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Volume 1 Issue 7
N
ews and
E
vents
100
is honoured
to publish a regular series
of articles, leading up
to the celebration of
RCDC's 100th anniversary.
RCDC Domestic Operations:
HELPINGGOVERNMENT AND
CANADIANS ATHOME
In the lead-up to the 100
th
anniversary of the Royal Canadian
Dental Corps (RCDC) in 2015, this article is the sixth in a series
commemorating the history and accomplishments of the RCDC
over the last century. In addition to looking after the oral health needs
of Canada’s troops during combat, peacemaking and peacekeeping
operations overseas, and serving on humanitarian and forensic
missions, the RCDC supports our troops by providing assistance at
home during natural disasters and other crises. RCDC also played a
key role inHealthCanada’s CanadianHealthMeasures Survey.
➊
The Oka Crisis
(Op SALON), 1990
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
deployed 4,500 personnel during the crisis
in Oka, Quebec, in 1990. In August, the 5
Brigade Field Ambulance Dental Platoon,
commanded by Major James Taylor, was
deployed to the Montreal area to provide
dental treatment services to the brigade
troops involved in Operation SALON.
Four treatment sections were deployed
in support of CAF field units. The original
focus was to provide emergency dental
care in the field. However, as the operational
timeframe expanded, annual examinations
and routine treatments were also provided.
Red River Flood
(Op ASSISTANCE), 1997
In the spring of 1997, a major flood occurred
along the Red River of the North in North
Dakota, Minnesota, and Southern Manitoba.
It was the river’s most severe flood since 1826
and caused over $500 million in damages in
Manitoba alone.
The province of Manitoba called in the
CAF, the RCMP and the provincial
department of natural resources for
assistance in supporting approximately
17,000 civilians. Within 2 weeks, the initial
request for 100 soldiers to fill sandbags
quickly escalated to a joint force operation
encompassing approximately 8,500 CAF
personnel. The RCDC deployed the dental
team of Captain Dan Stuart and Corporal
Annie Martin to provide emergency care
to the military personnel deployed on
Operation ASSISTANCE.
Ice Storm (Op
RECUPERATION), 1998
The ice storm of January 1998 caused
a massive power failure that affected
more than 1 million households in
east-central Canada. Emergency efforts
were hampered by fallen trees, broken
power lines and rivers of ice blocking
the roads. New Brunswick, Ontario, and
Quebec requested aid from the CAF and
Operation RECUPERATION began on
January 8.
The operation involved over 15,000
Army, Navy and Air Force personnel—the
largest deployment of troops to serve in
response to a Canadian natural disaster
and the largest operational deployment
of Canadian military personnel since the
Korean War. All three field dental platoons
were deployed to provide oral health care
to the numerous military personnel working
to restore services. In all, 13 RCDC personnel
were deployed.