Vanguard Magazine

8 DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com s sIt REP Ottawa seeks help in developing Arctic surveillance tech programs: the All Domain Situational Awareness (ADSA) S&T Program; and the Canadian Safety and Security Program. Individuals and organizations interested in ei- ther or both of the programs have until January 11, 2017, to submit their proposals. Selected proj- ects will be announced following the completion of an evaluation process. "The defence, and public safety and security The federal government wants to boost its capa- bility to protect Canada's territory in the Arctic and is seeking proposed projects from the gov- ernment, academia and industry that will support the development of science and technology tools (S&T) meant to defend the country's sovereignty in the region. The Defence Research and Development Canada's (DRDC) call for proposals will fund two Former sailor leads class action suit against CAF "the proper channels" but "did not receive justice." Natalie Foley, the lawyer for Peffer said during a news conference that she expects hundreds of military members to join her client's class action. The class action seeks to compensate alleged vic- tims and change in the culture of harassment in the CAF. A former member of the Royal Canadian Navy said she is launching a class-action lawsuit against the Canadian Armed Forces in a bid to change the culture of sexual harassment and abuse in the military. Nicola Peffer, who was based in Esquimalt near Victoria, B.C. and who served in navy frigates, said in a statement of claim that female, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the CAF are subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. The 34-year-old former sailor left the force in 2012, after the military rejected her complaints of unwanted sexual advances by her superior, ac- cording to a report from the Canadian Press. "When I arrived, I learned the culture was not one of camaraderie, at least for women or LGBTQ members," Peffer said in a phone interview. "The culture was one of fear and intimidation. The cul- ture was one of abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment. The culture was of sexual as- sault." Peffer said when she failed to comply with the sexual demands of one of her superiors, she faced retaliation and professional repercussions. She said she reported her complaints through In November, Glynis Rogers, a former CAF mem- ber from Nova Scotia, also filed a proposed class- action lawsuit against Ottawa before the Nova Sco- tia Supreme Court. She claims she was subjected to sexual orientation-based discrimination, bully- ing and harassment during training and during her time as a regular member of the armed forces. landscape continues to evolve at a rate that re- quires us to constantly adapt to ensure that we have the best tools and knowledge to respond to existing and emerging threats and risks," said Dr. Marc Fortin, assistant deputy minister (S&T) and chief executive officer of DRDC. "Investment op- portunities like those made possible by the DRDC Innovation Call for Proposals enable us to develop new capabilities to address these challenges, which ultimately safeguard Canadians." The ADSA S&T Program is a new initiative led by DND, which aims to apply science and technology to identify, assess and validate technologies in support of air and maritime surveillance, particu- larly in the North. DND and the federal government have commit- ted $133 million over five years to the ADSA S&T program. This is the fifth round of projects under the CSSP, launched in 2012. The CSSP aims to strengthen Canada's ability to anticipate, prevent/mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, crime, nat- ural disasters, and serious accidents through the convergence of S&T with policy, operations and intelligence. Interested bidders should consult information available at https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procure- ment-data/tender-notice/PW-16-00757940

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