Alleged military impostor suspended from construction company job

A man who allegedly impersonated a Canadian soldier is seen in this undated image taken from Facebook.

A man who claimed to be a decorated soldier at a Remembrance Day ceremony has been temporarily suspended from his job at a construction company.

Ontario-based Potvin Construction, where Franck Gervais has worked for the last 12 years, says he is being suspended pending further investigation.

Gervais appeared at Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Tuesday, dressed in full military regalia, but the Department of National Defence later said it has no record of anyone by that name.

Ottawa police said Thursday, that they were launching an investigation after receiving “numerous inquiries” after a interview with Gervais was broadcast on TV.

Under the criminal code, it is illegal to impersonate a soldier.

According to various media reports, a number of veterans and soldiers complained about Gervais after noticing several red flags including his beard, type of beret, and the positioning of medals and badges on his uniform.

With files from CTV Ottawa and The Canadian Press