Royal Military College of Canada

Royal Military College of Canada

Motto	Truth, Duty, Valour
Type	Military college
Established	1876
Chancellor	S157 Hon. Peter MacKay (ex-officio as Minister of National Defence)
Principal	H24263 Doctor John Scott Cowan
Commandant	12192 BGen Tom Lawson (RMC ‘79)
Undergraduates	1,040 full-time, 3,000 continuing education
Postgraduates	660
Address	PO Box 17000, Station Forces Kingston, Ontario Canada K7K 7B4 , Kingston , Ontario , Canada liaison@rmc.ca
Campus	Waterfront
Tag line	A University with a Difference
Colours	Red and White
Nickname	Paladins
Affiliations	AUCC, IAU,AUFC,COU,CIS,CVU, PPC, UArctic
Mascot	Paladins
Website	www.rmc.ca

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), is the military academy of the Canadian Forces and is a degree-granting university. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers. Located on Point Frederick, a 41-hectare peninsula in Kingston, Ontario, the college is a blend of older, historic buildings and modern academic, athletic and dormitory facilities. Officer Cadets are trained in the four pillars of academics, military, athletics and bilingualism (French and English).

Mission statement

File:Aerial RMC.jpg

Aerial view of the Royal Military College of Canada.

RMC will build on its strengths to rank among the best of national and international universities recognized for:

• The outstanding quality of undergraduate and postgraduate students and programs in arts, engineering, science and the military profession,
• The intellectual value of scholarship and research by faculty and students,
• The outstanding service of Canada’s only “national university” and its graduates to the building of the nation.

Priorities

The RMC priorities are:

• To build high quality, world-class programs in areas of importance to the Canadian Forces and to Canada,
• To promote national and international collaborations and partnerships, and
• To promote interdisciplinary co-operation.

Academics

RMC's Mackenzie Building at Night

Today, the RMC mission is to educate, train and develop Officer Cadets for leadership careers of effective service in the Canadian Forces. For most students, education is free and a monthly salary is paid which meets incidentals. The courses are offered both on site and by distance learning in both official languages: English and French.

RMC offers 20 undergraduate degrees, and 34 graduate opportunities, including 14 doctorates. In addition to the Faculty (university) of Arts, Engineering, and Science, the Division of Continuing Studies offers undergraduate and graduate level programs including the “Officer Professional Military Education Program” (OPME).

RMC was the first college in Canada to train engineers. RMC is renowned for the high calibre of its engineering curriculum, and cadets can choose to specialize in the following disciplines: Aeronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering (Hardware or Software streams), Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

Other areas of study include Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Space Science offered by the Faculty of Science as well as English, French, Economics, Political Science, History, Business Administration, Military theory, and Military strategy studies offered by the Faculty of Arts.

Faculty of Engineering

• Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Arts

• Humanities (English, History, or French)
• Social Science (Politics and Economics)
• Military and Strategic Studies
• Business Administration
• Language Centre

Faculty of Science

• Mathematics and Computer Science
• Physics
• Chemistry,
• Space Science

Faculty of Continuing Studies

• Continuing Studies Division - RMC Saint-Jean
• Graduate Studies and Research

Centres and Institutes

Canadian Forces Language Schools

Founded in 1958, the mission of the Language Schools at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, Ottawa, Ontario and Borden, Ontario is to provide language training for military personnel.

Canadian Forces Leadership Institute at RMC

• Founded in September 1999, the Leadership Institute on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada mission is to be the source from which radiates the philosophy of leadership and command that drives the Canadian Officer Corps. The Institute play a role in the overall development of all CF officers and Non Commissioned Members.

Canadian Forces Management Development School (CFMDS)

• Founded in 1966, the mission of the CFMDS is to apply management and leadership training and consultation to the defence team. The CFMDS is housed at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean.

Centre for Automotive Materials and Manufacturing at Queens and RMC

• The mission is to support and promote research and education in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing at Queen's University and at RMC

Centre for International Relations at Queens

• Established in 1975, the mission is to conduct research in matters of national and international security and other aspects of international relations. The Centre has strong links with the RMC..

Centre for Space Research at RMC

• The mission is to create an environment to promote active space research programs and thereby provide support for Space Science and other space-related degree programs and activities.

Fuel Cell Research Centre at Queens and RMC[9]

• The mission is to advance the knowledge base for addressing the key technology challenges to the commercialisation of fuel cell applications.

GeoEngineering Centre at Queens and RMC[9]

• Founded in 2001, the GeoEngineering Centre at Queens and the RMC mission is to innovate and advance knowledge in geotechnical, geohydrological, geochemical, geomechanical and geosynthetics engineering. The Centre has been housed on the first floor of Ellis Hall at Queen's University since July 2004.

High Performance Computing Consortium (HPCVL)

• Led by Queen's University, the HPCVL mission is to provide supercomputer power to a number of universities in Eastern Ontario: Queen's University, RMC, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Researchers are provided with the computational power needed to solve increasingly complex problems.

Institute for Defence Resources Management at the Royal Military College of Canada

The mission is to make available the most recent and relevant research results from the study of defence economics to Canadian defence policy analysis and decision-making.

Institute for the Environment at RMC

• The mission is to become the principal provider of expertise related to environmental issues within the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces (DND/CF). The Institute provides Environmental training through short courses, distance education, or as part of undergraduate or graduate programs.

Squadrons

The undergraduate student body is sub-divided into 14 smaller groupings called squadrons, of approximately 70 officer cadets, under the guidance and supervision of senior cadets. Squadrons are subdivided into flights and sections.

Squadron #	Name	Honours	Year
1	Hudson	Henry Hudson, who explored Hudson bay in 1610 on his ship the Discovery	1948
2	LaSalle	René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle French explorer and first commandant of Fort Frontenac	1948
3	Pontiac	Chief Pontiac, the leader of Ottawa, Ojibway and Pottawatomi peoples who led the North West Rebellion in 1763.	1955
4	Frontenac	Louis de Buade de Frontenac Governor of New France established the first fort in Kingston, Ontario in 1673	1948
5	Brock	Major General Sir Isaac Brock, British General who was the "Savior of Upper Canada" in that his aggressive defence saw the capture of Detroit and the surrender of an American army in 1812. He was killed in the War of 1812.	1950
6	Brant	Joseph Brant and Mollie Brant. Joseph was a Mohawk leader and British military officer of the American Revolution	1955
7	Wolfe	General James Wolfe British military officer during the Seven Years’ War who commanded the army that defeated the French in 1759 and captured Quebec City, actions that led to the downfall of New France in 1760.	1955
8	Mackenzie	Alexander Mackenzie, an explorer and fur trader, was the first man to cross the continent and reach the Pacific Ocean. The Mackenzie River is named after him.	1973
9	Vercheres	Madeleine de Verchères, a 14 year old heroine of New France, defended the seigneury at Vercheres against an Iroquois attack in 1691.
10	Montcalm	General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, Marquis de Saint-Veran, Commander of the French forces in North America during the Seven Years’ War	1955
11	Cartier	Jacques Cartier a navigator and explorer of the Saint Lawrence River area
12	Fraser	Simon Fraser, explorer of the Vancouver area
13	Jolliet	Louis Jolliet, explorer of the Mississippi River area.
	Otter	General Sir William Dillon Otter, the first Canadian General, served in all ranks from Private to General. He commanded a force in the North West Rebellion and was the commander of the first Canadian contingent to South Africa. Just as did General Otter, the University Training Plan Non Commissioned Member cadets come from the ranks.

Admission requirements

Plan of Fort Frontenac 1685

To be eligible to enter RMC, candidates must meet the course requirements for one of the undergraduate programs in Kingston, Ontario or the preparatory year in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. In addition, they must meet the Canadian Forces' general admission conditions (officer):

• Be a Canadian citizen
• Be 16 years old on January 1 of the year of enrolment
• Pass the medical
• Pass the pre-enrolment tests
• Pass the enhanced reliability check
• Pass the Initial Assessment Period (IAP)

RMC recruits well-rounded students in the areas, which correspond to the four components. In addition, RMC gives extra weight to those applicants with second-language skills, although this is not a requirement.

RMC's application process, which is independent from that of the Ontario Universities' Application Centre, uses a separate application form. The Selection Board informs applicants no later than mid-May. Applicants are accepted into the Science, Engineering Program or Arts Program.

Continuing studies

The mandate of the RMC Division of Continuing Studies is to make university education available to all members of the Canadian Forces, spouses and DND civilian employees. CF and other professional training is recognized for credit towards undergraduate or advanced degrees. Continuing studies courses are available via:

• classroom delivery,
• paper-based correspondence course,
• Internet or
• on Compact Disk.

Unique degree programs, specially tailored for CF members, include:

• Bachelor of Military Arts & Science,
• Master of Defence Management and Policy, and
• Master of Arts in War Studies.

Research and partnerships

The RMC was named Research University of the Year in the Undergraduate category by Research Infosource Inc., which produces Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List 2007. Half the points were awarded based on financial indicators and the other half based on research output and impact measures.

In the Engineering and Science Divisions, RMC pursues the following principal thematic areas of research:

• Information Technology, Communications, Microelectronics and Chip Technology,
• Environment,
• Energy and Energy development,
• Advanced Materials engineering,
• Geotechnical Engineering, and
• Fluid Mechanics and Engineering.

• The RMC Green Team provides internal consultants on environmental issues:
  • water,
  • wastewater, and stormwater management,
  • composting,
  • renewable energy and
  • energy reduction.

In the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions, RMC pursues research and activities in:

• Military history,
• Political science and international security,
• Peacekeeping and peacemaking,
• Comparative government, international relations and ethical code of conduct in conflict,
• Leadership, and
• Economics.

• The RMC Centre for Security, Armed Forces and Society (CSAS-CESFAS) provides a focal point for research conducted within the Faculty of Arts and facilitate the transfer of knowledge between the Department of National Defence, other research institutions, scholars and Canadian civil society.

In the Department of Applied Military Science (AMS), RMC pursues:

• the Land Force Technical Staff Programme (Captains & Majors);
• the Technical Warrant Officer Programme (Warrant Officers & Master Warrant Officers).

Military education and training

88mm gun monument at the Royal Military College of Canada.

Students are referred to as Officer Cadets (OCdt) in English and as Élève-officier (élof) in French, or for those in the Navy, Naval Cadet (NCdt) and Aspirant de marine (aspm). As an RMC cadet, military training begins with Phase I with the Initial Assessment Period (IAP) at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School Saint-Jean. During this ten-week period prior to the first academic year, the cadets take the first half of the Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC). The second half of BOTC, called the Basic Officer Training Period (BOTP), is a seven-week course held during the summer period between first and second years. After the completion of BOTP, those cadets who are not yet bilingual are usually enrolled in a seven-week period of Second Language Training (SLT) at Canadian Forces Language School Detachment Saint-Jean. The remaining summers are spent completing Phase II, which are environmental training courses (depending on whether the cadet is Army, Navy or Air force). On the job training courses are also available to a number of cadets during the summer periods. During Phases III and IV, students take trade specific training courses.

Army training relates to, for example, combat engineering and logistics. Naval training covers navigation and naval engineering. Various military science courses and programs stress doctrine, campaigning, strategy, weapons systems and military law.

First Year Orientation Period

First Year Orientation Period, (FYOP) is the most demanding experience for many cadets' RMC, if not military, career. FYOP takes place during the first month of the academic year. It can be compared to Frosh week at civilian universities. FYOP begins with the Arch parade where the entire First Year class is marched onto College grounds by their FYOP staff consisting of Third and Fourth Years.

During the course of FYOP, First Year cadets are required to keep an exceptionally high standard of dress and deportment. They are required to march at all times. Physical Training is conducted, with long runs up neighbouring Fort Henry, Ontario hill a frequent occurrence. Inspections of room standards and dress are also frequent. For the duration of FYOP, First Years are not permitted to leave RMC or receive visitors. Mail and phone calls are allowed but are limited.

The culmination of the FYOP is the Obstacle Course. The Obstacle Course lasts a little over an hour, consists of thirteen obstacles built by each squadron located around the college grounds. Obstacles such as a 12-foot wall and truck pulling are designed to test teamwork and physical fitness of First Years. The First Year flights are judged on the time it takes to complete each obstacle. The completion of the obstacle course signals the end of FYOP. Afterwards, First Years are given a parade where they are officially welcomed into RMC and join the Cadet Wing. Cadets are then allowed to see their friends and relatives after a month, and allowed the freedom to leave college grounds under the condition that they wear their College uniform.

Law

The Military Law Centre on the grounds of RMC, staffed with 12 military lawyers, oversees the education of officers and troops in legal matters ranging from the Forces' own code of conduct to the laws of war. It trains military lawyers and advises Ottawa on matters of policy and doctrine. The centre integrates legal education into the regular training that Forces members undergo and establishes its growing importance within the military hierarchy. Selected RMC Canada cadets participate in Law Of Armed Conflict international Competitions each fall with cadets from USAFA, USMA, USNA, and USCGA. In the Spring of 2008, RMC cadets will be selected to participate in a competition on the Law of Armed Conflict at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy.

Athletics

Royal Military College of Canada Cadets perform human pyramid in 1901

Main article: RMC Paladins

Young Memorial Lecture

Established by 2552 Major (Ret'd) Bill Young (RMC 1936) and Joyce Young, the J.D. Young Memorial Lecture and other activities by the Young Memorial Visitor honour the memory of 2360 Major John Douglas (Doug) Young (RMC 1937) who was killed in action on D-Day, as well as his father, the late Maj.-Gen. James V. Young (RMC 1911). Major Doug Young, having no known grave, is commemorated in the Bayeux Memorial in Calvados, France.

Campus

RMC in 1880

RMC is located on Point Frederick (Kingston), a small peninsula at the point where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario and where the Rideau Canal system starts.

The location has been an active military base since 1789 and was an important Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard during the War of 1812.

RMC Campus in 1920

Point Frederick includes three National Historic Site Designations: the 1920s Royal Navy Dockyard, the Point Frederick Buildings and Kingston Fortifications.

The Stone Frigate, a large stone building completed in 1820 by Sir Robert Barrie, was designed to hold gear and rigging from British warships dismantled in compliance with the Rush-Bagot Agreement. It served as a barracks briefly in 1837-38, and was refitted as a dormitory and classrooms to house RMC by 1876.

Student Life

Canadian officers in mess dress or mess kit. Miniature medals and other accoutrements are also worn.

• In fall 2008, Royal Military College officer cadets will return to wearing a distinctive Dress of the Day (DOD) uniform which consists of a white shirt, black sweater/light jacket, as well as black trousers/skirt with a red stripe down the side. The headdress will be a black wedge with red piping.
• The RMC Cadet Service Officers Mess, has facilities for social and recreational activities. Mess dress is worn in the evenings or formal occasions.
• RMC cadets produce the campus newspaper, the Precision while the alumni association produces Veritas and e-Veritas.
• The Baronial Hall or Currie Hall, which was constructed in 1922 to honour the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I play a prominent role in the life of the University. During special events, invited speakers and dignitaries may address the University population or general public from the Great Hall. Many conferences held in Kingston, Ontario may book the halls for lectures or presentations.

File:Canex logo.gif

CANEX logo.

• The CANEX is a small store for personal articles, souvenirs, snacks and dry cleaning.
• Bill & Alphie's is the on-campus cadet pub in Yeo Hall.
• The campus is on the shore of Lake Ontario and has easy access to two lake-front parks, favourite locations for students to relax and unwind. The campus is also located approximately 10 minutes' walk from the city's downtown.

Summer programs

foil

The facilities are used during the summer for:

• HMCS Ontario, a Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre
• "Can you dig it?" a week long archaeology summer camp.
• Conferences and sporting events
• Summer athletic and fencing camps

Features and buildings

Panorama of the Royal Military College of Canada

Building	Date	Description	Honours
Anderson fieldhouse		Sports Centre	Maj General WB Anderson, #359 former cadet and commandant
Blacksmith's Shop	1838	Served as College Blacksmith's Shop then gymnasium until it was demolished in 1912
Cavalry House		Former home of the Equestrian Program, now home to the War Studies Department
Commemorative Arch	1923	Triumphal arch monument, funded by the RMC Club	honours the Lady and Gentlemen Cadets who have died in combat or while attending the College.
Commandant's house	after 1812	The oldest portion is the surgeon's house, not the wood-framed 1812 naval hospital, as is commonly believed Commandant's house was built from stone after 1812,
Constantine hockey arena	1960	Sports Centre	Lieutenant General CF Constantine, #621 former cadet, commandant, hockey player and coach
Currie building	1922	Annex to the Mackenzie Building housing Currie Hall, the Language Centre Contains administrative offices and Otter Squadron - University Training Plan Non Commissioned Members (UTNCM).	Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie, National Historic Person of Canada
Dockyard bell		The dockyard bell, which was in front of the Stone Frigate, is now in the RMC Museum. Originally mounted on a pole beside the dockyard gate, was used to ring out navy time. In use up until the final shutdown of the navy yard in the 1850s. The bell went to St Mark's Church in Barriefield and it came back down (to RMC) in 1976.
Fort Brant	2008	Dormitory, houses 9 Squadron (Verches) and Otter (UTPNCM) Squadron.	Joseph Brant, and Mollie Brant Mohawk leaders of the American Revolution. Joseph was a British military officer
Fort Champlain	1965	Dormitory, houses 10 Squadron (Montcalm). Formerly housed 5 (Brock), 6 (Brant) and 7 (Wolfe) Squadron, then 8 (Mackenzie), 9 (Verches), 10 (Montcalm), 11 (Otter), and 12 squadron	Samuel de Champlain, famous explorer and founder of Quebec City
Fort Frontenac	1673	Site of 1673 French fort, captured by British 1758; Fort Cataraqui.	Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1923
Fort Frederick (Kingston)	1790	A fortification consisting mostly of earthworks (engineering) with a North wall of stone masonry. Contains one of the Martello Towers, which houses the RMC museum	Frederick, Prince of Wales
Fort Haldimand	1950	Dormitory, built between 1949-50, currently closed for renovations until newly re-opened in 2007, now houses 11 and 12 squadron. Originally contained sports stores, swimming pool, admin offices, locker rooms, medical facilities and dormitories	Sir Frederick Haldimand, former governor of Quebec
Fort Lasalle	1913	Dormitory housing 2 (LaSalle), 3 (Pontiac), 4 (Frontenac) and 13 Squadrons. Originally called Fort Frederick Dormitory. The 'new wing' was built in 1925 and the 'coronation wing' was built in 1937.	René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle French explorer
Fort Sauvé	2001	Dormitory by Shoalts and Zaback Architects consisting of 4 storeys and 200 beds housing 5 (Brock), 6 (Brant), 7 (Wolfe) and 8 (Mackenzie) Squadrons.	Rt. Hon. Jeanne Sauvé, former Governor-General
Girouard building	1977	Academic building housing staff and classes in the bilingual program	Sir Édouard Girouard, RMC alumnus, railway builder, governor
Hewett House	1876	Commandant's house (site of Hewett House)	Edward O. Hewett, First Commandant
Interpretive Pavilion, funded by the RMC Club	2006	Sits adjacent to the Memorial Arch, tells the history of the Arch, and the College, located on the ‘Hero’s Trail’ along the waterfront	history of the College, and Fort Frederick
Kingston Fortifications	1673	Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989. Comprises: Fort Henry, Fort Frederick / Martello Tower, Murney Tower, Shoal Tower, Cathcart Tower	Protection for the Royal Naval Dockyard and the entrance to the Rideau Canal; War of 1812.
Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard	1789	Designated in 1928 as a National Historic Site of Canada	War of 1812.
Mackenzie building	1878	Centrepiece building of the college overlooking the parade square, features a mansard roof, and central tower flanked by projecting end towers. Designed by architect Robert Gage in a Second Empire style: elaborate and monumental.	Rt. Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, former Prime Minister
Massey building	1960	Academic building. Houses offices, classrooms, and library. Since 2006, Science, Engineering & Art libraries combined to create more classrooms in Sawyer.	Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey, former Governor General of Canada
Old gym	1903	The old gym is connected to the Stone Frigate by a covered walkway. Current salle d'armes and home of the RMC fencing team. Summer headquarters for HMCS Ontario (C53) Cadet Summer Training Centre. The basement was as an indoor firing range until very recently. National Defence is converting firing range space into a book storage facility in 2006/2007. The project will include abatement of lead dust and asbestos.
Old hospital	1903	Administrative building.
Panet House	1903	Houses the RMC Club, and RMC Club gift shop. Panet family members who attended RMC: 179 BGen A.E. Panet, CB, CMG, DSO; 255 MGen H.A. Panet, CB, CMG, DSO; 499 MGen Edouard de Bellefeuille Panet, CMG, DSO, ED, LLD, D.Sc. Mil; 985 Brigader Henri de Lotbiniere Panet, CBE; and 1474 LCol de Lotbiniere Harwood Macdonald Panet.	Lt Col. Charles-Eugène Panet (1829-98), Senator (1875), Deputy Minister of Militia (1875-98).
Parade square		centre of college and site of all formal parades
Playing fields		There are 2 football fields, 5 hard surface tennis courts, 2 softball diamonds, 3 soccer fields. In addition, the aquatic sports are played in Navy Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
Rideout Row or Hogans Alley	1908	early 20th century row housing, used as staff housing
Sawyer complex	1977	Academic buildings containing offices, classrooms, and science and engineering labs.	1557 Colonel William Reginald Sawyer, PhD (RMC 1924), Chemistry Professor (1935-41), Vice Commandant & director of studies (1948-1967)
Sir Archie Macdonell Athletic Centre		Athletic centre	1518 Sir Archie Macdonell (RMC 1919) former commandant
Stone Frigate	1819-20	designed by architect Archibald Fraser as Royal Dockyard naval supply storehouse Currently Dormitory-housing 1 Squadron, located to East of Parade Square.
Yeo Hall	1936	A multifunctional mess and recreation building built from 1934-36 Houses the Cadet Dining Hall and the Cadet Mess. RMC barber and Canadian Forces Exchange System (CANEX) are located in the basement.	Sir James Lucas Yeo, commander of Royal Navy forces in Canada during War of 1812

The Massey Library collection consists of approximately 135,000 books, 1,800 audio-visual items and 1,200 periodicals in English and French. The library possesses RMC historical materiel including cadet photographs, scrapbooks, collections, diaries, and letters. The major collections follow:

Collection	Year	Significance
Leadership	2006-present	donated by the class of 1956
John W. Spurr (former RMC chief librarian)	post WWII	Military science
Reginald E. Watters	1980-present	Canadian literature
General Harry Crerar (Commanding general of the First Canadian Army during WWII)	1939-1945	German language military and technical manuals

Dormitories

RMC has five dormitories, which are similar to most universities and provide the basic necessities. Organized by squadron, dormitories are co-educational with separate washrooms for men and women. Officer Cadets share a room in first year with someone who is proficient in the other official language.

Memorials and Traditions

Main article: List of Royal Military College of Canada Memorials

e.g. Triumphal arch; Trophies, Commemorative and Memorial Trees, Monuments, Plaques, and Others. This includes a list of RMC Traditions and RMC Militaria & Collectibles

Royal Military College of Canada Museum

Between 1922 and 1946, the RMC collections consisted merely of arms and military artefacts collections raised, built and maintained by either individuals or very small groups of veterans. Although there was a group of interesting military artefacts, there was no overall, coordinated story to tell. The museum, established in 1962, is located in Fort Frederick on the campus of the Royal Military College of Canada in the Fort Frederick Martello Tower. Fort Frederick is unusual because it has three stories while most Martello Towers only have 2.

The Museum mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display material relating to the history of the RMC, its former cadets and its site, the Point Frederick Dockyard. The museum contains collections of military memorabilia and military artefacts. The Museum holds, for example, the Douglas Arms Collection which was presented to RMC by Walter Douglas (RMC 1890) and the Leinster Plate A model of the 112-gun HMC St. Lawrence was recently donated.

The RMC Museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc. The RMC Museum is an accredited museum within the Canadian Forces Museum System. The museum has formed a cooperating association of friends of the museum to assist with projects.

History

The Royal Military College of Canada "was the first military college to be established in a colonial dependency and it had a double function, the preparation of cadets for civilian careers as well as for military commissions." Richard A Preston, Canada's RMC

Year	Significance
May 26 1874	Military College of Canada was established by an Act of the Canadian Parliament "for the purpose of providing a complete education in all branches of military tactics, fortification, engineering, and general scientific knowledge in subjects connected with and necessary to thorough knowledge of the military profession" in one of the Garrison Towns of Canada
June 1 1876	Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario opened its doors to the first class of eighteen officer cadets. The names of these "Old Eighteen" are memorized by all cadets today.
1878	Her Majesty Queen Victoria, granted the college the right to use the prefix "Royal."
1878	The first Commandant, Major Edward Osborne Hewett, chose the college motto, "Truth, Duty, Valour". The full dress uniform of an officer cadet has remained essentially the same; however, the Pillbox hat has replaced the shako. The pith helmet remains in use for Parade (military) only.
1878	Private schools were established to prepare boys for entrance to RMC, including the Rothesay Netherwood School and the Hillfield Strathallan College.
1884	The first recorded First Aid class taught in Ontario was held at the RMC.
1885	The RMC alumni association (RMC Club) was inaugurated
1886	The first annual RMC alumni dinner was held in Ottawa
1889	Leo the Royal Cadet is an opera composed by Oscar Telgmann and George Cameron
1891	The RMC Club Proceedings, the predecessor of The Review, the Log of HMS Stone Frigate, the Club Newsletter, and current Veritas was published
1894	Can You Tell Me The Reason Why?, a song about life at the Royal Military College of Canada, was written by #282 A.H.N. Kennedy (1888) & #287 B.H.O. Armstrong (1889)
1898	The RMC Club was incorporated under the Statutes of Ontario
1906	The tradition of the Roll Call, which continues today in the Old Brigade, began
1919	The RMC club decided to erect “a suitable memorial gateway” in memory of those ex cadets who have laid down their lives….”
1932	The RMC March (music), Precision (march) was composed by Madame Denise Chabot, the wife of an RMC staff member, Major C.A. Chabot. She was inspired by the sound of the cadets marching past married quarters. The College March for bagpipe is Alexander Mackenzie
1942	The last class at RMC for the duration of hostilities graduated, a final parade was held and the college colours were laid up in Saint George's Cathedral in Kingston, Ontario. For the remainder of the war the College served as a wartime training area, offering courses such as the Company Commanders Course, Military Intelligence Course, and the War Staff Course.
1948	RMC reopened with the "New One Hundred" cadets. Since World War II, RMC has broadened to cover a wide range of disciplines however RMC was originally oriented very heavily towards science and engineering. In the Post-War re-organisation of the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Military Colleges Circle (CMC) was formed with RMC, Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean(CMR)
1949	The RMC Club commemorated the fallen from the Second World War on two bronze plaques located on the flanking plinths of the Arch. Names of cadets lost in Korea, through peacekeeping and other operations were added as required.
1950	The Old Brigade, alumni celebrating 50 + years since they entered one of the military colleges, are inducted.
1952	CMR was established in order to conduct tri-service cadet training within the Canadian Forces.
1953	The RMC Band was founded. It includes the pipes and drums section, the brass and reed section, the choir, and a Scottish highland dance troupe.
1959	The province of Ontario granted a university charter to RMC by passing "The Royal Military College of Canada Degrees Act" enabling RMC to offer degrees in Arts, Science, and Engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
1959	The Canadian historian, #4393 Doctor Desmond Morton O.C., was the first graduate to receive his RMC degree.
1965	The RMC Flag inspired Dr. George F.G. Stanley, in his design for the new Canadian flag which was adopted in 1965.
1966	- a registered Canadian charity - was founded as an alumni charitable organization to perform fundraising in support of RMC.
1974	RMC celebrates its' centennial celebrations
1976	Commemorative Centennial Canada Post stamps depict a Wing Parade in front of the Mackenzie Building and a Colour Party with the Memorial Arch in the background 490 Brigadier F. H. Maynard, (RMC 1901) unveiled the RMC Club’s centennial gift, the statue now known as ‘Brucie.’ Maynard had served in France, Mesopotamia and India.
1980	In September, the first 32 female cadets are accepted into first year at RMC
1995	following the end of the Cold War and massive government cutbacks on defence spending, the Department of National Defence closed Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR). CMR now operates as part of ASU Saint-Jean as Campus St-Jean where preparatory year ("Prep year") cadets acquire the necessary academic standard needed to attend RMC. RRMC Royal Roads Military College is no longer a military institution, and is now maintained by the Government of British Columbia as Royal Roads University. The loss of CMR and RRMC along with their many traditions and history as military colleges still remains a bitter event for many cadets and alumni.
2000	Canadian Defence Academy (CDA), which oversees RMC, was established
2001	To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the founding of RMC, the RMC Foundation refurbished the Memorial Arch and the Royal Canadian Mint issued a 5-cent coin.
2003	The RMC celebrated the 125 year history of the college with a National Film Board of Canada Documentary, The Royal Military College of Canada - A History
2007	For every 2.5 undergraduate degrees, RMC now produces one graduate degree. The average civilian faculty member at RMC currently attracts over $121,000 annually in extramural research funding.

The Royal Military College in fiction and popular culture

The Royal Military College's central place in Canadian military circles has made it the setting for novels, plays, films and other cultural works.

• Timothy Findley’s fictional character Robert Ross in his WW1 novel ‘the Wars’ (Penguin Canada 2005) studied military law and trajectory mathematics at the Royal Military College of Canada. His novel won the Governor General's Award for fiction and was adapted into a play. In 1985, Timothy Findlay was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
• 19828 John-James Ford's protagonist in his coming-of-age novel 'Bonk on the Head' studied at the Royal Military College of Canada. The novel won the 2006 Ottawa Book Award in the English fiction category.
• Oscar Telgmann and George Cameron's 'Leo the Royal Cadet' is an opera written in 1889 in which Leo leaves his sweetheart Nellie to fight the Zulus in Natal.
• "Till we meet again", is a musical set in Montreal, Quebec during WW2. Each act features an interview with an ex Royal Military College of Canada cadet who is a Canadian army officer: after Dunkirk, after Dieppe and after Juno.

Notable faculty, alumni, and senior officers

Main article: List of Royal Military College of Canada people

Old Eighteen

The term "Old Eighteen" refers to the first class of cadets accepted into the Royal Military College of Canada.

AGG Wurtele	HC Freer	HE Wise	WM Davis	TL Reed	SJA Denison	LH Irving	F Davis	CA DesBrisay
VS Rivers	J Spelman	CO Fairbank	AB Perry	JB Cochrane	FJ Dixon	GE Perley	HW Keefer	D MacPherson

Quotes

#	Name	Quote
	General Maurice Baril (RMC 2007)	"Thousands of young officers have marched off its [RMC's] parade square and gone on to great achievements in politics, business and most importantly, on the battlefield"
7269	Robert E. Brown (RMC 1968) interviewed by Konrad Yakabuski	"A well-aged dankness in the Stone Frigate, the oldest dormitory at Kingston's Royal Military College, is reputed to be ideally suited to the cultivation of spiders, the common cold and a strong character. Residents of the 180-year-old former naval warehouse, which is separated from the other dorms by Parade Square, have long seen the ability to endure their barracks' inhospitable clime as a mark of fortitude."
	Sir Andrew Clarke, British inspector-general of fortifications, deceased	[RMC is] "one of the best of its class in the world . . . And the Americans themselves, I understand, say better than at West Point.” In 1893 Clarke commented that RMC graduates were better than those from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
H22982	Twenty-sixth Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.	"You will be called upon to take your place in modern Canada and in the modern world.... You will also be called upon to lead...and a leader must stand for something. You must not only be aware of who you are. You must also be defined by what you do."
	Brooke Claxton, former Defence Minister, deceased	"The role of the officer in modern war can only be properly discharged if they have education and standing in the community comparable to that of any of the other professions as well as high qualities of character and physique.” In 1947, Claxton reopened RMC as a 3-service cadet college offering a 4-year academic degree.
H24263	Dr. John Scott Cowan	"[T]his is an exercise in Nation Building: In the way that water transforms into ice by building around a single crystal, perhaps the new Canada could do worse than to build around the experiences and values of the new RMC."..."We educate those who pass through this place Royal Military College of Canada exactly so that they will fully understand and be a part of the culture they are called upon to defend."
749	General Harry Crerar CH, CB, DSO, KStJ, CD, deceased	"I am confident that The RMC Battalion of Gentlemen Cadets, which will be re-born after this war is over will typify in the future all the best College tradition we have known in the past"
	Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie, deceased	the "spirit" of the Royal Military College of Canada's graduates, "no less than their military attainments, exercised a potent influence in fashioning a force which, in fighting efficiency, has never been excelled."
	Captain A.G. Douglas, deceased	Suggested, in 1816, the establishment of a Canadian military college in Trois Rivieres, Ontario to unify the population, "to begin to work upon young minds of different... parties and persuasions" so "old prejudices would vanish not only among the students, but even among their relations, and a common interest would ensue"
	Henry Charles Fletcherdeceased	suggested, in a 1874 report to Governor-General Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, the establishment of 3 permanent officer training schools (Halifax, Nova Scotia Quebec, Quebec Saint John, New Brunswick) to serve all arms "the great contribution West Point had made could be duplicated in Canada by a similar institution in which officers of all arms would be trained together".
S140	Robert J. Giroux C.M., M.Sc.	"A degree from the Royal Military College is a living testament to the value of service and dedication."
S147	Hon. Bill Graham, Defence Minister	“RMC has a proud history of excellence and is fundamental in training future leaders of the Canadian Forces,”
19033	Major Nick Grimshaw (RMC’93)	"Overall, the training that I was involved in since graduating from RMC prepared me very well for my tour in Afghanistan. I found myself constantly relying on the basic principles of leadership. Leading by example was by far the most important aspect."
	Hon. Laurie Hawn (MP Edmonton Centre, Conservative Party of Canada)	"The professionalism of the Canadian Forces is, in large part, founded on learning and knowledge. The Canadian Defence Academy, the Military and Staff Colleges and the Royal Military College of Canada, all play a critical role in creating and ensuring knowledge in the defence community."
S148	General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)	"[At] the Royal Military College where a bulk of our new officers start their career, start their education, we have 200 spots open for August [2007]. We have 1,500 people who have applied and completed the application process to go to those 200 spots. That is a 7½ to one ratio and we get the opportunity to select the very best from it. As a result, our quality of applicants and the quality of the recruits, the level of fitness and the imagination and the success in completing the courses has skyrocketed in a way that we couldn't even dream about before." 2007 Speech at the National Managers' Forum
22862	Captain Jeremy A. Hiltz (RMC ‘04)	"…RMC never taught me how to lead a platoon attack or conduct a Shurah with local Afghan elders, but it has taught me three vital ideas that all officers should adhere to. Truth means leading soldiers from the front and being honest to them at all times. Duty means being there at the front when the bullets start flying because the private soldier that I have just told to assault an enemy position needs to know that I am committed to achieving the mission with him. Valour means taking the difficult orders and making them my own, in spite of the fear of the unknown or the chances that we are taking." Veritas article July 2007, p38
	Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie, deceased	Wrote Governor-General Dufferin, in 1878 "This belief led me to propose the establishment of a Military College modelled on existing similar institutions in England and the United States, with the expectation that when the first batch of Graduates were leaving the College. Means would be found to employ the Graduates in the Canadian Military Service"
490	Brigadier F. H. Maynard (RMC 1901), deceased	"I have always remembered with pride that I was a graduate of the RMC. What I learned there carried me through many dangers and difficulties and I wish to record here my gratitude to all who taught me and with whom I served at the RMC, Canada."
	Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence	"The Royal Military College is a higher education institution that plays an essential role for the Canadian Forces and for our country...Throughout the ranks, the leadership of the Canadian Forces is smart, flexible and adaptive. And a good deal of the credit for this should go to the Royal Military College... This is a vital national institution. Here, today, much of tomorrow’s military leadership is being forged... RMC will continue to provide the professional development that the CF needs to successfully face the challenges that surely lay ahead."
	Twentieth Governor-General Roland Michener, P.C., C.C., C.M.M., C.D., LL.D. deceased	"RMC, which is only nine years younger than Confederation, has been a powerful factor in the growth and security of the country"
	Colonel Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton deceased	“there are very few institutions of a similar character equal to it [Royal Military College of Canada at Kingston] in Europe and none that are better.”
S149	Hon Peter Milliken, Member of Parliament 2001	The motto of the Royal Military College is (as you well know), "Truth, Duty, Valour". Your admission to the ranks of this institution, whether it occurred this year or two decades ago, as cadets or as staff, presupposes that you are already possessed of these qualities. That having been said, there is always room for improvement, and the College's role in this regard is to inculcate in its cadets a sense of integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, teamwork, and leadership.
8850	RAdm (Ret'd) David C Morse (RMC 1971)	"We have a lot to be proud of and the graduates are making a tremendous contribution to Canadian society. We need to tell this story again and again. We need to make sure the graduates who have reached levels of prestige are recognized."
S157	Honourable Gordon O'Connor	"RMC is one of the best military colleges in the world, and it takes motivation and discipline to succeed here."
13511	Bernard JG Ouellette (CMR ‘78), RMC’s Director of Cadets	"I’m very proud of these young men and women. They put in months of rigorous training on top of an already demanding schedule, and today, their dedication, fitness and teamwork paid off"
H16511	Dr. Richard A. Preston (former professor), deceased	"The supreme test of a military college is the success of its graduates in war...There were some who believed that the stronger academic program must inevitably have weakened the old military spirit and efficiency. But the success of the graduates who went directly to Korea quickly disabused them."
	Dr. Michael Sullivan (former Kingston mayor), deceased	1872 petition recommended the military college for Kingston "remarkable healthfulness...not without historical fame in the annals of the country which would render it the more proper site for a military college"
	Kevin Sylvester, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Sounds Like Canada 2007/07/26	"Like its counterparts Sandhurst in the U.K, West Point in the U.S. and l'École militaire in France, Canada's Royal Military College is the school of choice for many of this country's future military leaders."
	Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Tupper (1886), deceased	"I regard the Canadian Military College as one of the best of its class in the world. The training and results are in every way of a high order, and the Americans themselves, I understand, say better than at West Point."
2951	General (Ret'd) Ramsey Muir Withers	"...The College must also promote a common vision of the profession of arms, the common military ethos underpinning leadership in the CF and the increasingly joint nature of all foreseeable operations."
	Unknown	By 1900, hardly a Canadian "bridge, road, or railway line was built without the assistance of an engineering graduate of RMC."

References

Notes

Bibliography

Articles

• Royal Military College Museum
• War Museum: Royal Military College of Canada
• Schoolfinder Royal Military College
• Truth, Duty, Valour: Canada Connects
• A Brief History of the Royal Military College Club
• Historical Sketch of the Royal Military College of Canada
• H16511 Preston, Dr. Richard A. Royal Military College of Canada profile in Canadian Encyclopedia
• Royal Military College Of Canada: 1876 to Present, Dr. Cameron Pulsifer
• The Socialization of Cadets at the Royal Military College of Canada: A Conceptual Overview Phyllis P Browne (2004)
• RMC and the Profession of Arms: Looking Ahead at Canada's Military Universary H24263 Dr. John Scott Cowan
• 5992 Doctor A.J. Barrett Uneasy Partners, Hopeful Future-The Royal Military College Of Canada And The Canadian Defence Academy
• Across the bridge and over the wall: Queen’s and the Royal Military College Heather Grace
• Military Knowledge and Scientific Pursuits Royal Military College of Canada
• Dr. Cameron Pulsifer "The Royal Military College of Canada: 1876 to the Present" Dispatches: Backgrounders in Canadian Military History

Books

• Walter S. Avis: "Essays and articles selected from a quarter century of scholarship at the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston" (Occasional papers of the Department of English, R.M.C.) 1978
• 2141 Thomas T. L Brock (RMC 1930) “Fight the good fight: Looking in on the recruit class at the Royal Military College of Canada during a week in February 1931” 1964
• Peter J.S. Dunnett “Royal Roads Military College 1940-1990, A Pictorial Retrospective” (Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, BC 1990)
• 8662 Dr. Allan D. English (RMC 1971), Ed "The Changing Face of War" written by military professionals engaged in war studies at Royal Military College of Canada McGill Queens Univ Press
• 19828 John-James Ford, (RMC 1995) wrote Bonk on the head, a novel that describes a fictional officer-cadet's life at RMC
• G1397 Doctor Andrew A.B. Godefroy "Professional training put to the test: the Royal Military College of Canada and Army Leadership in the South African War 1899-1902" The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin 2005
• 6647 Major (Ret) Mitchell Kryzanowski (RMC 1965), wrote Currie Hall: Memorial to the Canadian Corps (Kingston: Hewson and White, 1989), a description of the decoration of Currie Hall
• S125 Major (Ret) William WJ Oliver, and S134 Mrs Rolande Oliver, "RMC Hockey History Digest" Eds. Red & White Books, Kingston, 2003
• 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
• H16511 Dr. Richard Preston "R.M.C. and Kingston: The effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community" 1968
• H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984
• A.G.G. Wurtele "Not In Cooke. - Account of a tour by the first graduating class of the Royal Military College", Kingston, 1880.
• Ernest F. Würtele Royal Military College Club of Canada. Reference book containing information respecting the graduates, ex-cadets and gentleman cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada: Privately printed, 1892. Reproduced in microform CIHM microfiche no. 14751
• "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College since the Second World War", Ottawa, University of Ottawa Press, 1991.
• 4669 Toivo Roht, (CMR RMC 1960) "Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, Royal Roads Military College and Royal Military College 1955-2006" 2007
• Yves Tremblay "L'education et les militaires canadiens" Outremont, Quebec Athena Editions, 2002.
• "RMC Cadet Handbook" Kingston, ON: RMC, 2004
• "Royal Military College of Canada: The Canadian Services Colleges" 1962
• "The Royal Military College of Canada 1876 to 1919"

See also

• Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean
• Royal Roads Military College
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport
• Canadian government scientific research organizations
• Canadian university scientific research organizations
• Canadian industrial research and development organizations

External links

• The Official RMC Website
• Joining Instructions - First Year Officer Cadets
• A video about the first weeks of a Cadet at RMC
• The Division of Continuing Studies at RMC
• RMC's Alumni Website
• Unofficial Homepage of the RMC Paladins Varsity Hockey Program
• Royal Military College of Canada-Institutional Virtual Campus
• RMC Profile
• RMC Museum
• RMC Strategic Research Plan