50th Anniversary Committee Members

Program and its Highlights (revised July 13)

The 50th Anniversary Celebrations will provide the opportunity to renew memories and friendships. With a mix of social, military and commemorative events, you should return home both well fed and with more fond memories of our service together.

The Celebrations are spread over three days and two locations: Ottawa and Petawawa. In Ottawa, we will be focusing on old comrades and on the traditions of the Regiment and its future. In Petawawa, we will be going down memory lane and dedicating a memorial to the Regiment’s service there. The detailed program is laid out later. Here are its highlights.

The detailed program is laid out later. Here are its highlights. (scip and go direct to details)

The Guardroom. Open from 1130 to 2330 hours on Friday 25 July and from 1130 to 1800 hours on Saturday 26 July, the Guardroom will be the focal point of the Ottawa activities. Located in the NDHQ Warrant Officer and Sergeants’ Mess next to the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the Guardroom will be the place to meet with your friends and to tell lies about the past. The Ottawa Registration Desk is here and you will find snack foods, drinks, museum displays and be able to make kit shop purchases. A limited number of parking spots are available at Cartier Square. These are signed for your convenience.

Meet and Greet. Held in the Guardroom from 1600 to 2330 hours on Friday 25 July, the Meet and Greet will be an informal gathering of comrades and spouses. A hot and cold buffet will be served from 1700 to 1900 hours. (Tickets are required for the buffet.) After the Retreat Ceremony, you can return for further get together. Sandwiches will be available.

Retreat Ceremony. Again this year, the Ceremonial Guard has agreed to perform a Retreat Ceremony exclusively for the Regimental Celebrations. This performance will take place a short walk from the Guardroom.

Symposium on the future. The needs of our members and their spouses are changing as they age. At the same time, interest in the well being of the infantry as whole is increasing as the Army continues to be under great pressure to meet demanding tasks with fewer people. At this stage in the life of our Regiment and of the Regimental Association, we need a clear vision of the future and of where and how we can best devote our efforts to the common good. The Association Executive wants to examine these challenges and see how we can collectively respond to them and thereby enhance and extend our service to the lives of our members and to Canada. To explore our options, a Symposium chaired by Ian Douglas will be held in the Guardroom on Saturday 26 July from 1130 to 1300 hours. All past members of the Regiment are encouraged to attend and contribute their ideas.

Changing of the Guard. The VIP enclosure on Parliament Hill has been set aside for us for the Ceremony. The Guard marches on at 1000 hours.

Dinner/Dance. On Saturday evening from 1800 to 2400 hours a dinner/dance will be held at the National Convention Centre. The purpose of this event is to celebrate our past and our future in an informal but traditional way. After cocktails, we will be piped into a four-course dinner with wine. Sitting with your friends, you will hear many of our old favorites from the band, and after dinner, dance to music from ‘our age’.

Petawawa visit. On Sunday morning at 0930 hours, charter buses will depart from the Cartier Square Drill Hall for CFB Petawawa. This trip is now much faster as many of the corners have been eliminated and Arnprior, Renfrew and Pembroke have been bypassed. At Petawawa, we will be the guests of the Petawawa Branch of the Regimental Association. We will meet first in the Base Warrant Officers and Sergeants’ Mess, a renovated and expanded ex - Regimental Home Station Sergeants’ Mess, for drinks and a light lunch. Following lunch, former serving members will form up and march a short distance to the music of the 2 CMBG Pipes and Drums and the Brass Band of the Royal Canadian Legion to the site of the old Regimental Band building. Here we will dedicate a memorial to commemorate the service of the Regiment. This memorial overlooks the site of the Regimental Officers’ and Sergeants’ Messes and the Regimental Depot. Canon Ken Maxted, a former officer of the Regiment, will conduct the service of dedication. Any donations received for the memorial will be eligible for a Receipt for a Charitable Donation in 2003. Following the ceremony, tours have been arranged to visit 3 RCR battalion lines and view the accommodation, personal kit, weapons and vehicles of our successors, and to see the changes that have taken place over the years on the base and visit the Regimental Museum. We plan to be back in Ottawa not later than 1830 hours.

Program of Events

Friday, July 25th

Time	Event	Place	Dress and Other Considerations
1130-1900	Registration	WO/Sgts Mess Ottawa (first floor)	Registration package issued (Name tags, event tickets, program)
1130-2330	Guardroom Open	WO/Sgts Mess	Cash Bar
1600-2330	Meet and Greet	The Guardroom	Dress – Mess Casual (ties are optional)
1700-1900	Buffet Dinner	The Guardroom	Tickets Required (in registration package)
1930-2100	Beat Retreat	Cartier Square Area	Retreat Ceremony led by the Band of the Ceremonial Guard, with kind permission of Major Daniel Fontaine.

Saturday, July 26th

Time	Event	Place	Dress and Other Considerations
1000-1630	Registration desk open	The Guardroom	For those who may not yet have registered or who have questions or need assistance.
0945-1100	Changing of the Guard	VIP Enclosure Parliament Hill	Dress – Blazer or smart casual. This is not an organized event but members are invited to the visitors’ enclosure – please bring your name tags
1130-1800	Guardroom Open	The Guardroom	Free time (see registration package for visitors’ brochures)
1130 - 1330	President’s Symposium on the Future	The Guardroom	Attendance open to all guests. Dress – Mess Casual
1800-2400	Anniversary Dinner/Dance	National Conference Centre	Tickets Required (in registration package) Dress – Suit/Blazer

Sunday, July 27th

Time	Event	Place	Dress and Other Considerations
0930	Buses depart for Petawawa	Cartier Square Drill Hall	Tickets Required (in registration package).
1130-1300	Registration and Luncheon	Petawawa Base WO/Sgts’ Mess	Registration will be available for those not registered in Ottawa. Tickets Required (in registration package) Dress – Blazer medals and beret (if you have one)
1330-1430	Dedication Parade	Petawawa Base WO/Sgts’ Mess and Memorial Site	Major The Reverend Canon Ken Maxted, OMM, CD, L.TH
1430-1645	Tour of Base, museum and new unit lines	WO/Sgts Mess	Former Regimental Lines, Museum.
1700-1830	Buses Depart for Ottawa ETA 1830	Base Petawawa WO/Sgts’ Mess Parking Lot	Buses will return to Ottawa

 The mail address is:

The Canadian Guards Association

PO Box 972, Station ‘B’

Ottawa, ON, K1P 5R1

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