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From Humble Beginnings to the Heart of Service: Doug Slowski

On the day of the Battle of Britain parade in 2024, I was sitting in the front row, clutching the script to what I thought would be my worst speech ever. A woman in a suit walked up to me and said, “Today, you’ll be sitting with the legion members at the front.” My eyes bulged out of their sockets. I looked toward the rows of veterans, whose faces, in my nervous eyes, looked like Roman statues.

“Are you sure?” I asked. She smiled sympathetically and nodded. I sat down, trying to look calm. Everyone around me knew each other and were conversing, but I had never felt more out of place until the legion member beside me turned and smiled. As we started talking, I learned his name was Mr. Doug Slowski.

I met Mr. Slowski again a year later at the 2024 Annual Ceremonial Review(ACR). I was standing in rank, exhausted, and was barely listening as People after people went up to receive their awards. Then I heard my name. Dazed, I marched forward, focused on my drill so I didn’t mess anything up. When I finally looked up to salute, there stood Mr. Slowski, smiling as he handed me the Heart of Service Award. I learned later that he had crafted the trophy himself.

As meaningful as that moment was, this story isn’t about me. It’s about Doug Slowski, and the journey that led him there.

Doug Slowski grew up in Tufnell, Saskatchewan, in a small cadet community with only nine members. Together, they attended 542 Squadron in Foam Lake, located seven miles away. There was no drill team, biathlon, or effective speaking. Instead, their evenings were spent driving to weekly cadet meetings, even in winter through blizzards, snowstorms, and hail. The Foam Lake squadron had about fifty cadets in total, but he never missed a meeting. The most remarkable thing was that no one made him do this; he chose this path all by himself, and perhaps that is what solidified his resolve and determination.  

His dedication paid off when he earned a power flying scholarship, spending six weeks at the Regina Flying Club to earn his power wings. Many years later, he attended an officer cadet boot camp after being out of school for 25 years. Competing against much younger students, he struggled and nearly quit. One day, he told his wife he couldn’t keep up and couldn’t see if it was really worth it. She asked him to give it one more day, and that made all the difference because the very next day, something clicked for him.

Doug later helped form a new cadet squadron in Campbell River, even though he wasn’t a parent. He went on to become a CIC officer, transferred to Nanaimo as Commanding Officer, and served as CO of two Cadet Training Centres: Albert Head and Penhold. After 45 years in the cadet program, he retired as Vice President of the Air Cadet League of Canada.

Doug Slowski’s story shows how far commitment and perseverance can take you. He is the Heart of Service himself. “Choose what you want to do and just go forward. There may be challenges, but reach for the stars,” says Mr. Slowski.

So, to cadets reading this: try your best, keep learning, and don’t give up. Because you never know where this program may take you.

P.S. Veterans and legion members may seem intimidating at first, but if you take the time to talk to them, you’ll usually find they’re much nicer than you expect.

Author Sgt Joo, Leah

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