Calgary entrepreneur Manjit Minhas has been named the new honorary lieutenant-colonel of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada and will meet with the Queen Consort this week.
co-founder and CEO Minhas Breweries, Distilleries & Wineries Well known for his appearances in Dragons Den but so far he has no military experience on his resume.
“When the Armed Forces and the Queen’s Own Rifles reached out, I thought at first it was spam. I didn’t think it was real,” Minhas said.
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On 22 January, Minhas was appointed to the role of honorary lieutenant-colonel in a ceremony in Toronto.
Minhas will promote the welfare of the unit and provide counsel to its leaders.
“There’s certainly a lot going on, and I look forward to communicating that and being an ambassador not only for the regiment but for the armed forces,” Minhas said.
She would also help with recruitment – in an effort to make the armed forces look more Canadian.
The Canadian Armed Forces, which has long struggled to increase the number of women in its ranks, is expected to represent one-quarter of its members by 2026.
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Commanding Officer of QOR Lt-Col said, “By electing an incredible representative like Manjeet as our Honorary Lt-Col, I very much hope we attract and retain more women members as well as members from various diverse communities within Toronto can keep.” Scott Moody.
“Specifically, I remember when I was in Afghanistan we were working with women’s groups, women who could support us who were serving with us, building those relationships and trying to build those relationships in Afghanistan at that time.” Working with women was critically important,” Moody said.
The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada is a primary army reserve infantry regiment based in Toronto. Established on April 26, 1860, it is the oldest continuously operating infantry regiment in Canada.
Moody said that the regiment has some roots in Calgary.
“There was a time when we were a full-time unit and we were stationed in both Calgary and Victoria,” Moody said.
Minhas said she hopes to make a positive difference during her new role.
“I think the armed forces are very open to understanding how they need to change and they need to do that not only to include all kinds of Canadians, but to take responsibility and accountability for the past,” Minhas said. How to do.”
Her Majesty The Queen Consort Camilla is Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.
Less than two weeks into the job, Minhas has an audience with the Queen consort at Buckingham Palace on February 1.
“I’m excited. It’s an opportunity to talk about things not only as a Canadian but as a woman. I’m interested in talking and asking him questions and I have questions for him,” Minhas said.
From FY 2022-23 till date, CAF Regular Force has enrolled 471 women, which is 14.62 per cent of the total enrollment. This is in comparison to the previous financial year, in which female enrollment was 14.4 per cent of the total enrolment.
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