‘A national disgrace’
Veterans renew calls for security at war memorial after Canada Day revellers defile ‘sacred’ place
Ottawa Citizen, Published: Monday, July 03, 2006
Furious veterans are renewing their demands that the National War Memorial be guarded to protect it against “disgusting” assaults after young men were caught urinating on it during Canada Day festivities.
A retired major snapped digital pictures of several people relieving themselves on the monument around 11 p.m. on Saturday, as thousands poured into the streets following the fireworks.
Most cheered and laughed when they were photographed using the memorial as a toilet on the nation’s birthday.
“I think it’s a national disgrace,” said Dr. Michael Pilon, 63, a retired major with the Royal Canadian Dental Corps.
“It’s absolutely disgusting — absolutely disgusting,” said Bob Butt, the director of communications for the Royal Canadian Legion.
“The tomb is a sacred place, the area surrounding it is consecrated as a graveyard. It’s the same as if you went in and urinated on someone’s grave.”
The offending photos will serve as ammunition to renew the Legion’s fight to protect the monument, he vowed.
Since the Unknown Soldier’s remains were repatriated from France in 2000, the Legion has repeatedly asked the RCMP and city police to post guards at the memorial, at least in the summer when there is more activity on the streets, Mr. Butt said.
They were told there is not enough manpower to do so. Police patrolling the general area are supposed to keep an eye on the monument, but the perpetrators are usually long gone by the time police arrive to deal with any problems.
Dr. Pilon has also contacted several politicians and government agencies to ask that the National War Memorial be protected, to no avail.
Youthful irreverance, or an act worthy of having the crap kicked out of you? Are you kidding? The least the federal government can do is to post a cop of two around national monuments when 200,000 people are streaming off the lawn of Parliament Hill.
And what of the spectators taking pictures, instead of taking action? There’s all kinds of blame to go around on this one. Shame on us.
42 comments ↓
After what the Liberals did to Canada’s Armed Forces, it’s not surprising that a lack of respect for our troops, war dead and present, exists in younger Canadians. After all, if it was good enough for the government, it must be good enough for the younger generation. This despicable act is merely a continuation of the pissing-on-the troops formulated by the former Liberal government. The Harper government should make every effort to charge those caught on camera with much more than an act of public mischief. Let the Justice Department get to work to see what can be done. In the meantime, let us all do something to show our Legionaires and serving troops how much we appreciate their service. Go donate a pint of blood in their name.
N.C. Smith,
RCAF,
Sgt.
Retired
In keeping with the title of your last post, this article & picture should be called the Sotted One.
how does this have anything to do with the liberals? disgraceful, yes. a liberal plot? i hardly think so…
Thanks for posting this, Garth for you will ignite a fire that will be so hot no one will ever forget this infamy.
For all this American knows, the soldier buried there traded his life for one of my nation’s soldiers. He or she certainly sacrificed their life for our freedom (to blog, for instance).
Thanks again Garth!
Idiots. And I’m not just referring to the drunk in the photo.
N.C. Smith, your linking the Liberals or any other party for that matter in with these yound idiots is disgusting.
Hopefully the photo will make the idiot and his friends feel real stupid and ashamed of themselves. Not that it is likely though.
NC Smith…are you on crack? Either that or you stood close to too many concussion bombs before you retired. Trying to tie the actions of some misbehaving youth to the 13 years of Liberal government is nothing short of insane. One other thing…I know the family of the young man in the picture…and guess what, his Mom and Dad are both card carrying CPC members. go figure eh….
Frank – an anxious nation might want to know more about the urinator. — Garth
Do you really know this kid’s family, Frank?
[...] but this tidbit is just too tasty to pass up. Over on Garth Turner’s blog a regular commenter named Frank claims to know the family of this drunken idiot. One other t [...]
Would the war dead be resurrected; they would be showing the ‘pissants’ the pointy end of a bayonet or a bullet creasing their cranium.
Given the pissants have no self-respect; they only serve to disgrace themselves.
You show your thankfulness to those who die on behalf of their country, defending its freedoms, by pissing on their graves!?! All the while you have troops in the field, taking the occasional bullet, IED, or RPG in Afghanistan.
I’m glad these bastions of moral genius have got their priorities all worked out. Philistines one and all. Their bladders seem to be functioning, but the space between their ears indicates a profound vacuum.
A disgraceful act, to be sure. But aren’t there already laws in place to deal with public indecency and this kind of vandalism? The calls for some sort of vigilante justice (that I have seen on some blogs — no need to mention names) against these drunken idiotic jerks is just way way to… shoot, I don’t have a word to describe it..really — but imagine me pointing at my head with my finger making circling motions saying “hoo hoo” – with one eyebrows raised and my head cocked to one side.
“One other thing…I know the family of the young man in the picture…and guess what, his Mom and Dad are both card carrying CPC members. go figure eh….”
By Frank on 07.03.06 10:19 pm
So Frank, will you do your civic duty and inform the cops where they can locate this punk? I didn’t think so, go figure eh…
Idiots! But I guess it got the ‘exposure’ they were counting on?
Lets not try to justify why they did it (not enough police, parents, etc.) – that would only make the situation worse.
Idiots!
This kid is drunk and like drunks the world over (myself, at times, included) they do stupid things). He didn’t rape anyone or get in fight or worse, get in the driver’s seat. He pee’d on public monument (Josef – No one is actually buried under the cenotaph. It’s there to represent the many men and women who died and fought) and he should charged for vandalism or whatever the appropriate charge is. The best possible scenario would have been if it a couple of RCRs or Highlanders had been walking by at the time and they could have beaten the snot out of him.
It should have hardly made the national news but 24 hour news is a relentless task master and you’ve gotta fill eyeballs.
The guy that took the pictures has been trying since 1995 to get police presence beefed up at the Memorial – he is 63 – Retired Major Pilon – a dentist.
He did what he felt he had to do, had been contacting authorities for years as a Legion member, and did so earlier that day. If he had jumped these guys, he’d probably be in hospital and charged himself. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Pictures are action.
It is our common shame.
Ottawa Police arrested 40 people out of about 60 thousand.
We can ask government on all levels to rethink crowd control, public safety, public access, public hygiene and public good for a national holiday in the capital.
The Royal Canadian Legion plans to use these pictures in an educational/advertising campaign.
Good.
These men are incurring the disgust of their peers also, read some blogs.
They face summary convictions on public mischief charges of fines up to 5 thousand and 18 months of some kind of incarceration if I am reading the law correctly. They also can be fined under a national law.
We have solid laws for this behavior, people at any public gathering can do what the dentist did and speak up. Witnesses can step forward. People that know these guys can contact the Ottawa police. The common.
These men are going to have a record of thier behavior follow them the rest of their lives far more than most holiday drunks, aren’t they?
This story is no story at all. Sure its absolutely repugnant and disgusting but it happens. Reading through these blogs I just have to shake my head and wonder, what is wrong with people? People are calling for the memorial to be watched. Great idea in principle. So we would need three shifts and at least 5 employees to switch of with. So is it worth a price of $250000.00 – $350000.00 in wages to police this monument when a hose costs less than $25? I don’t think so. After everything about the sponsorship scandal and wasting taxpayers money and you would justify this?
Another thing, if all you can do is link liberals to your problem of the day as an excuse for something you can’t control just take your unregistered long gun and put it in your mouth because you are a complete loss to society. Seriously, The Liberal party seems to be approaching god like powers according to these blogs in that they seem to be able to make people urinate in public places.
So, after serving my country for over a quarter of a century, I get pissed on by Randy and Frank for expressing an honest opinion. I guess that’s why I served so long, to protect their right to piss on me.
N.C. Smith
RCAF
Sgt.
Retired
William Hane, you may want to check your facts first. There are indeed human remains buried there. The repatriation of the unknown soldier happened in 2000.
Here is the link –
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-24563-24548-24558&lang=1
So William – does being drunk make it OK for being disrespectful? And, why should other people, who may want to share a private moment there, be subjected to their piss?
No more excuses for bad behaviour!
The vulgar attempt to politicize the drunken act of some young fools is as bad as the act itself–opportunistic to a fare-thee-well, an abuse of veterans and the fallen. We see it right here, and in various other blogs to the right of centre.
Wade in, Garth, by all means, but the guy taking the pictures was in his sixties–and probably inflicted infinitely more damage on the hooligans with his lens anyway.
More at my place.
Oh for goodness sake N.C. grow up. You are not talking to some kid here. I am retired myself. Didn’t serve in the forces because I couldn’t I am deaf.
You were pissing on the Liberals trying to tie them in to the disgusting action of these punks. That is why I said what I said. Notice that I said “or any other party” that includes Conservative party.
Thank you for serving your Country sir.
Randy
An immature and disrepectful act for sure.
But hey Sgt…is the Canadian military not volunteer? You served your country and got paid a wage to do so. Like any other Canadian( fire fighter, police, etc), you chose your career correct? You were not just enlisted like in the past.
These kids just need better parenting…it is a symptom of today’s youth who have not been through many world hardships. They hardely respect themselves let alone our true veterns from the first and second world wars.
It really has zippo do do with liberal neglect in my opinion.
Wont your Mammas be proud seeing your faces plastered across the country relieving yourself on a National Monument. Disgraceful, insensitive and ugly.
Bootcamp comes to mind and im sure there would be more that one willing to donate a couple of toothbrushes. I believe an essay on how our veterans contributed to this country and a public appology to all Canadians to be telivisied NationWide. Thank you
MJ
Randy,
When Jean Chretien refused to fly in a Sea King but expected our boys and girls to do so, wasn’t that the Liberals pissing on the troops? When, because of this act, the Commander of a Canadian Naval vessel refused to attend a Mess Dinner where JC was the guest of Honour, the Commander was removed from his Command. Wasn’t that the Liberals pissing on the troops?
Say what you like about “other parties” it was the Liberals who pissed away our good name and reduced us to buckets of bolts that can’t travel and scraps of iron that neither sails nor flies.Don’t give me the gears about which party pissed all over our troops.The ones left in uniform maintain their pride in uniform and now that Canada has a government that will back these troops, maybe some young folks will want to wear the uniform instead of taking a piss in public.
Dear Mr. Turner and Dr. Pilon,
Such a national disgrace, it is heartbreaking. I had a similar experience three years ago when my father and I, a WW2 vet, were walking through the almost completed Battle of the River Plate monument and gardens in Ajax. Some teenage boys were skateboarding over the monument and spitting on it. My dad was horrified. He chased them off only to find half an hour later they were back again doing the same thing. He had tears in his eyes and I had an ache in my soul. These “types” need to be placed in a room and forced to watch well-done footage of films of the past Wars, i.e., “Saving Private Ryan”, “The Trench” – the hell of the trenches during the Battle of the Somme, Band of Brothers, anything that depicts the supreme sacrifice and utter hell these men, most of whom were their age, went through during those dark years, if only to make these indifferent and uneducated young men realize how and why they have ended up with the freedom and comfort they cherish today.
Thank you for posting these vulgar photographs, a wake-up call for educators to begin to remedy the situation by including in the curriculum history lessons on the two World Wars, Korea, Viet Nam and our current battles. Let’s do it for our fighting men and peacekeepers, our heroes. They deserve our deepest respect always.
I know this is probably a minority opinion, but just what is it with ex military signing off with their rank et al. Do they think, as NC Smith obviously does that by serving in the military their opionion somehow counts for more than those of others. Give me a break….I know a number of military folks, some of whom I count among my good friends. And without fail, they are in the military because it’s a job. One with decent pay and good benefits. They are no more their for some ‘serving my country’ routine than are the miners, oilfield workers and farmers that I know. And statistics show that those same miners, oilfield workers and farmers are in occupations that rank significantly more dangerous than that of a modern day Canadian soldier. If Canadians truly owe a debt to anyone these days, it’s to those miners, rig workers and farmers that keep the lights shining in our homes and food o our tables. The modern day Canadian soldier is nothing but a mercenary….he’s simply being paid to be a soldier…nothing more…nothing less. So NC, you are entitled to your opinion as wacky as it might be – but don’t go try to give it some significance by telling me you’re a retired RCAF whatever. Oh, I have a good friend that is also an ex army dentist. He became one because they were willing to pay for his university. Nothing very altruistic about his service.
Now, if you had told me you were a WWI or WWII vet, that would be different. Those guys voluntereed….for a dangerous job.
Frank,
It might suprise you to know that a Sgt in today’s military can earn 60-65,000$ year! Plus no taxes when deployed somewhere( I think the liberals brought that concept forward)…plus some of the best benefits in the world.
It is a pretty SWEET JOB nowadays in actual fact.
Yes, actually a lot of things can be excused because of an altered state. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be charged (nothing serious, give him some community service which will go a whole lot further than a fine). When I was in the army I found myself drunk and naked in a public place more often than I care to admit. It’s a crime, certainly, but one that was effectively punished by a night in the drunk tank.
In fact, the drunk tank and community service are the perfect remedies for the stupidy committed why drunk.
Anything more and you’re blowing it out of proportion. What do you want to do next, charge people with stalking when they get drunk and call up their ex-girlfriend/bf and confess that they still love them and please won’t they take them back?
It’s only a few short steps away from putting in a seven second delay because Janet Jackson showed her breast during the superbowl halftime. It’s the reactionism and nanny society at its worst.
Frank,
The Ottawa Sun reports today that the Police are looking for the young men who urinated on the National War Memorial. Since you claim to know one of them, shouldn’t the Police be looking for you too?
Frank,
We are still wondering if you are going to do the right thing and contact the authorities with the identity of the offending urinator. Maybe you should spend less time insulting our service members and more time taking a look at yourself.
By the way Glen, Forces members are only entitled to the tax break when deployed to high or moderate risk areas…not just “somewhere”. And how long do you think it takes to become a Sgt? It takes many years to get to that rank and pay level. “Plus some of the best benefits in the world” – care to name a few to show that you have some idea of what you are talking about.
To Sgt Smith: Thanks for your service, you deserve our respect, even if some don’t agree with your views.
Sure Steve…
But let me start by saying that your tone suggests that I do not respect our service men and women. Very false. I am not sure how you even got that out of my message.
What I am suggesting is that perhaps today’s youth recognize that today’s army is mostly just a job for many soldiers. Not like the past when it truly was thrust upon you to do your duty to protect our country. No choice, and most did it with a pure heart of honour.
As far as benefits today… how is this…4-5 weeks annual leave per year…sick time pretty much whenever you require it while in garison…98% top up of salary for paternal/maternity leave…complete health care coverage( I mean complete!)…tremendous insurance plans….a really nice and nowadays rare pension package…access to public service jobs upon retirement without competition if injured while deployed( not disabbled, I’m talking simple shoulder pain like the rest of us can develop)…FREE over the counter cold medication/tylenol etc…a Cpl with perhaps grade 12 education and only 3 years in earning 50-55K per year(more than most graduates of professional university programs)…JOB SECURITY( no matter how poorly you perform…you are not getting kicked out, they need the numbers)…free gym membership to state of the art fitness facilities…I could go on.
Hey don’t consider this as a negative commentary…more like a recruitment poster! It is a pretty good job when you consider the alternatives.
My grandfather died in WW2…I doubt he had NEAR those kind of benefits…if he had any at all.
For the most part the non commissioned ranks are really doing well considering what they might be doing outside of the military I imagine. Plenty of jobs are statistically as risky as the Canadian military( now the US military on the other hand…)
Again just pointing out the good aspects of joining our Canadian forces that is all.
“It’s only a few short steps away from putting in a seven second delay because Janet Jackson showed her breast during the superbowl halftime. It’s the reactionism and nanny society at its worst.”
By WIlliam Hane on 07.05.06 11:01 am
Willie, you are so far out in left field on this. Pissing on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the cry of outrage from the country is hardly “reactionism and nanny society at its worst.” It’s a clear demonstration that the youth today have grown up without fear of consequence for their actions (criminal or otherwise). I don’t give a s*it how much these punks had to drink, your ‘hug a thug’ mentality does nothing but emphasize to the worst elements of our society that its OK to violate the law because…sniff… there’s always some extenuating circumstance that made them do it.
Give your head a shake man. If you really served and you accept this kind of behaviour then you’re a disgrace to the uniform and deserve no place of honour among those in my family and others whose sacrifices were and are truly heroic.
MJB. Yous say “It’s a clear demonstration that the youth today have grown up without fear of consequence for their actions (criminal or otherwise)”
Just because there’s a correlation between these sorts of acts and youths it doesn’t mean it’s causal. You making the mistake a lot of people don’t understand causation do.
I grew up under heavy discipline and understood fully the consequences of my actions but the stories of my youth are nothing, in terms of the jeapardy and disregard for law, than the generation before me did.
The difference is now that people are so easily offended. Things I did that wouldn’t warrant anything but a waggled finger and night in jail are now national events.
I spent a night in the Halifax drunk tank when I was at University because a couple friends and I got plastered and thought it would be a good idea to fill the commons fountain full of bubble bath and host a party for as many friends as possible. It was an immensely good idea and up until the police arrived it was looking to be the best idea we’d ever had. For my sins I was thrown in the drunk tank, saw a judge the next morning who sentenced, my fellows and I, to 100 hours of community service and we had to clean the fountain. That’s proper. Neither the judge or the police ever thought we were crooks, just stupid and we were appropriately punished.
This kid and his buddies are no different. “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity”.
Trust me, most of those old soldiers (my father, both grandfathers ( one a boy soldier at 14), six uncles, an aunt, two sisters included) did far worse than desecrate an old war memorial in their youth. You’ve no idea of what you’re talking about when you talk about honour and serving.
What’s worse is I think you actually believe what you say and aren’t just caught up in the joy of listening to your voice. You’re so hopelessly deluded about what real harm is that anything more than a simple politically correct offense would shock you into a coma.
“Trust me, most of those old soldiers (my father, both grandfathers (one a boy soldier at 14), six uncles, an aunt, two sisters included) did far worse than desecrate an old war memorial in their youth.
Hardly an “old war memorial” William. It’s the National Cenotaph which represents the sacrifices of all our soldiers in all our wars. Your non-appreciation of what that memorial actually represents to thousands of veterans and their families demonstrates sheer ignorance and why you choose to minimize the seriousness of this situation. Somehow I also suspect that your vast military family might offer a difference of opinion with you this subject as well.
You’ve no idea of what you’re talking about when you talk about honour and serving.”
For someone who supposedly served (and I assume you mean in the military and not just tables), your response is, as usual, completely ridiculous and without merit.
I served tables as well. Just the like military: Same shit, different pile.
You just have no concept of the reality of military service, especially in the modern armed forces. It’s not like the war movies.
More pressing is your inability to understand that other people, with a good deal more experience than you in these matters, have valid opinions on the subject. If you want to have an opinion that counts, go sign up.
It’s telling of your political affiliation that you think that any opposing view is without merit.
And why is that a good number of neo-cons, cons and republicans have never served but democrats, liberals and ndpers seem to have filled the ranks to an overwhelming degree?
oh you mean guys like George W. Bush, William?.. Oups — that was the story CBS made up, wasn’t it? (Or one of those major networks, anyway…)
Got some links/references/facts to back this up?
“More pressing is your inability to understand that other people, with a good deal more experience than you in these matters, have valid opinions on the subject. If you want to have an opinion that counts, go sign up.”
Who the hell are you to assume I never served?? Your last few posts have been more of a brag about your drunken exploits while in the so-called service of your country rather than offering any insight into what the toll of war is really like.
Listen pal, the issue here is not about my service or your service its about a very small and sacred place in this country where those who truly understand the price war takes on an individual and a nation can go and hopefully feel some respect and peace from a grateful nation. Why don’t you stop associating your and your family’s experience in the military with the drunken exploits of a few teenage punks and more with those who maybe, just maybe William, deserve a lot more respect than you seem to be willing to offer.
‘nough said.
I think the should be charged with everything that the law can charge them with. It is a disgrace to see people using a national monument and a burial ground for one of our beloved war dead (could be one of my two realitives who went missing, presumed dead in the Great war) I agree about beefing up security cameras etc.
What you would have this country be? An Orwellian jail where everyone is watched to protect themselves from doing any harm, real or perceived, to themselves or anyone around them.
Is thoughtcrime next?
And MJB. Who the hell am I to assume? Well, I’m me of course and that’s all I ever need be to assume or guess or do any damn thing I please. DOn’t like it, lump it. As for comparing soliders and punks; enlisted men and not a small number of officers have and continue to set the high water mark for juvenile, drunken exploits and if had served you’d know this.
I personally think it’s disgusting that this pervert, Michael Pilon, not only conducted a urination stake out, but also took pictures on teenage boys (yes some were men, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he also took pic’s of boys under 18), with their genetals exposed. Don’t we have child porn laws in this country? Isn’t spying on people illegal? just wondering, cause if not it should be.
Oh give it a rest Wendy.. These fellas were whipping it out for all to see.. If they can’t handle it — they should have gone in a public restroom like the rest of us.. Get real…
I can’t help but think what kind of a creepy pervert took pictures of underaged boys taking a piss. Child porn always disgusts me more than giving the war memorial a golden shower.
Tha above post was edited. — Garth
I see Wendy has stalked this site. I did a google search and on all blogs that had comments on the Photos I took canada Day someone named WENDY ( No last name bien sur) called me a pervert..This is of course libel. She is apparently a former Sex trade worker who calls herself an activist..(C heck out her site) . But she is in need of some professional help she sees sexual connotations in many things.
The facts are I was not stalking out the Cenotaph. My wife and I were staying at the Chateau Laurier and I decided to check out the Cenotaph for some night shots and to see if the Tomb was again being sat on by people.
When the lads started peeing I wasin fact in a tent with the two commissionaires…hardly stalking.
In early June I did write the Mayor, my alderman and Ontario and Federal reps to tell them of the incidents Is aw last year. No replies..so the pictures, even if a hardened person sees them as perverted, may in fact have woken a few public officials up.
I have asked for a cordon to be placed around the Cenotaph Canada Day next year, some sort of honour guard and perhaps a Military Police presence. and more importantly..an educational component…I am looking into organizing some history students, and some visual arts students to prepare short videos on battles, the home front and on the human aspects of war. I am starting to approach several institutions and companies to offer financial assistance to such a project. I will be doing this volunatrily and gratis..I plan to get it set up then present it to Government officials as a done deed…I fear they will have meetings, studies and nothing will be done.
If this appeals to you please write to the minister of heritage . Your MP and anyone else who might offer support. And pass this on to anyone interested in any capacity.
Dr Mike