Today, the Minister of Defence, the Honourable Anita Anand visited 2nd Canadian Division Support Base (2 CDSB) Valcartier outside Quebec City. Minister Anand was welcomed to 2 CDSB Valcartier by Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis, Acting Commander of the Canadian Army. 2 CDSB Valcartier, formerly Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, hosts the units from 2nd Canadian Division, including troops which supported Quebec through the COVID-19 pandemic through Operation LASER and Operation VECTOR, and responded to floods and fires in the province through Operation LENTUS. 2 CDSB Valcartier has been a pivotal site for the Canadian Armed Forces for over 100 years, when it was founded as the primary training base for the First Canadian Contingent during the First World War.
During her visit, Minister Anand attended an engagement with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, along with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Lithuania and Estonia, and the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. Minister Anand also met with and thanked several personnel from the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG), who have recently returned from deployment on Operation REASSURANCE. She emphasized Canada's commitment to NATO, and Operation REASSURANCE's role in supporting global security and the rules-based international order.
Minister Anand visited the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) to meet with the Centre's staff and families. Minister Anand underscored that the heart of the military is the people within and that military families are the "strength behind the uniform". The work that MFRCs do to support military families is crucial to ensuring that the community that surrounds our Armed Forces have support when and where required.
After visiting the MFRC, Minister Anand stopped at Camp Vimy (2 CDSB Valcartier) to meet new recruits, over one-third of whom are women. She also met the Camp's Commanding Officer and witnessed a training exercise during a tour of the site. Minister Anand also visited 2 CDSB Valcartier's Conflict and Complaint Management Services and thanked the staff there for their work to ensure that those at the Base feel safe, respected and protected.
