Members of the Canadian air force stationed with the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, check the electronic systems in a CF-18 Hornet. // Airman 1st Class Debbie Lockhart
From Edmonton to Winnipeg, Canadians are weighing in on a potentially contentious decision to change the Canadian Air Force back to the Royal Canadian Air Force.
According to reports, the conservative government wanted to highlight historic and traditional ties with the British crown and bring a bit of history back to the Canadian military. The Navy will also go back to being the Royal Canadian Navy.
Reuters report that the Canadians dropped the “royal” from their name in 1968 when they combined into The Canadian Forces. General Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defense staff, said in the story:
“The initiative to restore the historic names of Canada’s three former services is aimed at restoring an important and recognizable part of Canada’s military heritage,” Natynczyk said.
“These were the services that fought and emerged victorious from the Second World War and Korea and contributed to the defence of Europe and North America from the early days of the Cold War. These were also the services that paved the way in terms of international peacekeeping missions.”
Some politicians are not happy about it according to the article.
“I shall steadfastly refuse to call them Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force. Shameful. We are our own nation,” Ian Capstick, a former spokesman for the leftist New Democratic Party, tweeted on Monday.
Columnists across our northern neighbor’s land are divided on the issue. Some say it’s a welcome change and embrace of Canadian Heritage and others say it’s time Canada’s military belonged to Canada.
