RCACC 2862 ARMY CADETS RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Article written by Captain John Wylie, UPAR – Montreal West.
Westmount, Quebec – 21 December 2025: Montreal (Québec) – On December 12, 2025, two cadets from 2862 Westmount Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps were presented the Army Cadet Medal of Merit with Rodger Bar and the Army Cadet Medal of Merit with Howard Bar by Army Cadet League representative Mr. Felix Macia during their Mess Dinner at The Royal Montreal Regiment. Of particular note, RCACC 2862 was the only cadet Corps to be awarded the medals in the Montreal West area.
The Howard Bar commemorates Major General William Howard, a former Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets who devoted himself to fostering leadership and citizenship in youth, was presented to Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Lucille Vath. This award was only presented to nine army cadets from across Quebec this year and is focused on recognizing the outstanding performance of army cadets during their Gold Star (fourth training year). “It’s not easy to be in cadets, it takes a lot of dedication, but there is a lot of people to support you and help you to be better at things you feel insecure about doing,” said MWO Vath. “It’s an amazing program. The Gold Star [fourth-year training] taught me how to lead small groups – I learned to communicate well and to delegate tasks to my team so that not all the pressure was on me.”
The Rodger Bar honours the bold vision and legacy of Major-General Elliot Rodger, the first Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets and Cadet Services of Canada, was presented to Sergeant Daniella Mo. This award is presented to about one of every 250 cadets and recognizes the outstanding performance of army cadets during their
Siver Star (third training year). Reflecting on the achievement, Sgt Mo said that her favourite part about being in third year training was that she got to try new activities like the Silver Star Expedition Weekend where she spent a weekend biking and the winter field training exercise where she built improvised shelters. She also shared her aspirations for the upcoming year. “In 2026, I hope to go to the Drill and Instructor summer course – I want to get better at drill and to be able to teach other people drill.”
The Royal Canadian Army Cadet Program is a free youth program for youth aged 12 to 18 years old that develops skills that will help youth transition into adulthood, from good citizenship, leadership, and a focus on physical fitness and the outdoors.
Photographer : Lieutenant(Navy) John Wylie, CD, Unit Public Affairs Representative
