It is regretfully announced that Ed Cooke died peacefully at the Montfort Hospital in Ottawa, on Saturday, November 12, 2005 as the result of complications arising from a brain tumour. He was predeceased by his mother Ida and his first wife Isabel MacKay, and is survived by his wife Brenda Turner, father Bill Cooke (Nolda), son Colin Cooke (Chrys) and his children Samantha and Benjamin, their mother Louise Sarazin (James), daughter Karen Resch (Kevin) and their children Kody and Kaylea. 

Ed was born on the 10^th of March 1936 in Lancashire, England. Ed graduated from RMC with a diploma in Electrical Engineering in 1958 after two years at Royal Roads and a further two years at RMC. He spent the following year at Queen’s University and graduated with a BSc. in Electrical Engineering. The next year was spent on the last “Long L” course in Halifax. Upon completion of the course he was promoted to Lieutenant (L) and appointed head of the sonar weapons facility in the weapons division. In 1962 Ed left the Navy for the private sector and worked in the R and D laboratories of Canadian Westinghouse in Hamilton, and Martin and Associates in Halifax. During this period he married Isabel McKay, a naval nursing sister. In 1965 Ed joined the federal public service and began a long and successful career as a public servant. During the first 10 years in the public

service he worked in the weapons systems engineering group in the naval dockyard in Halifax, and also managed to earn a MSc. degree in Control Engineering at the Nova Scotia Technical College and begin a family with Isabel. In 1975 the Cookes moved to Ottawa where Ed became the chief engineer in the air traffic control equipment area. In 1978, after some other assignments within the public service, Ed joined the Treasury Board Secretariat. This move led to many promotions and assignments dealing with subjects, which included, amongst others, agriculture, the public service itself, TB policy development and management initiatives. He retired from the public service, as Director General, Infrastructure, in 1996. 

A wake and memorial service took place and Hulse, Playfair, and McGarry in Ottawa on November the 16^th. There were many of Ed’s classmates from Royal Roads and RMC in attendance, in addition to a large number of family members and friends from over the years. Ed was a big man and a giant person, and will be missed by all. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1745 Woodward Drive,  Ottawa, K2C 0P9, or the Ottawa Humane Society, 101 Champagne Ave.  South, Ottawa, K1S 4P3.
 

First of all, thanks to Bill and Rolande Oliver for delaying eVeritas by a day to allow us to provide you with the very latest information concerning the long-standing relationship between the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and the United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA).  I say the very latest as we just this week concluded a series of staff visits, emails, telephone calls with two days of meetings at RMC with key USMA/RMC staff and planners.  What follows is hot off the keyboard of my Special Assistant, 13789 Commander Darren Rich (RRMC 1983), and I believe is an exciting new direction for the RMC-USMA Exchange writ large.  As such, we have not had the time to get this document translated into French.  It will be translated for the next eVeritas

Background

The original intent behind the first RMC-USMA hockey game in 1923 was to provide a focus for friendly relations and mutual respect between the Armed Forces of Canada and the United States.  Over the intervening 75 or 83 years (depending how you count) “West Point Weekend” has evolved to include a number of social activities, sports and academic competitions.  It has also become a serious staff exercise involving several staff members on both sides of the border working many hours to perfectly choreograph a 56-hour schedule.  The current schedule has evolved to keep everyone engaged and moving but unfortunately provides little down time for respective Cadets and Staff to get to know each other as persons and as future and serving officers in their respective Armed Forces. 

It has been recently acknowledged by both institutions that the status quo is unsustainable in moving forward and no longer meets the original intent of 1923.  As such, the Commanding Generals of both RMC and USMA met last fall and agreed to explore the possibilities of a major refit of the West Point Exchange.  Their joint Commanders’ Intent was not to just look at the Weekend in isolation but rather to develop a holistic approach to further broaden and deepen the relationship between RMC and USMA. 

As a result, the combined staffs identified three areas where change could be implemented without losing sight of the 1923 vision: 

-          overhauling the existing West Point Weekend, starting with the 2006 edition;

-          moving the timing of the USMA-RMC hockey game to a more mutually convenient time starting with the 2007 hockey game; and

-          increasing the number of sporting and academic competitions between the two institutions starting in the fall of 2006.

West Point Weekend 2006

While the full schedule of events has not been formalized, the following general framework has been agreed to for the February 2006 West Point Weekend which will be hosted by RMC on the weekend of 10-12 February.  As it is RMC’s turn to host we will still be receiving Cadets and Staff from USMA on the afternoon of Friday, 10 February.  There will be an initial Meet & Greet on arrival, followed by a formal evening dinner in the Senior Staff Mess to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the first RMC-USMA hockey game at West Point in 1923.  Both hockey teams as well as selected staff and students from RMC and USMA will be in attendance to enjoy a sit down meal and to meet and talk with their opposite numbers in the original spirit envisaged by Generals MacArthur and Macdonell.  With the exception of the hockey team, USMA Cadets will be billeted in our dormitories with assigned RMC Cadets as hosts. 

At 0815 on Saturday, 11 February, the Opening Ceremonies for the weekend will be held in the Field House at the Kingston Military Community Sports Center.  This event will be followed by the traditional Tae Kwon Do competition, again in the Field House.  At the same time those RMC and USMA Cadets not involved in Tae Kwon Do will disperse outdoors to the various sports fields adjacent to Navy Bay to compete in the annual Cadet Wing Winter Games.  For the first time the Winter Games will consist of RMC Squadron teams augmented with visiting USMA Cadets.  Each RMC Squadron will host up to eight USMA Cadets, who will compete with that Squadron in a selected sport throughout the day.  Competition will continue until 1530.  The Debate will start at 1330 in Currie Hall.  All events are open to the general public and are free of charge. 

Once the Winter Games and Debating are finished the two Cheer Bands will rehearse to coordinate their activities for the hockey game.  At the same time the various staffs and invited guests will gather in the Senior Staff Mess for a pre-game social event. 

The centerpiece of the weekend, the 75^th annual hockey game, will start at 1930 at the Kingston MemorialCenter.  It will be preceded by the presentation of matching paintings by the Commanding Generals to each other.  A local Kingston artist, Mrs. Sally Chupick, has been commissioned to produce these paintings.  For ticket information, you will have to read on. 

Between intermissions the Fort Henry Heights Hockey “Tim Bits” will entertain the crowd.  After the game the hockey teams, VIPs and hockey parents and families will be involved in a short meet and greet (venue yet to be confirmed).

Future West Point Weekends - The I-84 Weekend

The intent for future West Point Weekends, to be fully implemented by February 2007, is for two busloads of approximately 50 Cadets (accompanied by a small cadre of Staff), one from each institution, to pass each other on Interstate 84 (or 81) enroute to their host’s campus.  The visiting Cadets will occupy those bunks vacated by the departed Cadets and will follow the daily routine of their host roommate for the next three or four days.  This will include attending classes, participating in organized Squadron and Wing events (SAMIs at USMA) and generally getting to know their host and their hosts’ Squadron mates and friends.  The buses will again pass each other on the Sunday on either I-84 or I-81 as they head home. 

Increased Varsity-level Sports, Academic and Recreation Club Competitions

As a result of the implementation of the I-84 Weekend format, those events that have been the hallmark of many past West Point Weekends will become independent sports exchange events.  Thus the Tae Kwon Do, fencing, Debating and hockey teams (and other as yet to be determined Varsity or equivalent teams or activities) will meet on a regular basis for cross-border competition at times more closely tied to their pre-season or early season schedules.  The visiting competitors will also be billeted with their opposing competitors and will be involved in a smaller version of social, cultural and academic activities.  The numbers and frequency of cross-border exchange competitions has yet to be finalized but will be balanced between the two institutions on a yearly basis.  

The intent behind this initiative is to increase the overall number of Cadets from each institution that will either host or be hosted over their four-year residence at either USMA or RMC.  By having more visiting Cadets in the quarters on a more frequent basis there will also be more interaction between them and thus stronger ties and a more clear understanding of how each other views the world and their part in maintaining and nurturing peace, order and good government. 

The 75^th Anniversary Gold Coin 

The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a 14-Karat gold coin to commemorate the game.  You can order online www.mint.ca or 1-800-267-1871 (Canada), 1-800-268-6468 (US).  The item number is #6215006 and the cost is $329.95 CDN (S&H, PST and GST extra).  

Hockey Tickets for the 75th Game

The RMC Club of Canada will have a block of 107 tickets (Sections 12 and 16 in the Kingston Memorial Center) for sale on a first come, first served basis to Ex-Cadets and RMC personnel.  Tickets can be purchased by calling (613) 541-6000, extension 6850, by email at: darlington-m@rmc.ca or in person at Panet House.  If you are calling from outside Kingston and can only pick up your tickets on game day, they will be available for pick up at the Kingston Memorial Center (probably at the “Will Call” window, but this is to be confirmed).

Following is a repeat of a message received from Days Inn Kingston Hotel and Conference Centre.


“We will be happy to confirm a block of 10 rooms on February 11th, 2006 for your RMC Alumni at our Days Inn Kingston Hotel and Conference Centre. We have the guestrooms available at a rate of $90.00 single/double. Do you know what kind of room types ie. Kings, 2 bedded, that your group will require? Also, will they be calling in on their own to make their reservations or will you be sending a rooming list? as well, for payment will they be settling their own accounts? We will have those rooms blocked under RMC Alumni.  However, let me know if you would like it booked under a different name.”

Visitors attending the game and requiring accommodations are encouraged to contact Days Inn directly to make arrangements.   

33 Benson Street
Kingston, Ontario
(613) 546-3661
info@daysinnkingston.com
http://www.daysinnkingston.com/ 

or contact 

Mara Eby
Director of Sales
Days Inn Kingston Hotel and Conference Centre
Diamond Hotels Canada Inc.
tel:   (613)549-7858 extension 2543
Fax: (613)546-3167
meby@diamondhotelscanada.com