The Royal Military College Saint-Jean (), commonly referred to as RMC Saint-Jean and CMR, is a Canadian military college and university. It is located on the historical site of Fort Saint-Jean, in

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal, located roughly halfway between Montreal and the Canada–United States border with the state of Vermont. It is sit ...

, Quebec, 40 km south of

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. RMC Saint-Jean is an arm of the Canadian Military College (CMC) system that provides two college-level programs in Social Science and Science, which are closely integrated with the undergraduate programs offered by the

Royal Military College of Canada The Royal Military College of Canada (), abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a Military academy#Canada, military academy and, since 1959, a List of universities in Canada#Ontario, degree-granting university of the Canadian ...

. RMC Saint-Jean was granted independent university status in 2021, and it currently offers a bachelor's degree in International Studies.

Responsibilities

* Conduct of preuniversity and university programs, as well as military and fitness training and bilingualism.

Program

Royal Military College Saint-Jean enamel pin

Intended for students who have obtained their

high-school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

certificates in Quebec or the equivalent elsewhere in Canada, the programs offered at RMC Saint-Jean prepare students to pursue university studies in one of the programs offered at the Royal Military College of Canada in

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, or in the International Studies program offered at RMC Saint-Jean. Military education for Canadian officers is focused on the four pillars of achievement unique to the military colleges: the military, physical fitness, bilingualism, and academics. About 345 students per year receive training at RMC Saint-Jean in the two-year pre-university programs leading to a college diploma or in the International Studies program leading to a baccalaureate: * 110–120 cadets in the Preparatory Year * 110–120 in First Year *25–50 in Second Year *25–40 in Third Year *25–35 in Fourth Year In some instances, RMC Saint-Jean allows Quebecers who have already completed a year of studies at the college level to be admitted directly into First Year. In preparation for continued university studies at RMC, or RMC Saint-Jean should they choose the International Studies program, students select either the Social Science program (students pursuing a degree in Arts) or the Science program (students pursuing a degree in Engineering or Science). Each program is offered in both official languages. The two programs share core courses: four in literature; three in philosophy; two in Second Language; three in Physical Education. These core courses are supplemented with courses specific to each program. RMC Saint-Jean offers courses in both official languages. Divided into two semesters, the academic year is composed of 150 teaching days and a final examination period, followed by a supplemental examination period.

Academics

The core courses in both programs include: literature,

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

, second language, and

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

. The mandate of the preparatory year is to develop in its students good work habits, academic diligence, critical facility, and team spirit.

Regular Officer Training Program

Officer and Naval Cadets at RMC Saint-Jean are eligible for the Regular Officer Training Program. This program is designed for officer candidates to obtain a bachelor degree (which is required to be an officer in the

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

) while attending either the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean or the

. For certain degrees, it is possible to do ROTP through a civilian university if it is not offered at one of the military colleges.

Uniforms

Officer/Naval cadets wear a variety of uniforms depending on the occasion and their environment: ceremonial dress (semi ceremonial); full dress (formal occasions); outside sports dress; service dress Air Force; service dress Navy; service dress Navy without jacket; Service dress Air Force without jacket; service dress Army without jacket; and combat dress. In winter 2009, Royal Military College Officer/Naval cadets returned to wearing a distinctive Dress of the Day (DOD) uniform which consists of a white shirt, black sweater/light jacket, as well as black trousers/skirt with a red stripe down the side. The headdress is a black wedge with red piping.

Mess dress Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal wear, semi-formal, depending on the country) type of evening-wear uniform used by military personnel, Police officer, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently ...

is worn in the Senior Staff Mess for formal occasions such as mess dinners.

Positions of responsibility

To further their leadership skills and abilities, Officer/Naval cadets are appointed to positions of responsibility according to merit or a need for development. Each cadet wears 1–5 of bars to indicate authority. An appointment typically last a semester.

Awards

Awards are granted to outstanding cadets: Royal Military College Saint Jean lapel pin

Squadrons of the Cadet Wing

Tracy Squadron Royal Military College Saint-Jean

The undergraduate body, known as the Cadet Wing, is subdivided into three smaller groupings called ''Squadrons'', under the guidance and supervision of senior cadets. The squadrons are currently named in honour of local communities that take their name from historical figures of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

. Squadrons are subdivided into flights and sections. In 2017, another squadron was added named Jolliet. These squadrons have a competition called the "Commandants Cup" which is a competition in the four pillars of the college. In the 1960s, the three squadrons were named Cartier, Maisonneuve and Champlain in honour of historical figures.

Routine

When they arrive at the Officer Cadets Division, the officer cadets have already chosen their service. They are soon separated into four squadrons (Richelieu, Iberville, Tracy, or Jolliet). The pre-university program features modern, diversified teaching methods: workshops, introduction to research methods, laboratories, group projects, oral and multimedia presentations. The staff provide academic support in the form of workshops, tutorials, and supplementary courses. The Officer/Naval cadets live in the Cartier Building or the Champlain Building and eat in the Dextraze Pavilion (completed in 1993). The Officer/Naval cadets cannot leave the campus except on weekends. However, some weekends are used for military training. During the week, the daily routine consists of inspection, running, breakfast, classes, sports, and studies. The Officer/Naval cadets attend academic classes and undergo

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

. The military training is in the form of drill, cartography, compass use, and two major field exercises each year. The Officer/Naval cadets can take roles as cadet squadron leader, deputy cadet squadron leader, cadet flight leader and section commander. Outside classes,

bilingualism Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

is promoted by French / English weeks. On the weekend, with the exception of military training, the students are largely free.

History

Royal Military College Saint-Jean main entrance

In the fall of 2007, the federal government reopened the military college at Saint-Jean. The military college was slated for closure in 1995, but on 9 July 1994, the federal and provincial governments agreed to maintain it as a non-degree-granting college. The reopened RMC Saint-Jean greatly differs from the original college which opened in 1952 and from the RMC of Canada located in Kingston. The new RMC Saint-Jean encompasses the Canadian Forces Management and Development School, one of the oldest CF training establishments in the country. It is also the home to the Chief Warrant Officer Robert Osside Profession of Arms Institute, which develops the prospective future senior leaders of the Canadian Forces NCM Corps.

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian former journalist who served as the 27th governor general of Canada from 2005 to 2010. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. Jean was the Organisation i ...

, Governor General of Canada, inaugurated the Royal Military College Saint-Jean on 24 May 2008, and she presented the new college coat of arms to the commandant, Colonel François Pion. The Commandant of Royal Military College Saint-Jean reports to the Commander, Canadian Defence Academy (CDA). RMC Saint-Jean also has its own board of governors. Officer/Naval cadets at RMC Saint-Jean are issued scarlet uniforms. The first-year program at RMC Saint-Jean is freeing up beds at RMC allowing more Regular Officer Training Program (ROTP) cadets to attend RMC rather than civilian universities.

Features and buildings

Richelieu, Jolliet, Tracy and Iberville Squadrons live in the Cartier and Champlain Blocks. The Vanier, DeLéry, Dextraze, Lahaie and Massey Pavillons along with the Old Mess are shared. The campus provides technological support: library, laboratories, learning materials, and Internet access. RMC Saint-Jean infrastructure is currently used by the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

located at ASU Saint-Jean and by a non-profit corporation called ''Campus du

Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec) Fort Saint-Jean () is a fort in the Canadian province of Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment of France who had travelled to New France to assist the young c ...

'', which arranges for the upkeep of many of the educational facilities and leases them out to educational institutions such as the

Université du Québec à Montréal The (UQAM; ), is a French language, French-language public university, public research university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the system. UQAM was founded on April 9, 1969, by the government o ...

(UQAM) for their local program while also renting out others for short events such as large

banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

s or conventions. The Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings lists six recognized Federal Heritage Buildings on the Royal Military College Saint-Jean grounds:

Museum

The museum is located in Fort Saint-Jean on the campus of the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. The museum's mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display material relating to the history of the CMR, its former cadets and its site, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Guided tours are offered. The museum contains collections of military memorabilia, military artefacts, maps, models, videos and historical objects. The site has been occupied since 1666 by different garrisons, a shipyard and a military college. The CMR Ex-Cadet Foundation manages the museum which recognizes more than 325 years (1666–1995) of military history at the fortifications located on the Richelieu River. The flora and centenary trees enhance the site. The RMC Saint-Jean art collection includes a bronze sculpture of a cadet 'Truth Duty Valour (1976)', by William McElcheran (Canadian 1927–1999) "Presented to ‘Le Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean’ by the commandant, staff & cadets of R.M.C., Canada on the occasion of the sister College's visit, 12–17 May 1976". The museum club began as a club for cadets in 1972 with the head of the museum club serving as curator. Officer Cadets were part of the team that converted the old guard house into a proper museum. Office Cadets designed diorama(s) used in the museum and the business card from the museum featured a picture of one of the officer cadet's model soldiers on it. The museum was closed from 1998 to 2003. The Museum Committee of the CMR Ex-Cadet Club Foundation was founded on 22 January 2003. When the museum was accredited a Canadian Forces Museum, the Museum Committee became an independent entity separate from the Foundation. In 2006, while Hélène Ladouceur served as curator, the museum site moved from the old guardhouse to the entrance of the former Protestant Chapel. LGen (ret.) and Senator Roméo A. Dallaire presided over the official opening, which took place on 29 March 2006. Eric Ruel became the museum curator in 2006. The museum websit
museedufortsaintjean.ca
was created in June 2007. In May 2012, while Eric Ruel served as curator, the museum relocated to the historical pavilion "les Forges". The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00, from 24 May until 1 September. Archaeology digs have taken place on the site from 2009 to 2013 through the Quebec Archaeo Month, an initiative of Archéo-Québec. Funded by the Directorate of History and Heritage of the Canadian Forces as part of a five-year agreement between the Fort Saint-Jean Museum, Laval University and the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, the Archaeology Digs are supported by the Corporation du Fort Saint-Jean and archaeologists from Parks Canada. The museum is a member of the

Canadian Museums Association The Canadian Museums Association (CMA; , ''AMC''), is a national non-profit organization for the promotion of museums in Canada. It represents Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. As with most trade associations ...

, Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN),

Virtual Museum of Canada Digital Museums Canada (DMC; , ''MNC'') is a funding program in Canada "dedicated to online projects by the museum and heritage community," helping organizations to build digital capacity. Administered by the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) wi ...

and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc. The museum is an accredited museum within the Canadian Forces Museum System. The museum has formed a cooperating association of friends of the museum to assist with projects. File:FortStJeanPeachey1790.jpg, Fort Saint-Jean circa 1775, siege of the fort File:Artillery @ Royal Military College of Canada Saint Jean.jpg, Artillery at Royal Military College Saint-Jean File:Brucie, Cadet, Sculpture, Royal Military College of Canada.jpg, Cadet Sculpture 'Truth, Duty, Valour' by William McElcheran

Memorials

Plaques

Naval, military, and air memorials

Commandants

With college numbers and rank held as commandant

Notable people

* Charles H. Belzile * Jean Berthiaume * François Bonnardel * Jennie Carignan *

Roméo Dallaire Roméo Antonius Dallaire (born June 25, 1946) is a retired Canadian politician and military officer who was a senator from Quebec from 2005 to 2014, and a lieutenant-general in the Canadian Armed Forces. He notably was the force commander of U ...

* Joseph A. Day

Hall of Fame

Royal Military College Saint-Jean inaugurated its Hall of Fame on 7 September 2013. Potential candidates must have studied at, been employed as a member of the faculty or staff at, or have had a notable involvement with Royal Military College Saint-Jean over the course of its existence since 1952. The Hall of Fame contributors include the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean Ex-Cadet Foundation, the Class of 1963 and the Fort Saint-Jean Branch of the RMC Club. Plaque Presented to Royal Military College Saint-Jean by ex cadet club 8 Oct 1977

Plaque Presented to Royal Military College Saint-Jean by ex cadet club 8 Oct 1977

Alumni

Shown with college numbers.

Faculty.

Roch Carrier Roch Carrier (born 13 May 1937) is a French Canadian novelist and author of "contes" (a very brief form of the short story). He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada. Life He was born in Sainte-Justine, Quebec, and studied a ...

, author of ''Le Chandail de hockey'' or ''The Hockey Sweater'', and later National Librarian of Canada. * Janine Krieber, wife of former Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion.

In fiction and popular culture

The College's central place in Canadian military circles has made it the setting for novels, plays, films and other cultural works. * 4377 Lt. Gen. Richard J. Evraire, CD (CMR/RMC 1959) wrote the play Chambre 204 (Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu: Editions Mille Roches, 1982) inspired by his time at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean.

Coat of arms and flag

File:Drapeau du Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean.svg, alt=, Flag of RMC Saint-Jean

Books

* H15198 Dr. Jacques Castonguay "Pourquoi a-t-on fermé le Collège militaire de Saint-Jean?"

, Art Global, 2005 * H15198 Dr. Jacques Castonguay "Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean" Meridien 1989 * H15198 Dr. Jacques Castonguay "Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean: une université à caractère différent" Septentrion, 1992 , 9782921114783 * H15198 Jacques Castonguay "The unknown Fort, Editions du Levrier" 1966 * H15198 Jacques Castonguay "Le Defile 1952–1972 College Militaire Royal de St Jean 20th Anniversary Yearbook" 1972 * H15198 Jacques Castonguay "Les defies du Fort Saint-Jean, Editions du Richelieu" 1975 * Peter J.S. Dunnett, "Royal Roads Military College 1940–1990, A Pictorial Retrospective" ( Royal Roads Military College,

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

, 1990) * 4377 Colonel Richard J. Evraire, CD (CMR/RMC 1959) "Chambre 204" (Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu: Editions Mille Roches, 1982) * Jean-Yves Gravel. "La fondation du Collège militaire royale de Saint Jean." Revue d'histoire de l'amérique française 27, no. 2 (sept. 1973). * H16511 Dr. Richard A. Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College since the Second World War", Ottawa, University of Ottawa Press, 1991. * H16511 Dr. Richard A. Preston, "Canada's Royal Military College: A History of the Royal Military College" Toronto,

University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a Canadian university press. Although it was founded in 1901, the press did not actually publish any books until 1911. The press originally printed only examination books and the university calendar. Its first s ...

, 1969. * 4669 Toivo Roht (CMR RMC 1960) "Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, Royal Roads Military College and

1955–2006" 2007 * H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember" In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876–1918. Volume II: 1919–1984.

. The Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada 1984

References

External links

* * (in French) {{authority control Canadian Armed Forces Military academies of Canada Colleges in Quebec

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

Organizations based in Canada with royal patronage Educational institutions established in 1876 Educational institutions established in 1952 Naval academies Air force academies University museums in Canada Military and war museums in Canada Museums in Montérégie Buildings and structures in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Tourist attractions in Montérégie Education in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Military education and training in Canada 1952 establishments in Quebec