Top general appoints third acting deputy as suspended admiral remains in limbo
OTTAWA — Canada’s top soldier appears to be keeping the seat warm for the possible return of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, who was suspended last year as the military’s second-in-command because of an RCMP investigation.
Defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance issued an internal directive this week tapping army commander Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk as the third acting vice-chief of defence staff in 14 months as Norman’s fate remains uncertain.
The directive included a significant reshuffling of the military’s top brass, including the naming of a new air force commander, as four of 11 lieutenant-generals and vice-admirals prepare to retire in the coming months.
But Vance’s decision to appoint Wynnyk on a temporary basis was particularly notable given growing questions about the length of the RCMP’s investigation into Norman — and why he remains suspended despite a lack of charges.