Commander of reserve unit being probed for far-right activity is being replaced

The commander of a troubled military reserve unit at the centre of an army investigation into far-right extremist activity is being replaced, CBC News has learned.

Lt.-Col. Russ Meades, who leads the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4CRPG), deliveredthe news to the unit on Friday, defence sources said.

He will remain in charge of the unituntil June, when a member of the regular force will take over command of the Esquimalt, B.C.-based headquarters, said sources who spoke to CBC News on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Meades was informed of the decisionby his immediate superior, Brig.-Gen. Bill Fletcher. The change of commandwas sanctioned by the commander of the Canadian Army, Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre.

The Esquimalt headquarters which oversees Ranger patrols in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba came under scrutiny last summer when an armed member of the Swan River Patrol, Master-Cpl. Corey Hurren, was arrested and accused of crashing his truck into the gates of Rideau Hall and threatening the prime minister.

A subsequent CBC News investigation revealed that military intelligence had been warned about another reservist, Cpl. Erik Myggland, and his open support forand online promotion of two far-right groups: the Soldiers of Odin and the Three Percent survivalist militia movement.

Myggland's activities were known to the leadership of the 4th Ranger Patrol Group and the army opened an investigation into the unit after the CBC News story was published.

That special investigation has been completed, but its findings have not been released publicly.

Probe looking at extent of far-right sympathies in unit

The reviewlooked at why Myggland, who served in Valemount, B.C., was not released from the military when his activities became known, and to what extent far-right sympathies were shared throughout the unit.

On Friday, the army confirmed the plan toreplaceLt.-Col.Meadesbut sought to put some distance between the decision and the investigation, presentingit as a routine matter.

"As part of career planning, progression and the annual rotation of personnel, the Canadian Army intends to change the Commanding Officer of 4 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, based in Esquimalt, B.C., in the summer of 2021," Brig.-Gen.Fletcher said in a briefwritten statement.

Meadesstill has one year left in his reserve contract, according to sources. Fletcher's statement did not say where Meades would be stationedor in what capacity he would finish out his service.

Word of Meades' replacementcomes just a few days after the deadline passed for members of the unit to complete a survey about their working environment. The surveyasked members of 4 CRPG to disclose whether they had encounteredfar-right extremist views during their time with the unit.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Army was not immediately available to comment.

On the day the commander's impending departure was announced, the Department of National Defencereleased a glossy Facebook video highlighting the 4th Ranger group's activities in support of pandemic relief. The videoincluded an interview with Meades.

The military probeand the far-right controversywere notmentioned in that video.

Last October, however, Meades and his chief warrant officer took part in an online townhall, during whichhe read out an order from the commander of the army directing all troops to be aware of and report incidents of hateful conduct.

"Discriminationin any formis entirely inappropriate," he said.

The army has turned down requests to interview Meades.

Myggland's anti-government online rhetoric which included one post that referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "treasonous bastard" was laced with pro-gun rights advocacy and opposition to the Liberal government's recent firearms legislation.

Anxiety and anger over firearms law

The new firearms legislation, C-71, was also a themeof a letter allegedly left byHurren nearRideau Hallandrecovered by the RCMPafter the July 2incident outside the governor general's residence.

Complaints about C-71appear to have been pervasive throughout the Rangersunit.

Online posts by the group's former honorary colonel writer, outdoor enthusiast and television personality Jim Shockey surfaced in the course ofthe CBC News investigation.

In a Facebook essayin the fall of 2018, he attacked C-71.Posing beside an empty House of Commons chair, Shockeydenounced Liberal MPs for not meeting with him to discuss the legislation.

CBC News reached out to Shockey for comment last fallbut received no response.

CBCNews also made multipleattempts to interview Myggland. Hedeclined, but hespoke at length to his hometown newspublication, The Rocky Mountain Goat.

He told the community weekly that he was allowed to stay in the military because hehad done nothing wrong.

Myggland claimed CBC News coverage of his story had been biased and had failed to cite his years of community serviceworking with troubled teenagers and teaching self-defence courses to women, among other things.

He was slated to be released from the army this month.

Hurren is still in custody awaiting court proceedings. There is no indication he knew Myggland since the two served in different patrols, in different provinces.