Why was the Canadian Military Engineers Association formed?

By the late 1990s, the Colonel Commandant and CME Branch Advisor identified a widespread grass-roots interest in having a single "Association" to respond to all the CME Family needs and interests. A series of joint studies were conducted by the CME Council and the MEAC with the assistance of others such as; the CME Chief Warrant Officers Working Group, the CME Fund, the Military Engineers Museum Association of Canada, the Military Engineering Institute of Canada and the Retired Sappers. Having determined the feasibility, we then developed an implementation plan that came to fruition on 23 November 2000 with the ‘standing-up’ of the new association.

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What are the association’s mission/objectives?

• applying the talents of retired Canadian Military Engineers to areas in need of development -  either in Canada or around the world;
• enhancing the effectiveness of Canada's military engineering capability, promoting excellence in the development of military engineering, and fostering an interest in all aspects of military engineering.
• encouraging effective communication and close association amongst all serving and former members of the CME, its predecessors, and its associated civilians and organisations.
• enhancing the position of the CME within the Canadian Armed Forces and, accordingly,  enhancing opportunities for members of the CME within both the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian society in general.
• preserving the history of Canada's military engineering practitioners, honouring their customs, traditions and heritage, and commemorating their achievements and sacrifice.
• facilitating the well-being of all Association members and responding promptly to assist the welfare of members and their families as needed.
• co-operating with other organisations that address Canada's strategic and national security interests, and advising the Government of Canada  on matters that involve military engineering.

What does the CMEA do?

• Locally, the CMEA is organized into chapters that are based on the concentrations of CME units across the country. The chapters are the focus of our fraternal activities and they conduct regular meetings that are generally based on a professional development or social activity.  As well as participating in national initiatives, the chapters may also be involved in purely local activities and projects such as: supporting a Cadet Corps, assisting a unit in writing its history, contributing to a Habitat for Humanity project, or working on a segment of the Trans Canada Trail. We aim to improve these familial aspects by publicising such events, encouraging participation and, when applicable, organising social events and reunions on behalf of the CME Family.
• At the national level, the CMEA advocates for military engineering in co-operation with the Military Engineers Association of Canada and other members of the Conference of Defence Associations.  This is accomplished through the provision of assistance and advice to the CME Branch Advisor and to the Minister of National Defence and the Government of Canada. In addition, we will actively seek opportunities to encourage research and study of national security issues from a military engineering prospective.  We will use public information means to publicise all such military engineering aspects in appropriate media and forums throughout Canada.
• The CMEA national communications network is used to strengthen the fraternal connections among the chapters and the some thirty other CME fraternal and veterans groups within the CME Family.  We maintain this web site and publish newsletters and communiques. Additionally, we provide input to the CME personnel update “CHIMO “and carry that publication on our web site. Further, we maintain an e-mail network among the CMEA chapters and to hundreds of individuals for the passage of timely information.  We will seek opportunities to maintain and to expand pervasive communications linkages throughout the CME Family.
• The strength and dedication of our Association is firmly based on an appreciation of the heritage of the CME Family. We respect and encourage the preservation of the CME heritage on all occasions within the CME family. The CMEA works with the Military Engineers Museum Association of Canada to support the CME Museum and other military museums with military engineering components. We will work with other agencies to ensure the preservation of the military engineering contribution to all aspects of Canada's heritage and will promote community activities and projects that commemorate the CME contribution to Canada. We assist in the publication of the “Customs of the CME,”promote the sale and distribution of the three published volumes of the official CME history and will produce and publish additional volumes as appropriate in the future.
• The CMEA is also concerned with the professional and vocational recognition and certification of our members. We will undertake initiatives to expand opportunities for accreditation of military training and experience towards engineer and technologist qualification.  We will also work closely with the Military Engineering Institute of Canada to support such activities as convening professional development seminars, workshops, or symposia.
• The Association promotes military engineering excellence at the individual level through the sponsorship of achievement awards for CME schools, academies, and colleges. The CMEA also sponsors a system of competitions among the Regular and Reserve military engineer units.
• The CMEA is committed to assisting the Canadian Forces’ Quality of Life initiatives and will offer and provide assistance to the families as requested and as appropriate to improve their conditions of service.  We may assist directly or indirectly by facilitating the recovery of sick and injured members. Where an injured member is released, we may assist the re-settlement of the member and, if appropriate, will sponsor or lobby to ensure that appropriate care and/or treatment is provided and sustained.
• For those retired or retiring members, where feasible, we may assist in supporting the transition to meaningful "second career" employment and assist the former serving member to settle in the local community.  We provide a national employment advertising and facilitating service.

How much is this going to cost?

The annual membership dues for Regular Membership in the CMEA are $24 a year.

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What are the benefits of membership?

The benefits of membership are two-way: the CMEA, through its members, provides support to the CME and the CME Family as a whole and the Association provides services and benefits to its individual members. If you refer to the questions “What are the association’s mission/objectives” and “What does the CMEA do? ” you will appreciate the benefits that are available but that we can only accomplish these as the result of a large and active membership.

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Although my trade is not engineer related, I am a member of an engineer unit and consider myself to be part of the Engineer Family. Can I join the CMEA and be eligible for the same benefits?

Yes, membership is open to any military or civilian who is serving with DND or a Crown Corporation or any agency in a function associated directly with Military Engineering.

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Am I eligible to apply for financial help for my children's college education?

Yes, annually the CMEA awards several Bursaries to deserving individuals. For details and Application Form, see: Bursary

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Give me some examples of what the CMEA has done.

Since its activation, the CMEA leaders have concentrated on creating and on refining the governance structure, broadening the base of Chapters, studying CME Family needs and priorities, formulating association policies and protocols, and reinforcing the chapter or local level activities.  National initiatives have been constrained by limited funds but each month brings new funds, resources, and agreement on the way ahead.  Concurrently, CMEA members at all levels have continued to assist one another and to promote CME interests to the best of their ability in that broad range of activity describe throughout these FAQs.

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What is the CMEA doing to help the accreditation of the Engineer trades? 

We work with the CME Branch Advisor's office to expand opportunities for accrediting military training and experience towards engineer licensing and technologist certification.

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I am looking for some help with a second career – how can the CMEA help me?

If you are a member, the CMEA advises of Employment Opportunities as they are advised. In future, we intended to have a separate page on the web site to catalogue these opportunities.  The Association also has, within its membership, individuals in most communities and employment areas who can provide informal and specific advice. As well, there are many within the CME Family who have knowledge of the situation, have the benefit of similar experiences, and are prepared to provide mentoring. These individuals can be  contacted through the Member Services Officer of the local Chapter.

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How do I find who is a local CMEA contact?

Contact the National Secretary for the latest addresses.

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I have recently learned of the death of an Engineer friend - can you help me spread the word?

Advise the Registrar as soon as possible via email. This information will be disseminated to our email distribution list to members and all CME Family associations, as well as being posted to this site. Provide the Registrar with as much detail as is readily and quickly available – a newspaper Obituary is helpful.  Pass any details like: address of Next of Kin, funeral arrangements, and family wishes with respect to floral tributes or memorial donations.  Outline military career details are also requested as well as suggestions as to where (or from whom) additional details might be obtained.

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How can I apply for assistance for myself or an Engineer veteran friend in need?

Response to requests for assistance will be very individual and handled with confidentiality  It is  important that needs for assistance be identified at the local level as  it is there that resolution will normally be found. Chapters will identify a Member Services Officer who will be familiar with the resources that are available. If difficulties are encountered in contacting a local CMEA Chapter, refer to the Regional Divisional Vice-President or the National Secretary.

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Can you help me find a long-lost Sapper friend?

• Name/rank/nickname of the individual,
• Year of last contact,
• Last info on unit/location/rank
• Some details on service career – locations, units, ranks

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Can you help me with a question on Engineer History?

Refer to the CME Museum web site and pose your question there. There is an informal group of CMEA members who assist the Museum in responding to these questions.

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Where can I read more about CME history?

• You can purchase the three volume set here.
• There is a summary contained  in “The Customs and Traditions of the Canadian Military Engineers”.
• The CME Museum website now contains the interesting series of short extracts gathered during CME 2003.

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I am going to be travelling this fall - how can I find out what Engineer Reunions and other events are going to be taking place?

Go to the Activities page and check the listed events. Furthermore, if you are aware of  additional events, please advise us.

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What role is the CMEA playing in CME 2003 activities?

CMEA members are particularly active at many local levels, arranging and hosting commemorative events. At the national level, CMEA is an active part of the CME 2003 Steering Committee. CMEA has made financial contributions to special projects and supported Reserve and Regular Force units for the “Bridges for Canada”program. In the post-Centennial transition “2004 and beyond,” the CMEA will assume formal responsibility for all the kinds of CME Family events, projects and programs that the Centennial Office managed during that celebration.

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What major activities are planned for the next five years? 

• Quality of Life and Conditions of Service. We will continue to work with CF authorities and support services to improve the network and make available a more complete set of services for those in circumstances beyond their ability to cope with or resolve.
• Beyond CME 2003. The Association will carry on the activities established during the CME 2003 Centenary and will  co-ordinate future  related celebrations.

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How does the CMEA relate to the CME Branch Advisor and the other CME associations?

At the national level, the CMEA remains in direct contact with the CME Colonel Commandant, the CME Branch Advisor, and senior CME appointments. At the regional and local level, the CMEA co-operates closely with CME units. The CMEA is an inclusive association that remains open to mutual support and co-operation with all individuals and groups that comprise the CME Family.

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There already is the Branch Fund, the Officers' Fund, Military Engineers Association of Canada (MEAC) and our own Association, why do we need another group?

It has become apparent that separate funds and groups are constrained by their size and limited mandates and are increasingly challenged to maintain their viability and their services. It has, therefore, become obvious that a single association, the CMEA, can best respond to the full range of CME Family needs and interests in the most cost effective and compassionate manner.

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Will the Branch Fund, the Officers' Fund and the MEAC be folded into the new CME Association?

Every group within the CME Family has its own governance structure and most respond democratically to their members' wishes.  The CMEA strives to meet the needs of every CME Family member and welcomes all individuals and groups to join with the CMEA.  However, it is solely the prerogative of each autonomous group to decide for themselves the extent to which they will harmonise their activities with the CMEA or if they will unite with the CMEA completely. The Branch Fund and the National MEAC have already merged with the CMEA, and hopefully, others will do so in the future. In essence, the CMEA does not "compete" with other groups but hopes to demonstrate - by its inclusiveness and its effective provision of services - that it is indeed "The Engineer Association".

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What is the difference between the MEAC and the CMEA?

The CMEA exists as "The Engineer Association" to meet all the needs of the CME Family.  The CMEA strives to identify the interests and needs of the CME Family and continues to co-ordinate programs that respond to those interests and needs in a timely, effective and compassionate manner. The MEAC, charted in 1912, developed many of the policies, programs and procedures familiar to the CME Family. When it became apparent that several factors precluded the MEAC from continuing its full range of services, the MEAC acted as the catalyst to create the CMEA and to ensure a smooth transfer of activities. In 2003 the MEAC ceased operations as a national entity, although independent MEAC Branches may continue to meet at a local level.

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How does CMEA relate to the Conference of Defence Associations?

The Military Engineers’ Association of Canada has been an integral part of the Conference of Defense Associations since its formation. Since the MEAC ceased to function at the National level in 2003, the CMEA has carried out th advocacy role on behalf of Military Engineering and on behalf of the CME Family.