The Canadian Navy opened one of their ships to the public this weekend. HMCS Charlottetown was the centerpiece of a military recruiting fair at the old port.
The event, which was heavily advertised at Concordia, is part of the military’s efforts to replace retiring solders and increase the total size of the Forces by 11,000 members.
But not everyone agrees with the military’s recruiting efforts on university campuses. “This is the military’s largest recruiting campaign since the end of the Second World War,” said Alexandre Vidal of Operation Objection, a group opposed to military recruitment and research at universities and CÉGEPs. He said a lot of people who sign up to join the military don’t know what they’re getting into. “That contract, that 70-page document, it’s written in legal terms, it’s difficult to understand.” Vidal said the contract, which can last for as long as nine years can be almost impossible to get out of before it expires. Even after leaving the military former soldiers can be “remobilized.” While this is currently not used in Canada, Vidal points to the United States, “Over there it’s been massively applied, and about 80,000 former soldiers have been called back and have to go fight in Iraq.”
Student media look towards brighter future
As the tuition hikes loom over anglophone universities, student media hope they stay afloat. Student media organizations across…
