Calgary entrepreneur Manjit Minhas has been named the brand new honorary lieutenant colonel for the Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada and can meet with the Queen Consort this week.
The co-founder and CEO of Minhas breweries, distilleries and wineries is well-known for her appearances on Dragon’s Den, however she has no army expertise on her resume – till now.
“When the military and the Queen’s Personal Rifles reached out, I believed it was spam at first. I did not assume it was actual,” Minhas stated.
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On January 22, Minhas was appointed to the function of honorary lieutenant colonel at a ceremony in Toronto.
Minhas will promote the unit’s welfare and supply mentorship to its leaders.
“There’s positively lots occurring, and I am trying ahead to speaking that and being an envoy for not solely the Regiment, however the Armed Forces,” Minhas stated.
She may also assist with recruitment – in an effort to make the army look extra like Canada.
The Canadian Armed Forces, which has lengthy struggled to spice up the variety of ladies in its ranks, hopes to have them symbolize 1 / 4 of its members by 2026.
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“By deciding on an unimaginable consultant like Manjit as our Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, I’m very hopeful that we will appeal to and retain extra feminine members in addition to members of the varied communities in Toronto,” stated QOR Commander Lt. Col. . Scott Moody.
“I keep in mind particularly after I was in Afghanistan, we have been doing work with ladies’s teams, ladies that we have been in a position to assist that have been serving with us have been important in constructing these relationships, and dealing with the ladies in Afghanistan at the moment ,” Moody stated.
The Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada is an infantry regiment of the Main Military Reserve primarily based in Toronto. Established on April 26, 1860, it’s the oldest infantry regiment in steady service in Canada.
Moody stated the regiment has some roots in Calgary.
“There was a degree the place we have been a full-time unit and we have been stationed each in Calgary and in Victoria,” Moody stated.
Minhas stated she hopes to result in constructive change throughout her time in her new function.
“I feel the armed forces are very open to understanding how they should change and the way they should do it consciously, not solely to incorporate Canadians of all stripes, but additionally to take accountability and accountability for the previous, Minhas stated.
Her Majesty Queen Consort Camilla is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada.
Lower than two weeks into the job, Minhas had an viewers with the Queen Consort at Buckingham Palace on February 1.
“I am excited. It is a possibility to speak about issues, not simply as a Canadian, however as a girl. I am enthusiastic about speaking and asking her questions and for her to have questions on me ,” Minhas stated.
Within the 2022-23 monetary 12 months so far, the CAF Common Drive has enlisted 471 ladies, representing 14.62 % of the full enlistment. That is akin to the final monetary 12 months by which feminine enrollments represented 14.4 % of complete enrollments.
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