National Defence Committee on Nov. 20th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Karen McCrimmon]

I'm calling this meeting to order.

I want to welcome the committee members and witnesses. Thank you for being here today.

Welcome to meeting number five of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Wednesday, October 14, the committee is meeting today to study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian Armed Forces operations.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of September 23. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. Just so that you are aware, the webcast will always show the person speaking, rather than the entire committee.

With that, I would like to hand this over to Major-General Dany Fortin, chief of staff of the Canadian Joint Operations Command.

I will ask you, General Fortin, to introduce your team. Thank you very much.

[Major-General Dany Fortin, Chief of Staff, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Department of National Defence]

Madam Chair and committee members, good afternoon.

Thank you for the invitation to discuss the role that the Canadian Armed Forces has played in this whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As mentioned, I'm Major-General Dany Fortin. I'm currently the chief of staff of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, which oversees the execution of domestic and expeditionary operations.

I am accompanied today by Rear-Admiral Rebecca Patterson, the commander of the Canadian Armed Forces health services group.

Also with me are Brigadier-General Conrad Mialkowski, commander of the 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (Central), headquartered in Toronto and

Brigadier-General Gervais Carpentier, commander of the 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East),

headquartered in Montreal.

We have been closely involved in the planning and execution of Operation Laser, the CAF response to the pandemic.

As COVID-19 evolved and took on global pandemic proportions last March, a great deal was unknown. The CAF and DND rapidly adopted measures designed to protect their own members and position the force to be able to respond effectively to the priorities of the Government of Canada in close co-ordination with our federal, provincial and territorial partners.

The CAF went through a wide range of scenario-based planning and prepared for a potential large-scale and enduring domestic response to pandemic-related requests for assistance across the country. Nonetheless, we also had to be poised for the possibility of having to simultaneously assist Canadians dealing with floods and wild fires during a pandemic.

We ensured that general purpose task forces were ready to deploy in each of our six regional joint task forces. Royal Canadian Air Force assets were assigned specific support roles and others put on reduced notice to move. Ships and crews were made available on each coast, and Canadian Rangers were activated to support the unique needs of our isolated communities.

At the peak of the first wave, thousands of service members, many with stay-at-home orders, were mobilized under a pan-national joint task force Laser. Others were dispersed and on standby to support.

The CAF has provided unwavering support to Canadians across the nation throughout this unprecedented crisis. Canadian Rangers were instrumental in reinforcing the public health measures in their communities. Logistics experts helped Public Health Agency colleagues strengthen the medical PPE chain, and Canadian Armed Forces health professionals assisted with contact tracing, among other things.

But what Canadians may remember the most was our support to long-term care facilities. In April, the Government of Canada received requests for assistance in managing the deteriorating situation in long-term care facilities in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

From April to June 2020, the CAF deployed approximately 1,700 medical and non-medical support personnel in total to provide support to afflicted long-term care facilities identified by provincial authorities. These members, who included a number of CAF medical personnel, were properly trained and were equipped with medical-grade PPE. This ensured that they were prepared to carry out this non-standard military task to safely and effectively support a uniquely vulnerable population. Our effort helped curb the crisis and stabilize the situation in a total of 54 facilities: 47 in greater Montreal and seven in the greater Toronto area.

Our CAF members exemplified selfless service while working alongside dedicated health care workers, contributing to saving many lives.

The leaders have an ultimate obligation to the troops they lead to ensure they are as protected as they can be. As I previously mentioned, all of our troops were provided with approved medical grade PPE and were trained in its use. Still, 55 Canadian Armed Forces members—41 in Quebec and 14 in Ontario—working in long-term care facilities tested positive for COVID-19. All recovered and none have required hospital care.

We also recognized that this deployment could affect our members mentally as well as physically. So we mobilized mental health support during the deployment to ensure that those who needed it had access to that support.

As previously stated to the committee by my colleague Major General Cadieu, CAF members assigned to long-term care facilities had a duty to report their findings while taking immediate corrective action alongside civilian colleagues to provide dignified care and avoid becoming threat vectors themselves.

Let me close by acknowledging that we have all learned a great deal over the last months, as have Canadians. The safety, well-being and resilience of CAF and DND personnel are always our paramount concern. CAF and DND remain poised to support Canadians alongside our colleagues in other departments and agencies. Lessons from the first wave were internalized. We have since procured more PPE and are in the process of gaining our own testing capability.

Today, liaison officers are engaged with our federal, provincial and territorial teammates to ensure a shared awareness and anticipate government contingency planning. CAF personnel are supporting the Public Health Agency of Canada with a plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The CAF has carefully resumed recruiting and training, both distributed and in CAF establishments across the country, with strict adherence to health protection measures.

The CDS and the deputy minister gave direction to the CAF and the Department of National Defence to adopt robust risk mitigation, protect the force and stand ready to conduct operations in support of the nation.

Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, we look forward to taking your questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karen McCrimmon]

Thank you, Major-General Fortin.

We'll start the round of questions.

Ms. Gallant, the floor is yours.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

NATO member nations must not allow a health crisis to become a security crisis. I can tell you that my colleagues in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Latvia are most grateful that we have continued our missions to Latvia.

On a previous flight to Latvia, the plane was forced to turn around due to concern that passengers may have been exposed to the virus.

How, if at all, have the pre-boarding protocols been changed?

[MGen Dany Fortin]

Madam Chair, thank you for the question.

We have adopted procedures to ensure that people are properly isolated and don't pick up threat vectors as they are about to embark on a mission like this. In spite of our best efforts, there was a concern that someone may have been in contact with a person with COVID-19 as they moved as a group towards the point of embarkation in the aircraft. It was then deemed appropriate for the plane to return and have proper measures put in place.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Does the—

[MGen Dany Fortin]

The mission has since resumed.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

—military have access to rapid testing for its members?

[MGen Dany Fortin]

I will turn it over to Rear Admiral Patterson who can expand on this in a second.

I would add that our contribution to those missions has continued and we've taken the necessary steps to ensure that we're not threat vectors in the areas where we perform our tasks.

Admiral Patterson.

[Rear-Admiral Rebecca Patterson, Commander, Canadian Forces Health Services Group, Department of National Defence]

The Canadian Armed Forces, since the beginning of the COVID crisis, has been acquiring slowly but surely, along with the rest of Canada, testing capability. Our testing capability right now focuses on looking at where the cases are positive. It's called operational testing for surveillance purposes. However, we continue to use the public health system in the province in which Canadian Armed Forces members find themselves, for both diagnosis and reporting to us on how cases are doing in terms of COVID positivity in the forces.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Madam Chair, the witness did not answer my question.

I specifically asked whether or not our Canadian Armed Forces members have access to rapid testing.

[RAdm Rebecca Patterson]

Madam Chair, our Canadian Armed Forces members have access to rapid testing through both the civilian system and surveillance testing through the forces.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Do the tests come from Canada or other countries that are allowing their citizens to protect themselves with rapid testing?

[RAdm Rebecca Patterson]

In order to provide the response that our distinguished parliamentarian is looking for, I'd like to take that question on notice.

Thank you.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you.

When our soldiers are abroad, do they have access to rapid testing? If so, are those tests available from another country—another NATO member perhaps—when they're on a NATO mission, or is it strictly through Canada?

[RAdm Rebecca Patterson]

Madame Chair, that's a question that, again, I can certainly provide initial opening comments on. If you wish to have further detail, again, we can provide that for you.

As we roll out our Canadian capability, our ability to do surveillance testing is focusing on deployed operations first. For instance, we have deployed testing capability with the Royal Canadian Navy. We have it at sites where people will embark, in places such as Trenton. Otherwise, we are using testing locations wherever Canadian Forces members find themselves.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Garrison Petawawa is in my riding. Since the spring there appears to have been a noticeable reduction in the tempo of military training. When will normal training operations resume at Garrison Petawawa?

[MGen Dany Fortin]

Madam Chair, this is one that I will turn over to my colleague, General Mialkowski, in a second. Before I do, let me tell you that, generally speaking, we have adopted very rigorous measures to ensure that we protect ourselves and are not becoming threat vectors, as previously mentioned. As more public health measures are applied, the right amount of PPE is made available to ensure that we safely conduct our training activities.

In Base Petawawa proper, there are a significant number of troops that have prepared and deployed to operations. General Mialkowski can expand on this. It is clear across the country that we're doing things differently. While we've resumed the training, not everything has resumed. We've taken the steps to ensure that we do this safely. The things that can be distributed are done through this process. Groups are smaller, and the collective training—the training as a group—is done with a very robust application of public health measures.

Always key to the application of any type of measures or conditions set is robust leadership, applied to all levels. Leaders are very much aware of the things they need to do to protect the troops and ensure that we are mission-ready.

I'll turn it over to General Mialkowski, if I may.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karen McCrimmon]

A quick response, please.

[Brigadier-General Conrad Mialkowski, Commander 4th Division and Joint Task Force (Central), Department of National Defence]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

In terms of training at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, as Major General Fortin pointed out, there's a certain element in terms of the fact that this is a high readiness year for the troops stationed in Petawawa. Currently they have people deployed in Latvia and Ukraine, as well as in the Middle East. There would be a natural tendency for a decline in the training tempo at the base.

Equally, with COVID, we have focused training solely on the performance of principal combat skills and leadership skills, and we have diminished the amount of training to ensure that we continue to have a healthy force.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karen McCrimmon]

Thank you very much for that.

Mr. Bagnell.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you very much, Madame Chair.

Pass on my gratitude, again, to the military for your work to keep us safe in always dangerous situations. I'm sure the last thing you needed was more danger, added by COVID.

As you probably know, I represent a northern riding, an Arctic riding. I'm just wondering if any countries that have Arctic ambitions, such as China, Russia or any others, have taken advantage of COVID to try to press their agenda in the north.

[MGen Dany Fortin]

This is a multi-faceted problem set, so let me just take on a very narrow, focused view.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone equally and certainly has affected potential adversaries. In this great power competition setting that we're in, it's certainly affected countries that may have northern or Arctic ambitions as well. We saw no degradation in our ability to project our forces. What you would anticipate happening in the Arctic, with our great Canadian Rangers and with the deployments of navel assets in activities such as Operation Nanook, has continued with no degradation.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you very much.

Just broadening the scope of the question, I wonder if, around the world, any country has tried to take advantage of COVID-19 to advance its objectives, in any of the 27 parts of the world where Canadian forces are presently active or stationed, that would make it more dangerous.

[MGen Dany Fortin]

I would say that, as I mentioned earlier, if COVID has affected everyone in the problem set that we just discussed, it equally has affected areas in which we operate in such a way that some of the training activities, some of the engagements, were curtailed by the nation in which we worked because of the high prevalence of COVID or a high number of COVID cases.

I would add that, while I mentioned earlier that we saw no degradation in our ability to conduct force projection activities and participate in a number of activities, such as our strategic airlift that saw no degradation, our support to NATO and our activities in terms of force projection in countries such at Latvia and Romania with the air task force as well as ships, have gone without any degradation.