More than 100 military delegates in uniform from about two dozen countries have converged on Victoria over the past two days for an annual conference.
For the first time, Canada is hosting the annual conference of Pacific Command Chiefs of Defence (PACOM CHOD), a meeting of senior defence officials, including Canada and the U.S.
The conference is the 19th to be held. The previous one was in Manila, Philippines.
The conference began on Monday and ends today.
Most of the delegates are in military uniform. Also, a passenger jet decked out in U.S. colours was parked at the Victoria International Airport, after delivering its American delegates.
Lt. Cmdr. John Nethercott, information officer for Canadian Maritime Forces Pacific, said delegates have been attending a number of joint meetings.
Nethercott said it’s expected they will break off to meet one-on-one for discussions on unique areas of concern.
He said one of the greatest benefits of the conference is for senior defence officials to build relationships.
So, when something occurs like last November’s earthquake in New Zealand, countries such as Canada are already in a comfortable relationship to offer assistance. — Times Colonist
