To: Aspiring/Incoming Cadets Pg.
ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA
TRUTH DUTY VALOUR
All things pertaining to social, academic, & cultural activities at RMC Kingston.
This is an unofficial guide to RMC Kingston prepared by current cadets for aspiring/incoming cadets. The rules and opinions expressed in this guide are the cadet’s own & do not reflect the view of RMC, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, or the Canadian government. Do take the following information with a grain of salt. |
Please refer to the document outline that is on the left side of your screen. If you do not see a document outline press on this symbol in order to access the outline. (or click on the “view” tab then click “show document outline”)Please enjoy the information in the document. If you come across acronyms or words you do not understand there is an acronym dictionary at the end of this document that you may refer to. Feel free to add your own questions in the form linked below. Please refrain from speaking openly about this document, thank you.
https://forms.gle/itjK7asX4fb9gYrw5
https://www.rmc-cmr.ca/en/division-continuing-studies/undergraduate-programmes
In first year, you take general courses dependent on your program arts or sciences/engineering.
First year, second semester - you get to choose your major/minors.
First year courses include:
First year classes are mostly the same as engineering. All the classes are general and you will choose your specific program in the winter semester of first year.
Switching programs: If after the first year you decide you want to switch to arts the switch is normally pretty easy. To switch from sciences to engineering can be pretty challenging but if that is something you want to do I would highly recommend asking about it as soon as possible.
Courses first semester:
In engineering you will not choose your major until near the end of first year. If you want to switch to a science program or an arts program at that time it is generally possible. In engineering you will not be able to take a minor or choose very many of your courses as it is a pretty set curriculum.
First semester classes:
In order to graduate RMC, all Cadets are expected to meet the requirements of the following four pillars:
It is important to note that failure in these pillars can get you kicked out of RMC or you may not be able to get your degree if you have a pillar that is incomplete.
The bilingualism pillar requires all officer cadets to graduate RMC with a proficiency level of “BBB” in their second language of either French or English. A government test will be completed while at RMC and will test Oral, Reading and writing in the officer cadets second language. For the cadets that are not bilingual will take language classes (SOLET) throughout the academic year as well as summer language training (SLT). Being bilingual is a requirement to graduate for all cadets.
SOLET classes will be part of your academic time and is normally about 5 hours a week. Work hard in those classes and take them seriously because the faster you learn french the faster you will get 5 extra spares a week.
Along with the CAF Forces’s test, N/OCdts have to pass the PPT (physical performance test) exclusive to RMC & held once a semester.. We are held to a higher standard than the rest of the CAF because this nation is literally investing in you to become future leaders.
If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll be required to do SPT (supplementary physical training) four mornings a week. This starts at 6am.
If a N/OCdt is unable to pass the PPT by the end of second year the cadet will likely be kicked out of the college (unless extenuating circumstances).
Passing the test is a requirement to graduate for all cadets.
You will also be required to participate in either a varsity sport, club sport or intramural sport.
Don’t worry too much about this pillar. All you need to know is that you need to hold a leadership position at some point while at the college. These leadership positions (bar positions) are done during 3rd and 4th year.
This pillar is pretty self explanatory, you have to pass all the classes and get your degree in order to complete this pillar.
All cadets at RMC are required to participate in a sport, it can be varsity, a club sport, or intramural. You can participate in more than one sport (club/intramural) but generally cadets will participate in one.
Varsity sports all require a cadet to try out for the team.
Sports include:
Female & Male
Male
Club sports are a good way to compete at a higher level than intramural but not as big of a commitment as varsity.
Most club sports will require you to try out.
Examples of club sports:
Intramural sports are a great way to be active and have fun without making a huge time commitment,
intramurals are generally 2 hours a week and the teams are made by sqn/div.
Example of intramural sports include:
RMC has many other non-competitive clubs that are fun to be a part of. First year cadets will get to sign up for clubs during the club fair in september.
Examples of clubs:
https://everitas.rmcclub.ca/by-popular-demand-orders-of-dress/
The everyday uniform of an OCdt/NCdt is 5’s. The pants and shirt need to be ironed and the shoes (black oxfords) need to be polished. Eng/Science kids: you can wear combats on the days you have labs.
Wednesdays are elemental dress day !! (combats/elemental dress day)
Some semesters there are fundraisers on fridays, if you pay 5$ you can wear civilian clothing.
Whether in uniform or not is important to act as the future leaders of the Canadian Armed Forces. You will be expected to salute officers when you see them and be respectful to those around you. Also there are lots of rules to follow
There are a lot of rules to follow at RMC. Some of these rules are specific to first year cadets, some apply to all cadets at the college. All rules will be enforced differently in each squadron. Some rules may be really strict for some people but for others there may be a lot more flexibility. It depends on the Squadron and the staff in the squadron. Follow what your staff tell you.
Study hours are for first year cadets and they are Sunday-Thursday from 7pm-10pm. It is a time when you are expected to be studying. For some squadrons you are required to be in your room studying. Some squadrons allow you to work on any of the 4 pillars during that time. That means studying, exercising, practicing French, maintaining uniform, etc… Most squadrons will allow you to study in other locations as long as your staff are aware of it. Places like a friends room, the library and common rooms are normally allowed (different by squadron).
Curfew for first years is 11pm Sunday-Thursday. At that time you are expected to be in your dorm room or at least in your building.
Accountability or “face check” is when your staff needs to basically do attendance and make sure everyone is there. For first years they are done at the end of study hours (10pm) and in the morning (around 6:50) Again these are done differently depending on the squadron but if you do have one, on time is late, try to be at least 5 minutes early and make sure your roommate and friends are also there on time.
There are a lot of dress regulations and some of them are slightly more relaxed than others. Make sure that you are not breaking any, especially during inspections. For many of these things, people won't say anything but it is an easy way to get in trouble if someone is looking.
A few key points are as follows:
Both of these things are not permitted on the RMC campus. If you are found in possession of alcohol it is a minimum of 14 days on sanctions. Remember, you are allowed to buy and consume alcohol at the cadet mess on campus.
Sanctions are punishments, OR’s go are observation reports that go in your RMC file. You can get Good OR’s from being a good cadet and helping out others etc. You can also get a bad OR for not following RMC rules, doing something stupid, having alcahol on campus, etc… Bad OR’s will normally result in sanctions. Sanctions come in two forms, LOP and CM. (Loss of privileges and corrective measure.) LOP’s are things like not being able to leave the RMC campus, not being allowed to wear civilian clothing, etc… CM’s are things like extra drill, extra duties, etc...
Be kind to your fellow cadets because these are your roommates, coworkers, flight/sqn mates, etc. Be involved in your flight and squadron activities and take advantage of all the opportunities that you get at RMC.
1 SQN Hudson Sqn / Alpha Flight / Spider
1 SQN lives in the stone frigate, the furthest residence from the rest of the campus. The rooms in the Boat were all recently redone and are pretty nice. This is the oldest building on campus.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
2 SQN La Salle Sqn / Fighter Flight / Gryphon
Pros | Cons |
|
|
3 SQN Pontiac Sqn / Grizzly Flight / Grizzly Bear
Pros | Cons |
|
|
4 SQN Frontenac Sqn / Kaeble Flight / Shark
A unique SQN, they live on the second floor of Sauve
Pros | Cons |
|
|
5 SQN Brock Sqn / Papa Flight / Phoenix
This SQN has a very unique vibe and members of the squadron are all very close with each other. They live on the third floor of Sauve. They are known for excluding others from SQN activities and for protecting each other at all costs.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
6 SQN Brant Sqn / Yo Ho Yo Ho Here Comes Romeo Flight / Pirate
On the top floor Sauve this squadron is pretty fun. They generally have good morale and are nice people.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
7 SQN Wolfe Sqn / Tango Flight / Wolf
Pros | Cons |
|
|
8 SQN Mackenzie Sqn / Whiskey Flight / Bulldog
Pros | Cons |
|
|
9 SQN Vercheres Sqn / Warrior Flight / Tiger
Pros | Cons |
|
|
10 SQN Montcalm Sqn / Merritt Flight / Dragon / IG: @10sqn_rmc
10 SQN is a really good SQN and they generally do well in squadron competitions. They live in the newest building on campus, Fort Brant, which is shared with ALOY, Otter Sqn, and O’Kelly flight. Only ALOY and 10 SQN live in Brant.
Pros | Cons |
|
|
11 SQN Cartier Sqn / Victory Flight / Beaver
Pros | Cons |
|
|
12 SQN Fraser Sqn / Hunter Flight / Deer / IG: @12squadron
Pros | Cons |
|
|
Duty weekends occur roughly 2 weekends a month. During a duty weekend you will not be able to get a leave pass and go home for the weekend or leave the kingston area. Generally during a duty weekend there will be a set schedule of activities that a cadet will follow. Duty weekends will sometimes be college wide events such as parades, sports days, or CMDT cup competitions. Other times the college may be split up by year, SQN, trade, academic program or any other small group in order to attend more focused presentations or activities. It is possible to have a duty weekend where you will not be able to go home on the weekend, but have no mandatory activities. These are unfortunate but they are a good time to have fun with other cadets. Often the weekday Curfew is enforced during a duty weekend but it can change weekend to weekend.
Duty weekend activities can include:
The activities that you are supposed to attend on these weekend are mandatory and skipping these is considered AWOL (Absent Without Leave)
RMC cadets are very lucky to have access to a really great sports facility, this facility has everything from an indoor track to weight rooms, a pool to volleyball courts. Take advantage of the field house!
RMC cadets also have access to the dome, it is mainly used for intramurals and sport practices, you can also use it for fun with your friends!
Used as the fencing gym.
Yeo hall is one of the main non academic buildings on campus. On the below ground floor there is a barber shop, the CANEX (campus store.) and the band rooms. On the first floor there is the CDH, the cadet dining hall. This is where all the meals are served. On the second floor there is the New gym and the mess hall. The new gym is not a gym but more of a small event hall that is mainly used for presentations and activities. The Cadet mess is basically the campus bar. It is the only place on campus that alcohol is allowed. During the day it is a good place to study or hangout if you want. The top floor of yeo hall has two small chapels as well as a multi-faith room.
The bookstore is on the far side of the parade square. Cadets really only go there to get their books. Contrary to the name, all books at RMC are lent out for free but they must be returned. Note that it is important you do not bring your bag into the bookstore or the employees will get mad.
Tailors
The Tailors is where you will get all of your RMC uniform. This includes your 5’s, 4’s and Scarlets. This does not include general military uniforms such as Combats. Try to be respectful to all the staff as they can be a little bit rude and dismissive (you want to be on their good sides.) You will get sized for your uniform and order it from the downstairs of the tailors. Your uniform will be fit and tailored in the upstairs area. If you have an RMC uniform item that does not fit or is broken you can have it resized or repaired at the tailors. This includes 5’s pants, 4’s and scarlets. (don't bring in your combats or 5’s shirts) if your shirts don't fit, order a different size online. If your shirt is broken, throw it out and order more.
There are 5 dorm buildings on campus: (don't say the fort part i.e. just say “brant”)
This is an academic building, there are some classrooms on the first floor but the second and third floor is the Massey library. The library has lots of good places to study, computers to work at, and lots of books. You can also print in the library for free.
This academic building is mainly used by the language department. The bottom floor has many classrooms and lecture halls. The second floor has the commissionaires office and Chez Brucie, the coffee shop on campus. The rest of the floors are mostly offices for the professors.
Currey is a really nice old building. It has many classrooms, and is home to the french (SOLET) department. All of the second language classes and tests are done in this building. There is also a large hall (Currie Hall) that is used for presentations. Be aware that if you are on the red carpet in this building you are expected to be wearing a headdress and salute officers
This building is attached to Currie and is mainly used as offices for the CMDT and other high level training wing and academic wing staff. The office of the registrar is in this building as well as many other offices you may need to visit at some point while at RMC. Be aware that if you are on the red carpet in this building you are expected to be wearing a headdress and salute officers
Sawyer building is an academic building that houses many classrooms, offices and labs. It is mostly used for science and engineering classes and labs. It has 5 “mods” that are like adjoining buildings. The classes are all 4 digit numbers. The first number is the floor, second is the mod, and the last two are the room number. Ex: Room 4201 is classroom 1 on the fourth floor in mod 2. Mod 1&2 are to the east of mod 3 and mod 4&5 are to the north of mod 3, mod 3 is connected to Giruard building.
This building is a temporary academic building that is on the other side of the parking lot from sawyer.
For many of you, this will be your first time living away from your parent(s)/guardian(s) & in a dorm with strangers at close proximity
It is important to be on good terms with your roommate no matter how crazy things may get because a good relationship will attribute to a good living condition for the both of you. It is time to grow up, learn to communicate & compromise because this is a shared living space.
All dorm rooms have a:
• sink/vanity area • some type of closet space • some type of drawer space
• desk/chair • bed (floor, bunk, or loft)
First year:
• Must maintain a military style bed throughout the day and during inspections.
• No fridges in your room
All cadets:
• Get a storage locker - for excess/seasonal items
• Have access to free laundry machines
Dust, dust, dust is everywhere !!
Shower, wear deodorant, change your socks, & do your laundry - including your bed linen/sheets
In brant every single room is set up the same way. On one side of the room there is a sink and four closets. Each cadet gets two closets. The other side of the room has two loft beds with large desks underneath them as well as two tall drawer units, one for each cadet. The ceilings are nice and high in brant and the room is wider than most of the other buildings that are set up with loft beds. The sink area is fairly large in the brant rooms, there is a large mirror/medicine cabinet above the sink as well as three drawers on each side of the sink and shelving underneath it. Each desk has a long shelf along the top and a small filing cabinet underneath it. The desks all have lights on them and a cork board on the back to hang things up. In Brant the second floor has third and fourth year cadets and the third floor has second and first year cadets. Both halls have a large female washroom and a large male washroom. Both halls have their own storage lockers so they are easily accessible compared to other buildings.There is also a laundry room in each hall that is easily accessible. Unfortunately there are no single rooms in brant. There is a SQN lounge on the first floor of brant that OCdt’s can use.
The champlain building generally has first years on the third floor. The rooms are set up with one side of the room having a sink and four closets. Each cadet gets two closets. The other side of the room has two loft beds with large desks underneath them as well as two tall drawer units, one for each cadet. The rooms tend to be slightly narrower and the sink area slightly smaller. There are storage shelves underneath the sink as well as a small mirror/medicine cabinet above it. There are bathrooms that are shared by the hall. Unfortunately both the laundry room and the storage room are located in a different building (Haldiman) and need to be accessed by a breezeway. There are some single rooms in champlain mostly for upper year cadets. There is a small common room in the basement of Champlain for both SQNs to share
The rooms in sauve are set up the same way as Brant and Champlain, one side of the room having a sink and four closets. Each cadet gets two closets. The other side of the room has two loft beds with large desks underneath them as well as two tall drawer units, one for each cadet. The rooms tend to be slightly narrower and the sink area slightly smaller. There are storage shelves underneath the sink and a mirror above it. There is a laundry room on each floor of sauve. The bathrooms are shared by the hall. There is a common room on the first floor of Sauve for the three SQN’s in Sauve to share
Most of the rooms in Haldiman are set up the same way as Brant and Champlain, one side of the room having a sink and four closets. Each cadet gets two closets. The other side of the room has two loft beds with large desks underneath them as well as two tall drawer units, one for each cadet. The rooms tend to be slightly narrower and the sink area slightly smaller. There are storage shelves underneath the sink and a mirror above it. Some of the rooms in Haldiman are different shapes and are set up in different ways but they all have the same furniture.The laundry room and storage room are on the second floor of Haldiman. There is a shared common room in the basement of Haldiman for both 11 and 12 SQN to share.
Lasalle is set up differently from the other residences. It is the only building that has bunk beds instead of loft beds. A lot of the rooms are very small but some are also very large. There are a lot of single rooms in Lasalle. The corner rooms are the largest and the middle rooms are very small. Each room has a bunk bed, a desk/chair for each cadet as well as at least one small closet for the cadets to share. Most rooms will have two closets but some only have one. The closet size is less than two feet wide and will not offer much storage. There is also at least one tall drawer unit in each room for the cadets to share. Some rooms will have two. The sinks in lassale are sunken into a closet like space with a door on them. There is storage space underneath the sink but there are no shelves or drawers built in. If you are in the lasalle building you will really have to work hard to optimize the space that you have. Having another type of storage, like stand alone drawers or creative under bed storage will be crucial. Otherwise you are looking at about 3 drawers and half a foot of closet space. Most SQNs in lasalle allow shoe racks outside of the door to your room so that is also an option. The laundry room and storage rooms are both located in the basement of lasalle. All three SQN’s have their own lounges in the basement of lasalle as well.
The boat is a bit of a mystery to most Cadets but they have nice large rooms with two floor beds, one each side, a shared sink in the middle of the room, a closet, desk, and drawers on each side. There are also nice windows on each side of the room with large ledges that you can sit on. No information on their laundry rooms, lounge, storage rooms, or washrooms.
On the RMC campus you are permitted to wear anything as long as it is appropriate. There are no clear guidelines around this but sweatpants, crop tops, jeans, hoodies, sandals have never been an issue.
Walkout dress is a smart casual dress that applies any time you are in Kingston and you are not on the RMC campus. Even if you are planning on leaving Kingston to travel home or returning from home back to school, you need to be in walkout dress. As a rule of thumb, anytime you are entering or leaving the RMC gate you should be in walkout dress. (The exception is if you are doing PT)
Men may wear long sleeve non-athletic shirts or collared shirts (such as a polo). Men may wear khakis, slacks or non athletic shorts. Shoes may be casual but non athletic. No denim, jeans or jean jackets are not permitted. Black denim may sometimes be worn if it does not look like denim.
Shirt ideas:
Pant ideas:
Women may wear non denim pants such as slacks, or khakis. Skirts or non-athletic shorts may be worn no shorter than just above the knee. Women may wear a blouse of modest design, sweater or a long sleeve non athletic shirt. Shoes may be casual but non athletic. Jeans or jean jackets are not permitted. Black denim may sometimes be worn if it does not look like denim.
Shirt ideas:
Pant ideas:
The CDH dress code applies anytime you are in a mess, it applies to the cadet dining hall but it also applies to the Cadet mess or any other military mess/dining hall. Weekday breakfast and lunch you must be in uniform.
Appropriate:
Not appropriate:
Canex
Mon - Fri 07h30 - 20h00
Sat - Sun 10h00 - 18h00
CDH
Weekdays
Breakfast (Continental) 06h00 - 06h30
Breakfast 06h30 - 08h00
Lunch 11h30 - 13h30
Dinner 17h00 - 18h45
Dinner (Varsity) 18h45 - 19h15
Weekends / Stat. Holidays
Breakfast (Continental) 06h30 - 07h00
Breakfast 07h00 - 09h00
Lunch 11h30 - 13h00
Dinner 17h00 - 18h30
Gym
Weekdays 05h30 - 22h00
Saturdays 07h30 - 21h00
Sundays / Holidays 09h00 - 21h00
Help Desk (Girouard Building, 222A)
07h30 - 16h00
Library
Massey Library Collections + Circulation Desk
Mon - Thu 07h45 - 22h00
Fri 07h45 - 17h00
Sat 13h00 - 18h00
Sun 12h30 - 17h30
Study Areas (Main Floor)
Mon - Sun 00h00 - 24h00
Math Centre
Sun - Thu 19h00 - 22h00
Panet House
Weekdays 09h00 - 14h00
Pool
Lane
Mon, Wed, Fri 08h45 - 10h00
Open/Lane
Mon, Wed, Fri 19h00 - 20h30
Sat, Sun 14h00 - 16h30
↳ Sat: water slide is open !!
COR
Mon, Wed, Fri 07h30 - 15h30
Tue, Thu 07h30 - 12h00
Tailors *takes their lunches seriously
Mon - Thu 08h00 - 12h00,
12h30 - 15h00
Fri 08h00 - 12h00
This one is between the boat (main campus shuttle stop) & the book store !
Header: Title: File#: Date: To: Title: For: You From: Reasons: XYZ From Student #: # Sqn: | PROTECTED A Memorandum 1000-1 [Student#] dd mmm yyyy SC10* FEED ME A HOT DOG FOR RMCC [Student#] [RANK] [LAST NAME, INITIAL.] 1. I, [Rank] [Last Name], [Service # ], am requesting [what you want]. 2. I am requesting this for the following reasons:
a. [why you want it] b. [why you want it pt.2] c. [why you want it pt.3] 3. For your consideration, SC10*. [Initial. Last Name] [xxxxx] N/OCdt X Sqn |
*SC10 = Squadron Commander of 10
!! Obviously do not include the left column
5’s & G’s | 5’s Uniform + Gaiters w/ Pillbox - Refer to Rules, Sanctions, & ORs |
CB | Confined to Barracks |
CDH | Cadet Dining Hall |
CFB Kingston | Canadian Forces Base Kingston |
COC | Chain of Command |
Collecting the colours/rainbow | Having ~sex~ with a member of each sqn |
COR | Chain of Responsibility (Senior cadets w/ bar positions) |
COR | College Orderly Room (mail / paperwork room) |
DOD | Dress of the Day |
Field House | CFB Kingston Gym across the peninsula |
OR | Observation Report |
Shitpump | You |
SLT | Summer Language Training |
SOLET | Second Official Language Education & Training |
PPT | Physical Performance Test |
SPT | Supplementary Physical Training |
Getting your crown | |
boat | Stone frigate dormitory |
Skylark | A prank done by a squadron, sometimes on other squadrons or just around campus. |
CMDT cup | Competition between squadrons |
LOP | Loss of privileges or Loss of pay |
From: Current Cadets