7762

 

7762 GD (Garth) Jonah                                                                     








Born: Saint John, New Brunswick (1944).

Married in 1971 to Mary McHarg, a Kingston girl that was my date on CanSerCol weekend in February 1967.  We are approaching our 53rd wedding anniversary at the time of writing this document.  She graduated from the Kingston Psychiatric Hospital School of Nursing in 1970 and some of her classmates are/were married to 1969’ers.

Currently living in Welland, Ontario where we moved to in 2017 to be closer to our son, Gregory, his wife, Heather and our grand daughters Lauren, Ashley and Taylor

Pre-CMC Moves: Peterborough (1948), Toronto (1951), Hamilton (1955), Ottawa (1961), Winnipeg (1963), and Toronto (1964).

Attended Royal Roads: 1964 – 1967 (the 3-year option due to a course called Calculus)

Attended Royal Military College: 1967 – 1969.

Degree: BA (History).

I have had three careers that are outlined below:

Military Service (Pre-CMC):

Westdale Secondary School Cadet Corps (Hamilton) 1959 – 1961.

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Cadet Corps (Ottawa) 1961 – 1963.

Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (Winnipeg) 1963 – 1964. Commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the Militia.

 Military Service (Post-CMC):

Branch of the Forces: originally Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS), later renamed to Communications and Electronics Branch (CELE) and then back to the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals)


1969: posted to 2 PPCLI in Hemer, West Germany, as a platoon commander for 6 months (the norm at the time for signal officers)

1970: RCCS Fourth Phase Course in Kingston

1970-1972: Instructor at Officer Training Squadron, Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCEE).

1972-74: posted to 1st Canadian Signal Regiment (1 CSR) as a Radio Troop Officer, Asst      Operations Officer and Adjutant).  During this posting, deployed with 1 CSR on the United Nations Emergency Force II to Egypt and served as the Ismailia Signal Troop Officer with detachments in Ismailia, Suez City and Cairo.

1974–1977: posted to 4 Service Battalion in Lahr, West Germany as the Battalion Signals Officer (2nd best posting).

1977–1981: posted to Communication Command Headquarters (Ottawa) as the Staff Officer Personnel and the Operations Officer in charge of the Command Operations Centre.

1981-1984: posted to Training Systems Headquarters (Trenton) as the SSO Communications and Electronics Training.

1984-1987: posted to Debert, NS as the Commanding Officer of 720 Communications Squadron/Detachment Commander of CFB Halifax Detachment Debert. During this tour, became the first CO of CFS Debert. (best posting)

1987-1990: posted to 70 Communications Group (Trenton) as the DComd.

1990 – 1994: served in 79 Communications Regt (Ottawa) as the DComd and as the  SSO Operations at Canadian Forces Headquarters.

1994-1999: served as the Fielding Officer for the Tactical Command, Control and Communications System (TCCCS) in Ottawa before taking off the uniform on November 30th, 1999.

Post Military Service: started my own defence project management company Whaleways Services and worked with Directorate Land Communications System Management (DLCSM) and Directorate of Land Requirements from April 2000 to February 2010.  Currently my company has morphed into an Investment Holding Company.

 Scouting Career

I first became involved as a member of the Boy Scouts of Canada as a youth member from 1952 – 1962 and returned to the organization as an adult member in 1983 and remain involved with Scouts Canada at the present time, serving in various roles from section leader through to Council and Board representatives.

 We are enjoying being closer to our son and his family. Greg is currently the Operations/Construction Manager for Homes By Hendriks, a builder of high-end homes here in the Niagara Region.  Heather has her own company, JW Build, and has become involved in commercial and home appraisals.  Lauren, our oldest grand daughter, is finishing up her first year at the University of Guelph. Ashley is nearing the end of Grade Eleven while Taylor, our youngest, will be entering Grade 5 in the Fall.



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