[maple_leaf_eh]

A hundred and fifty years ago when I did recruiting in Regina, we were sent to Speedy Creek to screen Saskatchewan Dragoon recruits for a planned reopened Troop or Squadron. I recall meeting an applicant who had been in the old armoured unit before it was shut down in the 60's. He wanted to rejoin. After a couple decades of farming, he still thought himself healthy enough to give it a go.

The story he told (and what I remember) was the CO and staff saw their role in the community as trainers and spreaders-of-military-skills. The now middle aged man had joined up, done Basic and trades training, and had a year of small unit experience in the armoury. Which I recall was north of the centre of town on a little hillside west of some main road. Nice place, eventually ceded to the city like many other small town armouries.

After some decent interval, his training and military exposure were deemed sufficient, and he was released. His instructions were to encourage others to join up, to keep himself ready if the nation needed his services, and to always honour his unit. (I guess the family reputation of that Colonel has been somewhat smudged with the passage of time. Don't know why.)

So if his Worship the Mayor wants to sell the "old tank" he is dishonouring the service of hundreds and thousands of young men and women constituents.