Military members in Quebec urged not to wear uniforms when off duty

Military members in Quebec are being advised not to wear their uniforms in public unless they are on official duty, but it was not immediately clear whether the advice applied to members across the country.

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CBC News could not reach military officials to confirm whether any instructions around military uniforms had been given to members across the country following shootings in Ottawa Wednesday that killed a military reservist from Hamilton who was standing guard at the National War Memorial.

"Our thoughts are with the member and the member's family at this time," Maj.-Gen. Christopher Coates said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference about the shootings in Ottawa.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson issued a statement late Wednesday expressing "heartfelt condolences" to the victim’s family.

He said that the shooting is still under investigation and that the Canadian Forces will "continue to collaborate" with the government to assess the situation and evaluate the need for "additional security measures" at armed forces sites in the capital area and around the country.  

CFB Valcartier public affairs officer Capt. Marie-France Poulin said earlier in the day that military personnel across Quebec have been told not to wear their uniforms in public places unless they are on official duty.

The instruction applied to members in Quebec, but Poulin would not comment on whether it extended across the country.

CBC's Chris Brown visited navy facilities in Victoria on Wednesday.

"We were out at the gates about half an hour ago, and I can tell you I did see a lot of soldiers and sailors coming and going in their uniform," he said. "At least from what I could see, that didn't seem to have changed so much."

Brown said he did see several military police keeping a close eye on the entrance at CFB Esquimalt.

Cadet training cancelled

CBC’s Robyn Miller reported Wednesday evening that the commanding officer with Stratford Army Cadets said all cadet training programs on P.E.I. and across Atlantic Canada have been cancelled today.

Canadian Forces bases in Halifax also have heightened security measures. Capt. Peter Ryan of Maritime Forces Atlantic said gates to the waterfront navy base, the air base and other bases in the city have been locked.

He said other measures can't be discussed in order to ensure the safety and security of military personnel.

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Ryan said the security measures aren't in response to any local incidents.

A source in the Defence Department told The Canadian Press instructions were also sent by email on behalf of Rear Admiral John Newton to personnel advising them to avoid appearing in uniform in public places.

The source confirmed that the message from Newton, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic Joint Task Force Atlantic, asked staff "to restrict movement in uniform in public as much as possible."