The military has decided to permanently remove Col. Leif Dahl from his role as commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, following his recent charges for weapons offences. The Ontario Provincial Police charged Dahl on August 25, alleging that he was shooting at protected wildlife from a boat in the Murray Canal in Quinte West, Ont.

During the incident, it is alleged that Dahl threw two firearms into the canal, which were later recovered by the police dive team. He has also been charged with obstructing police, hunting without a licence, and careless use and storage of a firearm after a search of his residence in Belleville, Ont. It should be noted that these allegations have not yet been proven in court.

Following the charges, the military temporarily replaced Dahl in August. However, as of September 28, Col. Leighton James has been named as the new commander of 8 Wing Trenton, replacing acting 8 Wing commander Lieu-Col. Matt Lederle. The military expressed gratitude to Lederle for his exemplary leadership during this challenging period.

Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieu-Gen. E.J. Kenney, thanked Lederle and acknowledged the difficulties faced during Dahl’s absence. Additional information on this story can be found in files from Global News.