Canadians pay general’s Ottawa rent for 7 years

7 years in Ottawa CAF says it’s a ‘sacrifice’ for Edmontonian

Taxpayers have been paying for one of the country’s top generals to live in an Ottawa apartment for the past seven years at an estimated cost of $140,000.

Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk did not move his home from Edmonton to Ottawa in 2012 when he was appointed as deputy commander of the army. Instead he has been on what is known as imposed restriction and has been receiving separation expenses that cover his apartment rental and parking, the Canadian Forces confirmed.

“The maximum amount for his rental unit and parking has been $20,400 per year,” said the Canadian Forces, but it could not provide a detailed accounting of the cost to taxpayers “at this time."

Wynnyk declined to comment.

A member of the military can be on imposed restriction for a consecutive period of up to five years. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance authorized the additional two years for Wynnyk.

They are reimbursed some living expenses resulting from the short-term separation from their families and household goods, according to the Canadian Forces policy.

“The bottom line is that L-Gen Wynnyk has graciously agreed, time after time, to support the Canadian Armed Forces in its Ottawa HQ so that we can all take benefit from his experience, guidance and leadership while serving well past his eligibility for a full pension at 35 years in the CAF,” the Canadian Forces noted in its statement to Postmedia. “He has sacrificed his own needs to benefit the institution, for which we are grateful.”

“It is important to note that LGen Wynnyk has always maintained deep roots in Edmonton, Alberta, where he was born and educated and has long made it clear that it is his home,” the Canadian Forces added.

Wynnyk’s wife is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Vance asked Wynnyk to stay in Ottawa as the defence policy was being developed and because of the significant turnover of senior leaders. All proper procedures were followed, the military noted.

Since 2018, seven lieutenant-generals or vice-admirals have retired, “creating a loss of expertise that is difficult to replace,” the Canadian Forces added.

Wynnyk was one of three officers who held the role of vice-chief since January 2017 after Vance removed Vice-Adm. Mark Norman from the position. Norman was ousted after RCMP allegations that the naval officer leaked information about Liberal government plans to put on hold the conversion of a commercial vessel into a naval supply ship. Norman was later charged with one count of breach of trust but that was stayed in May after the case against him collapsed. He recently accepted an undisclosed settlement from the government and will retire.

The Canadian Forces said it is rare for imposed restrictions to go over five years.

There are 626 military personnel on imposed restriction but since 2013 only 12 have been approved for extension past the five-year mark. Of those, four are officers and eight are non-commissioned members.

In 1998 the Ottawa Citizen revealed that Rear Admiral Barry Keeler lived in an Ottawa hotel for six years on imposed restriction because moving his family from Halifax would have caused undue hardship. An internal military audit obtained through Access to Information stated that “a somewhat generous approach using broad but undocumented criteria” was used in allowing Keeler to claim expenses. His six-year stay at Les Suites Hotel in downtown Ottawa cost taxpayers more than $119,000.

Keeler, the Department of National Defence’s chief of financial services at the time, said he didn’t receive any special treatment. But the military audit noted that during the time Keeler was granted imposed restriction status, there was “an atmosphere of greater flexibility in granting senior officers benefits not usually accorded to officers and members of lesser rank.”

A person in Ottawa on imposed restriction can receive up to $1,600 for monthly accommodation, in addition to $100 a month for parking.

The Canadian Forces noted Wynnyk’s principal residence is Edmonton and that will be where he retires, making the current arrangement “cost-effective” as taxpayers would have had to pay for his move back to that city. “The fact that he has stayed with us for so long, while respecting taxpayer funds, is a true testament to his character and commitment to both the Armed Forces and Canada,” the Canadian Forces stated.