Portraits of Honour Stops in Shilo

The Portraits of Honour mural was at CFB Shilo December 3^rd and 4^th, 2011. The mural was viewed by nearly 500 people. The Brandon and Neepawa Kinsmen and Kinette clubs also raised $18,000 for military and Kin charities. The massive mural features the hand painted portraits, by artist Dave Sopha, of the fallen Canadian Forces members who have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, including 20 from CFB Shilo.

Answering the Call For Help…Again

 While many people enjoyed a beautiful, hot Canada Day holiday weekend soldiers from CFB Shilo once again answered a call for help from their friends and neighbours. On July 2^nd, an initial 200 soldiers from the 2^nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI) and 1^st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) headed out to Souris, Manitoba to assist the town in shoring up its defences against a rapidly rising Souris River. The next day another 175 from 2PPCLI and Land Force Western Area Primary Reserve courses were called in to ensure the job of armouring dikes with sandbags could be done in time.  By the end of the day on July 4^th, the job of placing over 300 thousand sandbags was done.  Operation LYRE was the CF response led by Canada Command and conducted through JTF West to the flooding on the Souris River in Souris, Manitoba.

New Base Commander For CFB Shilo
Canadian Forces Base/Area Support Unit Shilo has a new Base Commander. The ceremonial parade took place Thursday, June 23, 2011 on the Leslie Parade Square at CFB Shilo.  Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Goodyear assumed command of the Base from Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Généreux.  Lt.-Col. Goodyear arrives in Shilo from Ottawa, where he served as the Command Comptroller for Deployed Operations with Canadian Forces Expeditionary Command Headquarters. Lt.-Col. Généreux will be heading to Washington, D.C., USA.

Change of Command at 1RCHA 

The First Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA), based at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, has a new commanding officer. The ceremonial parade took place Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 2:00pm at CFB Shilo.  Outgoing Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Young, handed over command of 1RCHA to Lieutenant-Colonel Lee Hammond. Lt-Col Hammond comes to 1RCHA from Edmonton, AB where he served with Land Force Western Area Headquarters. Lt-Col Young is heading to Ottawa for second-language training.

New Commanding Officer for 2PPCLI

The Second Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI), based at CFB Shilo, has a new commanding officer. The ceremonial parade took place Thursday, June 16 at 11:00 a.m. on the Kapyong Parade Square at CFB Shilo. Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Wright took over the reins from Lieutenant-Colonel Shane Schreiber. Lieutenant-Colonel Wright comes to Shilo from Edmonton where he most recently served at the headquarters of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. He is no stranger to Shilo as he previously served with 2PPCLI until 2007. He was awarded the Medal of Military Valour and the Meritorious Service Medal following his tour with A Company as part of the 1 RCR Battle Group in Kandahar Province in 2006-2007. 

CFB/ASU Shilo’s Race “Kar”

                                 
The Brandon Kiwanis Club held its’ annual soap-box derby Saturday May 28, 2011 in Brandon. For the first time CFB/ASU Shilo participated in the event with its’ own “race-kar”. The Shilo team from Base Engineering were joined by Military Police in representing the CF at the races. 

CFB Shilo Personnel Answer Call For Help

 In the very early hours of May 9^th, military personnel from 2PPCLI, based at CFB Shilo, headed out to answer a call for help in fighting historic flooding along the Assiniboine River in Manitoba. By the end of the day most of the field troops from Shilo were in Portage la Prairie or were on their way to help. Eventually about 1600 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from across western Canada would help residents along the Assiniboine River valley sandbag and shore up against flood waters estimated to be the highest in 300 years.

 

 Old School  Building Demolished

 The old walls of the former Princess Elizabeth High School came down in March. The building had well-served CFB Shilo for decades and is home to the memories of the many students who once graced its halls and classrooms.  Officially known as building T-100, it had stood long beyond its usefulness.

 

 

Supporting “Soldier On”

 

Sprucewoods, Manitoba based scenery and landscape artist Edna Loewen contributed a portion of her recent art sale to the “Soldier On” program. Edna donated $443.20 to the program which allows ill and injured CF personnel to return to full participation in physical fitness, health promotion and sport.

As she recently told the Shilo Stag, Loewen chose Shilo as a recipient because she wanted to do something for her neighbours. “I chose Shilo as we live just down the road. I was looking for something to give back to the Base, for what the soldiers do.”

Loewen held her art sale February 4 and 5 at the Shilo CANEX and made the donation to “Soldier On” February 14.

Shilo Makes Record Contribution to United Way

The Canadian Forces Base Shilo defence team announced Friday, January 14th it raised over $60,000 towards the 2010 fundraising campaign for the United Way of Brandon and District. A total of $60,956.41 was raised by soldiers, civilian employees, and their families during the campaign conducted from September to December 2010.

The amount was the largest ever made to the Brandon United Way by a workplace. The contribution was also the largest ever made by CFB Shilo. 

Most of the donations came through the payroll deduction option of fundraising. Other funds were raised through activities such as tire changing clinics, a road hockey tournament, raffles, and a minor hockey tournament held in the memory of fallen soldier Cpl Mike Seggie.