A man from West Quebec has been accused of impersonating a soldier during a ceremony for Remembrance Day which was held at the National War Memorial, and since his actions as a fake soldier were discovered his wife complains that they have been receiving threats and harassment. According to a woman who confirmed her status as the wife of Franck Gervais but would not reveal her name “We’re not going to respond to questions at the moment.” The ceremony was broadcast last Tuesday on national television, and Diana Swain was reporting for CBC. When Swain interviewed a male in a Royal Canadian Regiment senior non commissioned officer uniform who gave his identity as Sgt. Franck Gervais one man noticed that something was funny about the individual. When Warrant Officer Michael Womanck saw the interview he was quick to notice several uniform discrepancies, and he used social media to spread the word about his suspicions.
Gervais was identified as the fake soldier, and his wife said that the anger, threats, and harassment are understandable. Mrs. Gervais also said that the negative attention is hard to handle, and that the entire situation is a shame. The fake soldier would not discuss the situation and stayed inside the home out of sight. The Department of National Defence sent a statement to the Sun which read “The Department of National Defence has no indication Gervais is a member of the military.” The statement continued with “Falsely impersonating a Canadian Armed Forces member is an issue to be taken seriously and is covered under section 419 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Such activities are a disservice to the proud men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who earn the right to wear their uniforms through their hard work and the sacrifices they make for our country.”
