OTTAWA — The head of an Ottawa-based Canadian Army regiment has been temporarily removed as part of an investigation into alleged online behaviour that the commander of the army says disgraced the military.
The commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa has been removed from his post in connection with a probe into the "Blue Hackle Mafia" social media group, Lt-Gen Michael Wright said in a statement to army ranks Wednesday and shared with The Canadian Press Thursday.
Wright said previously that the Facebook group's posts included "racist, misogynistic, homophobic and antisemitic comments and images" and that the allegations involved "members of the Canadian Army."
"This incident has damaged the reputation of the Canadian Army at a time when we are engaged in important modernization work as part of a ready, resilient and relevant Canadian Armed Forces," Wright said.
All individuals involved "will be provided procedural fairness in accordance with the applicable policies," he said in the statement.
An interim commanding officer has been tapped to oversee the Cameron Highlanders during the investigations.
Military police reopened an investigation into the allegations on June 27, but concerns about the group were first raised up the chain of command in December of last year. A probe was launched then but the case was transferred to the regiment itself for a disciplinary investigation.
The unit's disciplinary probe and the military police inquiry are ongoing, and Wright said there will be a parallel summary investigation into any alleged unethical conduct from serving members of the army who were part of the group.
That probe will include a review of the army's social media usage policies.
"The Canadian Army will continue to ensure that our culture reflects the values and ethics of the Canadian Armed Forces, and I expect the chain of command across the Canadian Army to deal immediately with any inappropriate behaviour that deviates from those values and ethics," Wright said.
The Canadian Armed Forces has been rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct throughout its ranks in recent years, culminating in a May 2022 report by retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour that issued 48 recommendations for change in the Canadian Armed Forces.
— with files from David Baxter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.
Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
