Canadian Cadets Program spending questioned

WINNIPEG – Questions are being raised about the way the Canadian Cadets Program spends $200 million a year in government funds.

“The cost of operating the program is far too high for the amount of benefit that we’re getting,” said Kirk Kelln, a Regina parent who has a son in Cadets. “They have demonstrated an utter inability to manage the affairs of their organization.”

There are more than 52,000 cadets across Canada and approximately 2,100 in Manitoba. The free federal government program under the Department of National Defence teaches teamwork, leadership and other skills, from shooting to flying. It receives more than $200 million funding a year.

“It’s a great challenge,” said Nicholas Pasieczak, a Manitoba cadet. “It gives you so many experiences.”

Documents obtained by Global news and conversations with concerned members and their parents have revealed concerns about how the program is run.

An inspection of the Northwest Division, which includes the Prairies and northern Canada, found questionable expense claims. Flight change fees were charged without documentation, hotel rooms were paid for and not used, and during regular trips to Cadet camps, a commanding officer paid hundreds of dollars for hotel rooms instead of staying on site.

“We do need to get a handle on how money is spent and where it is spent,” said Rear Admiral Jennifer Bennett, who oversees the Cadets in the Department of National Defence.

A recent Department of National Defence review of Cadets found the program should be fundamentally re-engineered to simplify governance and command and reduce administrative overhead.

Over the past 20 years, funding for the program jumped 40 per cent while the number of cadets dropped 15 per cent, the review says.

There is an average of one paid Cadet employee for every five participants, the document states. The Scouts pay approximately one employee for every 258 participants.

“I do need to look at our headquarter structure,” Bennett said. “I need to look at the number of people full time, and we can’t continue the way we are currently.”

The organization needs a culture change and is trying to attract more kids, she added, and she is working on a five-year plan to address concerns.