Awards Dinner
Awarding scholarships to sea, army and air cadets enrolled in a unit located in Manitoba since 1967.
The scholarships are presented at the Awards Dinner, which is a formal event that is normally held at the 17 Wing Officers Mess. The guest speaker for the evening is normally a serving officer in the Canadian Forces. Recent speakers have included:
- 2006 - General Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff
- 2007 - Major General J.M. Duval, Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division
- 2008 - Major General Dennis Tabbernor, Commander Reserves and Cadets
- 2009 - Rear Admiral Robert Davidson, Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff
- 2010 - General Walter Natynczyk, Chief of Defence Staff
The guest speaker for the 2011 Awards Dinner, which will be held on September 24, 2011, will be
Major General Alain Parent, Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division.
Guests who have had military service, or are currently serving, will often wear their mess kits. Other adults wear a business suit or other suitable attire.
All cadets in attendance wear their uniform.
The winners of the Hubbell Awards and their parents attend the evening as guests. Providing external funding is available a number of serving cadets who might be suitable candidates for an award the following year are invited to attend as guests.
The dinner will begin with Grace followed by the toast to the Queen of Canada. If officials from other countries are in attendance, toasts will be made to their President, Prime Minister, etc. The Band will play the appropriate national anthem(s) during the toast(s).
In addition to presenting the awards, the evening is an opportunity for cadets and their parents to learn more about the traditions of the military. To assist in that process, the Air Command Band plays the Regimental Marches of the Navy, Army, Air Force and the Chaplain Branch. Everyone in attendance is encouraged to stand during the march for the element in which they or a relative or friend served or is serving. The exception is the Chaplain's Regimental March when everyone in attendance is encouraged to stand.
The Awards
The three awards presented annually are:
Highest Rated Sea Cadet - Dr. Gordon Paton Fahrni Award
Dr. Gordon Paton Fahrni was born in Winnipeg in 1916. He graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in 1940 and then joined the Royal Canadian Navy.
He was deployed to England and assigned to H.M.S. Fitzroy, a minesweeper on which he served until she was sunk in 1942. He was wounded in action. For his actions Dr. Fahrni was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery, devotion to duty, leadership, and skill in actions against enemy submarines.
Following the war he proceeded to post graduate work at the Toronto General Hospital and for further training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, USA. He received his Fellowship (F.R.C.P.) and practised as a general surgeon at the Winnipeg General, Children's and Grace Hospitals.
He died peacefully in his sleep on January 20, 2007.
Highest Rated Army Cadet - Lieutenant Laurence Gillmor Sherman Award
Lieutenant Laurence Gillmor Sherman was twenty when he enrolled in the Canadian Forces. He trained with the Calgary Highlanders and earned a commission as an infantry officer.
He went overseas in 1943 and was posted to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment in Italy. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment suffered enormous losses in battle.
Lieutenant Sherman joined them in time for the assault on Monte Casino on May 23. It was in that battle that he fell at the age of 23.
In his book "The Liri Valley, Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome" military historian Mark Zuehike writes in detail of that day's assault on the Hitler Line at Casino, and records that "···with both Lieutenants wounded, the sections were pinned down. They added more bodies to the tangle left earlier by the PPCLI. One machine-gun was firing on the Edmonton's from just a few feet away. When Lieutenant Sherman attempted to organize the bridgehead inside the wire, he was struck three times by sniper fire and killed".
In 1995, Sherman Lake in northern Manitoba was named for him.
Highest Rated Air Cadet - 17 Wing Honorary Colonel Award
Honorary Colonels are part of an institution with a proud history of dedication and service to our country. They are officers on all issues with the exception of operations. They work behind the scenes and provide a much needed connection between the community and the Canadian Forces.
The rank recognizes individuals who offer their talents for the enrichment and greater good of Canada.
The commission of Honorary Colonel conveys a heritage of duty, commitment, and service.
The motto of 17 Wing Winnipeg is "Prospice" or "Look to the Future". The 17 Wing Honorary Colonel promotes that motto.