The commander of 8 Wing and Canadian Forces Base Trenton has been temporarily removed from his post following five charges stemming from an alleged firearm incident in Quinte West, Ont.
Colonel Leif Dahl, 45, was arrested earlier this month following a complaint that a firearm was being discharged from a boat in the Murray Canal, an eight-kilometre-long channel that flows into Lake Ontario.
It was reported to police that wildlife was being targeted from the boat. OPP later located the vessel and said that Dahl threw the firearm into the canal as they approached.
He faces five charges, including careless use of a firearm, hunting birds without a licence, and unlawfully having a loaded firearm in a conveyance.
Dahl, who assumed command of 8 Wing Trenton in July 2022, is due in court in late September.
While the incident remains under investigation, Dahl has been temporarily removed from his post, Major-General Iain Huddleston, Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, said in a statement.
Lieutenant-Colonel Matt Lederle has been appointed Acting Wing Commander of 8 Wing and CFB Trenton, pending the outcome of the investigative process and court proceedings.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that the members of 8 Wing have full confidence in their leadership and chain-of-command,” Huddleston said, adding that Lederle is “the right officer to provide continuity, stability and thoughtful leadership to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s busiest Wing at this difficult time.”
Dahl joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 and started pilot training with the Royal Canadian Air Force three years later.
He earned his Wings in 2003 and was subsequently sent to Trenton, Ont., to fly the CC-130 Hercules with 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron and 436 Transport Squadron. Dahl was also posted to NATO Headquarters in Brussels in 2012, where he served as Executive Assistant of the Military Representative of Canada to the NATO Military Committee.
Source: National Post
