From Cadet to Commanding Officer: Inside the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada with Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Robinson

Today on Curious Conversations, we take our microphones inside the historic armoury in Cambridge, Ontario to meet Lieutenant‑Colonel Jason from the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada. He tells us how he went from a twelve‑year‑old cadet to the highest‑ranked soldier in Waterloo Region, what a reservist actually is, and why his regiment is one year older than Canada itself.

We hear about his first summer of real army training (including shooting a gun for the first time and rappelling off a cliff), his deployment to Bosnia during Operation Palladium, and a powerful story about a woman pushing a wheelbarrow full of money just to buy one bag of groceries. Jason explains what daily life is like for part‑time soldiers, how teens in grade 11 can get started in the reserves, and why leadership, initiative, and appreciating what you have matter so much in and out of the military.

Kids will learn:

• What the Canadian Army Reserve is and how it’s different from full‑time soldiers
• How Canadian troops helped people in Bosnia after a civil war
• What it takes to become a leader in the military
• Why Canadian military history helps us understand who we are today

Links & Resources

Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate 

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