EDMONTON -- A second senior member of the Canadian Armed Forces was quietly removed from his role in Canada’s vaccine rollout campaign in May after a complaint was made regarding language he allegedly used.
The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed Brig.-Gen. Simon Bernard’s departure in a statement issued to CTV News Friday, but did not provide additional details about the allegations.
“Subsequent to a complaint made regarding language allegedly used by BGen Bernard, the CAF is working towards determining facts and next steps,” read the statement.
“In order to preserve the integrity of the effort and to ensure due process is afforded to all affected parties, we will not be disclosing the nature of the grievance.”
News of the departure comes just weeks after Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin left his role as the military general in charge of the logistics of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout over an allegation of sexual misconduct. Fortin, through his lawyer, has said he “completely denies” any wrongdoing.
Bernard was Fortin's second-in-command in vaccine and logistics planning, a post he was appointed to in November 2020.
According to the CAF, he has since been on annual leave since his departure and will later be assigned to a position “which remains to be determined.”
Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, who was named as Fortin's successor on May 17, declined to comment on Bernard’s departure during a press conference Friday, noting she could not speak to the allegations.
“What I can indicate is that we are very focused on the team here at the Public Health Agency to ensure that we distribute vaccines as quickly as safely as efficiently as we can in a manner that's fair and equitable to all,” Brodie said.
