BURST
For years, soldiers with an Ottawa military unit have operated a private Facebook account where they post photos of themselves in uniform exposing their genitals, as well as antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic and racist comments.
The Canadian Army confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen that it had started an investigation in December into the group that is known as the Blue Hackle Mafia. The group is made up of soldiers from the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa , a reserve unit that operates out of the Cartier Square Drill Hall on Queen Elizabeth Driveway.
The Blue Hackle Mafia has operated its Facebook page with around 200 participants for at least 14 years.
Some of the images posted show male soldiers in uniform exposing their genitals, others posing naked with Canadian Forces weapons or simulating sexual acts with each other in uniform. Some of the photos were taken at military installations. There are also derogatory sexual comments posted about former prime minister Justin Trudeau as well as discussions about raping grandmothers.
In other cases, posts disparage both Jews and Muslims.
In one posting the military personnel talk about getting together for drinks at an Ottawa bar. “All welcome (except the Jews of course),” the post noted.
The Ottawa Citizen provided screenshots of some of the postings to Canadian Army commander Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright on June 24, after which he confirmed that an investigation had already been started into the social media group.
“I can share that I am disgusted by the content of some of the posts published on this group,” Wright stated in an email to the Ottawa Citizen. “Posting such content runs counter to our values and ethics. I have reinforced with the chain of command the importance of our military disciplinary and administrative processes in addressing reported misconducts.”
Wright characterized the Blue Hackle Mafia Facebook group as featuring “abhorrent racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and antisemitic comments and images.”
Wright said that he expects all members of the Canadian Army to hold themselves to the highest standards. “I have ordered that any serving Canadian Army members currently on this social media group immediately cease their participation,” he added. “Further, I have issued direction to the Canadian Army chain of command to reinforce that this type of behaviour is unacceptable, and any member who engages in inappropriate behaviour should expect to face administrative and/or disciplinary consequences.”
Wright said he could not discuss the investigation into the Blue Hackle Mafia social media page as it was still ongoing.
Some of those depicted in the images are officers in the unit.
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh’s Own) serve as the city of Ottawa’s official regiment, according to the Canadian Forces. The regiment is tasked, as needed, to provide ceremonial guards of honour for visiting dignitaries and for national ceremonies and events.
During the Second World War, the King of England first allowed the Cameron Highlanders to wear the blue hackle on their headdress as a mark of their honour and fighting pride.
Over the last decade, the Canadian Forces has been mired in allegations of sexual assault , harassment, racism and homophobia. The resulting scandals prompted reports and inquiries by former Supreme Court justices Marie Deschamps and Louise Arbour, along with pledges by the military leadership to bring about change. In addition, a number of senior officers have faced charges or court proceedings for alleged sexual misconduct or assault.
But defence insiders say there is a sense in some areas of the Canadian Forces that the sexual misconduct scandals are now largely in the past, as news media reporting has decreased and a number of high-profile legal cases have either collapsed or ended in senior officers being found not guilty.
In 2022, the Ottawa Citizen reported that Arbour was told by Canadian Forces members that the military sees sexual and other misconduct cases as public relations problems that need to be managed to avoid negative media coverage rather than serious issues to be dealt with.
Many of the posts that Wright described as abhorrent were published by serving soldiers in the Cameron Highlanders in the midst of the military’s leadership efforts between 2015 and 2021 to crack down on such behaviour.
The links between the regiment and the City of Ottawa are more than 100 years old. Permission was granted in January 1882 for the regiment to adopt the motto of the City of Ottawa: “Advance.” This remains the motto of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and is worn on their badges.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe