CALEB NICKERSON
DAVIDSON July 7, 2020
On the evening of July 7, soldiers from Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) conducted training in the vicinity of the Davidson Mill in Mansfield et Pontefract.
However, the public and the media were not notified beforehand, as . . .
is standard procedure when members of the military conduct training near civilian populations.
CANSOFCOM Public Affairs Officer Cpt. Jamie Donovan said in an email that they would advise the public and the media prior to any further operations in the area.
“Unfortunately, our efforts to fully advise affected residents as well as local officials fell short. For this we sincerely apologize,” he wrote. “Should we conduct similar training in these areas in the future, we will correct the degree to which members of the public and local officials are informed of our planned activities. We are grateful to local area residents for their support and appreciate their understanding.”
In response to followup questions, Donovan said that he was unable to get into specifics on the number of troops or the type of operations they were conducting, other than that it was a routine “confirmation exercise for members of the Command.”
