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219 Since 1909
219 Since 1909
The first New Glasgow Cadet Corps was organized under the leadership of Mr. H.G. Clarke in the year 1909. The original uniforms were the same as those worn by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1914-19. During World War 1, the Corps strength averaged 120 Cadets and maintained a 24 piece brass band. Despite the decline in Cadet training between the two World Wars, this Corps maintained two detachments (one in Junior and one in Senior High School averaging about 50 members each. At this time, the Corps consisted of only High School Boys, like Hugh MacPherson, who won the 1st prize as best shot in the Cadet Corps of the Dominion. The Corps kept up activities for two years but then interest lagged and the Corps ceased for a time. (There is no official documentation to support this information in 1909 by the Cadet League and Militia Orders.)
The Cadet Corps once again emerged and was formally formed on March 18, 1914 as the 78th Pictou Highlanders, with affiliation to the 78th Highland Regiment. At this time, twenty cadets signed on. In April of the same year, the name changed to 219 New Glasgow High School Cadet Battalion. About this time, Colonel Thomas Cantley (who later became Senator) took a lively interest in the Corps. He offered several prizes and gave the boys glengarries and badges. While in Ottawa, Col Cantley interviewed with the Militia Dept and shortly afterward, the Corps was equipped with “22” Ross Rifles. In 1930, it was changed from a battalion to a Corps. The credit for the upkeep and efficiency of the Corps must go to Lt Col L.M. Rhodenizer, E.D., who joined the High School staff in 1924. In 1936 the Corps was given the use of the Scottish uniforms of the Pictou Highlanders. It was in this year that the New Glasgow High School Cadet Corps was judged the most efficient Cadet unit in the Maritimes. This high standard was maintained until the outbreak of
World War 2 and the subsequent enlistment of Lt Col Rhodenizer. The training from 1939 to 1945 was carried out by several well meaning but rather ill-prepared instructors. In 1943, the Corps was affiliated with the 2nd Battalion Pictou Highlanders and was under the sponsorship of the Board of School Commissioners of New Glasgow. In the fall of 1945, Lt Col Rhodenizer returned to his teaching duties in New Glasgow and immediately took control of Cadet training again. Improvement was at once noticed and in 1946 Summer Camp the Corps was judged third in standing in Nova Scotia.
New Glasgow High School Cadet Pipe Band 1937
L- R: Pipe Major Tom Cantley, Roy MacKenzie, Norman Sinclair, Donald MacNeil, Alan Guy, Frank Fraser, Jack Ross, Alex Allen. Front Row: Vernon Eastwood, John W. Macleod, Jim Roper
Meet and greet and coin, to honour 100 years of army cadets in New Glasgow
Cadets Justin Graham, left, Alice Bruce and Connor Chisholm sport uniforms from the army cadet corps past. The table in front of them holds memorabilia from the corps past, including photo albums and long retired trophies and plaques. (Mar 11, 2014 )
Early years
Group photos by Waldren Photographic Studios (ca. 1870-1955) . Photos located in the Dalhousie University Archives.
Making History: Our Stories
Making History: Our Stories
July 2026 MWO Bohan Pettipas completes the CAF Basic Parachutist Course and Earns Jump Wings
July 2026 MWO Bohan Pettipas completes the CAF Basic Parachutist Course and Earns Jump Wings
July 24, 2026, WO Pettipas successfully graduated from the Army Cadet Basic Parachute Course at the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre (CAAWC) in Trenton, Ontario. The course is highly competitive and is conducted to the same demanding standards as the Basic Parachute Course completed by Regular and Reserve Force members.
Earning his wings is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to WO Pettipas's determination, discipline, teamwork, and hard work throughout the course. We are incredibly proud to see one of our cadets take on this challenge and achieve such an impressive milestone.
June 2026 Doctors making a difference: Dr. Chakshu Sahi (Sharma)
June 2026 Doctors making a difference: Dr. Chakshu Sahi (Sharma)
This blog post was submitted by Dr. Chakshu Sahi (Sharma) and was originally published in the June 2026 issue of doctorsNS magazine.
I am a community general surgeon living and working in Nova Scotia, currently practising at Aberdeen Regional Hospital in New Glasgow, where I have served the community for nearly 10 years. My journey to Canada – and eventually to service within the Canadian Armed Forces – was unplanned, shaped by personal growth, professional opportunity and a commitment to service.
I immigrated to Canada from India in 2007 at the age of 26, initially arriving in Greater Toronto Area to work in research at Princess Margaret Hospital. What was meant to be a brief stay extended into nearly a year, during which I gained invaluable academic and personal experience. I later moved to Nova Scotia to pursue General Surgery residency training at Dalhousie University, a transition that ultimately led to permanent settlement and a fulfilling career in rural surgical practice.
The armed forces have long held a special place in my life. As a teenager in India, I was a cadet – an experience that challenged me deeply during my formative years. The discipline, structure, physical demands and leadership expectations shaped my mindset and values, lessons that continue to influence me as a surgeon, a mother and an individual. Those early experiences instilled resilience and a sense of responsibility that have stayed with me through every stage of life.
After immigrating, I carried a quiet but persistent desire to remain connected to military service. For many years, I hesitated to accept Canadian citizenship, knowing it would mean relinquishing the possibility of serving in the armed forces back home. After nearly two decades in Canada, however, my roots were firmly established here – professionally, personally and within my community. Accepting Canadian citizenship allowed me to return to the structure and discipline that had once shaped me, this time in service to the country I now call home.
In 2023, I joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a member of the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC), part of the Reserve Force, and became affiliated with the 219 Royal Canadian Army Cadets in New Glasgow. I completed my Basic Officer Training and Occupational Training at CFB Gagetown: a humbling and challenging experience that echoed my time as a cadet years earlier. Returning to a training environment not as a physician, but as a junior officer preparing to work with youth, reminded me of the value of humility, adaptability and learning from others. I now hold the rank of Second Lieutenant and participate in youth mentorship, marksmanship training and regular cadet training activities.
My involvement with the cadet program is particularly meaningful to me in the context of youth development and representation. As a person of colour, an immigrant, a local physician and a CAF officer, my visible presence in the community carries significance. For many cadets, seeing someone who reflects diverse backgrounds reinforces that leadership, service and belonging are attainable for all. Working with youth allows me to model discipline, confidence and community service while encouraging them to explore their own potential.
My engagement with the CAF represents a full‑circle journey, returning to the values that shaped me in youth and expressing them through service, mentorship and community involvement in the place I proudly call home.
I intend to continue my journey within the CAF, with the hope of eventually transitioning into the Reserve Force in a medical capacity. Serving as a physician and surgeon would allow me to contribute professionally while remaining grounded in the values of service and leadership.
January 25, 2019 3 N.S. cadets receive commendation for rescuing woman & dog who had fallen through ice
January 25, 2019 3 N.S. cadets receive commendation for rescuing woman & dog who had fallen through ice
Army Cadets Jonathan Pyrovolos, 14, Aaron Day, 18, and Caleb Wilson, 17, received the Certificate of Commendation on Jan. 23, 2019 at the New Glasgow Legion for outstanding deeds in saving a dog that had fallen through the ice in March 2018.
Three young men with the Canadian Armed Forces’ cadet program have been honoured for their quick-thinking and bravery in saving a woman and her dog who fell through ice last spring.
Cadet Master Cpl. Jonathan Scott Pyrovolos, 14, Cadet Master Warrant Officer Caleb James Wilson, 17, and Cadet Chief Warrant Officer Aaron Day, 18, were at an orienteering exercise at a Trenton, N.S., park on March 24, 2018.
The three members of 219 New Glasgow Legion Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps were surveying the area that day to prepare for the exercises when they noticed a dog that had gone through the ice in a pond. “We just looked over and happen to see a dog walking on the pond and go through the ice,” Day said. “We saw the owner start going down the hill so we realized we should probably do something. The dog isn’t supposed to be there.” As the teens made their way toward the pond in the snow, the situation became more pressing.
“The lady jumped onto the ice to grab the dog but then she got stuck,” Day said. Day says the dog, which he believes was a retriever or lab, and the woman were uninjured, but wet and cold. He says the woman and her friend thanked the boys, who walked them back to their car. Thinking back on the event, Day says adrenaline took over and the teens knew they had to act quickly.
“We thought if we hadn’t done anything, the dog might not have made it through. She went on the ice, so she was breaking through the ice,” he said. The teens told their officers what happened, but didn’t think much more of it.
That is, until Wednesday night, when they were surprised with a Cadet Certificate of Commendation from the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Ranger Support Group Commander. The commendation is awarded to cadets for outstanding deeds in attempting to save the life or property of another person.
“The Cadet Program is all about empowering youth to be leaders in their communities. When these cadets saw the dog and its owner in distress, they stepped up and took the initiative to offer assistance,” said Cmdr. Lawrence Trim, the commanding officer for the Regional Cadet Support Unit (Atlantic) in a statement.
“Their Army Cadet training helped to build up their self-confidence, self-reliance and physical fitness. We’re very proud of these youth.” Day says he and his fellow cadets were surprised, but proud, to receive the commendation. They’re also hoping to get in touch with the woman because they never got a chance to catch her name in all the commotion. "I imagine she’s from the area,” he said. “It would be nice to check up and see how the dog is doing.”
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