Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of sexual assault which may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual violence, contact Archway Society for Domestic Peace at 250-542-1122. All programs are easily accessible, free of charge and confidential.
The Vernon Cadet Camp has been sued by a former camper who alleges they were physically and sexually assaulted while in its youth program nearly two decades ago.
The cadet filed a notice of civil claim on May 26, 2025 against the Army Cadet League of Canada, as well as the Attorney General of Canada.
The camper, identified in court documents only as G.A.C., claims they were assaulted, abused and battered by a cadet leader while at the camp in 2007, while other staff and volunteers at the camp turned a blind eye to the abuse.
The name of the cadet leader, listed as the alleged perpetrator in court documents, is unknown to the complainant.
The lawsuit alleges the perpetrator used his position of power and trusted authority to commit the offences — power granted by the Cadet Camp. It does not say how old the complainant was at the time, only that they were a "young child" who was "vulnerable and in need of guidance."
The perpetrator facilitated the abuse through behaviour intended to make the complainant feel it was unsafe to report the wrongdoings, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit says the defendants had a duty to protect people enrolled in the camp from physical and sexual abuse. It alleges the camp failed to supervise the cadet leader and prevent a system or culture that allowed for "a high volume of people to be abused by authority figures in the decades before and after the subject abuse."
It is alleged that other Cadet Camp staff, leaders and volunteers knew the complainant was being abused and bullied by older campers at the camp and failed to take steps to stop it.
"The rules, principles, and policies of the defendants created an opportunity for the perpetrator to exert power and authority over the plaintiff, which allowed the perpetrator to engage in and continue to engage in the aforementioned behaviour," the claim states.
The lawsuit claims the abuse took place over a "considerable period of time," adding the Cadet Camp put the complainant at risk of being abused by allowing the perpetrator to gain access to the complainant and giving him the opportunity to create a trusting relationship with them before the abuse.
"The defendants had the opportunity and the duty to inspect and/or investigate when they knew, or ought to have known the sexual and physical abuse, assault, and battery were happening," the claim states. "The defendants over saw the activities at the Camp, therefore had the power and resources to inspect, check, question, stop and had the duty to oversee all activities in a way that could have prevented the sexual assaults, physical assaults, battery and bullying from happening."
According to the claim, the complainant suffered physical pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental anguish, humiliation, shame, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and mistrust of authority figures, among other hardships.
"The plaintiff has been required to undergo medical treatment and psychological and/or spiritual counselling and will continue to require same indefinitely throughout the plaintiff’s lifetime," the claim states.
The complainant is seeking relief for health care expenses and those relating to the lawsuit, among other damages.
The lawsuit alleges the Army Cadet League of Canada was responsible for the operation of the Vernon Cadet Camp. In an email to The Morning Star, the League refuted this, saying the supervision, care, training and management of cadets and cadet instructors is "at all times" the responsibility of the Canadian Armed Forces.
"The Army Cadet League of Canada is always concerned about any harm that may come to a cadet. The Army Cadet League of Canada however has no liability for the harm that the plaintiff alleges and it shall defend itself accordingly. As explained above, the Canadian Armed Forces is responsible for Cadet Training Centre Vernon, its operations, and staff," the Cadet League said.
Both the Army Cadet League of Canada and the Attorney General of Canada have yet to file responses to the claim.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 p.m. June 4 to include a response from the Army Cadet League of Canada.
