Call of duty

Gerard Buckley's days in the Cadets might be over, but his work with the organization continues

Call of duty

Gerard Buckley spent his teen years in the Cadets, so when he was invited to become involved in fundraising “to help Cadets corps in economically challenged parts of Canada” in 1995, he leapt at the opportunity, and he’s been a formal board member since 2001.

Buckley, a Georgian Bay-based mortgage agent at Mortgage Wellness and founding partner of Jaguar Capital, says his involvement is driven by a desire to give back. “I have a strong interest in being community-minded, and the Cadets contribute to the youth of Canada.”

Especially close to Buckley’s heart is the Blackdown Cadet Summer Training Centre at the military base at CFB Borden, where 3,000 cadets train every summer. Buckley estimates that he has contributed $30,000 to the band program from his family fund over the last three years.

“Music is a symbol of the Cadets,” he says. “It leads to visibility in the community, and the band is expensive to operate.”


13
Age at which Buckley joined the cadets

1,100
Number of cadet corps across Canada

$300,000
Funds Buckley was involved in raising between 1998 and 2004