College Club
- Historical Sketch of the Royal Military College of Canada
- Royal Military College Of Canada: 1876 to Present, Dr. Cameron Pulsifer
- The Socialization of Cadets at the Royal Military College of Canada: A Conceptual Overview Phyllis P Browne (2004)
- RMC and the Profession of Arms: Looking Ahead at Canada's Military Universary H24263 Dr. John Scott Cowan
- 5992 Doctor A.J. Barrett Uneasy Partners, Hopeful Future-The Royal Military College Of Canada And The Canadian Defence Academy
- Across the bridge and over the wall: Queen’s and the Royal Military College Heather Grace
- Military Knowledge and Scientific Pursuits Royal Military College of Canada
- Preston, R.A. Canada's Royal Military College: A History of the Royal Military College, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
- H1877 R. Guy Smith Ed. As You Were! Ex cadets Remember Vol 1 & 2
- To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College since the Second World War, Ottawa, Presse de l'Université d'Ottawa, 1991.
- 4237 Doctor Adrian Preston; Dennis, Peter: Swords and Covenants Rowman And Littlefield Book honours the centenary of the Royal Military College of Canada 1976
- 19828 John-James Ford, (RMC 1995) wrote Bonk on the head, a novel that describes a fictional officer-cadet's life at RMC
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