9.12°C Vancouver

Aug 11, 2021 7:15 PM -

Admiral McDonald says he is returning as defence chief after misconduct investigation

Share On
admiral-mcdonald-says-he-is-returning-as-defence-chief-after-misconduct-investigation
Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, the new head of the Navy, addresses the audience at the Royal Canadian Navy Change of Command ceremony in Halifax, Wednesday, June 12, 2019. McDonald says he has decided to return to his position as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces after military investigators opted not to charge him following an investigation into his conduct. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Admiral Art McDonald says he has decided to return to his position as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces after military investigators opted not to charge him following an investigation into his conduct.

McDonald stepped down in February as chief of the defence staff as a result of a Canadian Forces National Investigation Service investigation into an allegation of misconduct.

But in a statement released by his legal team this afternoon, McDonald says he is returning to the position after the six-month investigation completely exonerated him and that he is returning to his post.

It was not immediately clear whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan were aware of McDonald's plan to take back command of the military from acting defence chief Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre.

The Liberal government has faced calls not to reinstate McDonald, with some experts and victim's advocates questioning the decision to have military police investigate Canada's top military officer.

McDonald in his statement says he co-operated fully during the investigation, and cited the need to respect due process in Canada.

Latest news

charges-laid-after-alleged-metro-vancouver-casino-fraud-scheme-totals-45-000-dollars
BCNov 19, 2025

Charges laid after alleged Metro Vancouver casino fraud scheme totals 45,000 dollars

Provincial anti-gang investigators say two Metro Vancouver residents are facing fraud charges following an alleged scheme that targeted multiple casinos across the Lower Mainland. British Columbia’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says it launched an investigation in April after casino operators reported irregular transactions involving tens of thousands of dollars. According to police, the activity took place over roughly two weeks between mid-March and April, generating about 45,000 dollars in alleged illicit proceeds. Investigators have not released detailed information about how
AlbertaNov 19, 2025

Albertans choose Banff’s Moraine Lake for upcoming Strong and Free licence plate

Alberta’s next generation of licence plates will feature one of the province’s most recognizable mountain landscapes after residents selected Moraine Lake as the new image. The provincial government said more than 240,000 people participated in an online vote, making this the first major redesign of the plate in more than four decades. The change follows the government’s earlier decision to retire the long standing Wild Rose Country slogan and replace it with Strong and Free, a phrase drawn from Alberta’s official motto and referenced in Canada’s national anthem. Officials say the up
canadas-emergency-alert-system-to-run-nationwide-test-today
CanadaNov 19, 2025

Canada’s emergency alert system to run nationwide test today

Canada’s Alert Ready system will issue a routine public test today, with messages scheduled to appear on television, radio and compatible mobile devices from late morning through early afternoon. The test is being coordinated by federal, provincial and territorial emergency officials to confirm that the national alerting infrastructure remains reliable. Officials say the semi-annual tests, held each May and November, allow emergency management teams to practise issuing alerts for situations such as severe weather, wildfires and Amber Alerts. In Western Canada, where communities in British Co
canada-post-outlines-plan-to-reduce-workforce-through-attrition-as-financial-losses-deepen
CanadaNov 19, 2025

Canada Post outlines plan to reduce workforce through attrition as financial losses deepen

Canada Post says it expects as many as 30,000 employees to retire or leave voluntarily by 2035 as the corporation moves to reduce its workforce and modernize its operations. The projection was shared at the Crown corporation’s annual meeting, where leaders described a decade of significant restructuring driven by declining mail volumes and growing financial pressures. President and CEO Doug Ettinger told attendees that the postal service will rely on attrition to downsize from the roughly 62,000 employees on staff at the end of last year. He said the approach is intended to manage change gra
joly-argues-canada-fell-short-on-industrial-gains-from-f-35-deal
CanadaNov 18, 2025

Joly argues Canada fell short on industrial gains from F-35 deal

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said on Parliament Hill that Canada has not secured adequate economic returns from its contract to purchase U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets. According to her, the government needs “more jobs created out of the F-35 contract.” Her remarks came as Swedish defence company Saab weighs establishing production in Canada to build its Gripen fighter jets — a proposal that could generate up to 10,000 Canadian jobs, Joly said. She added that Ottawa will carefully examine the offer. Canada has committed to buying 16 F-35A aircraft from Lockheed Martin as part of

Related News