The Argyll Senate is an advisory body dedicated to supporting the Regiment and its Commanding Officer. It is outside of the chain of command of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Regimental Senate Origins
On 11 April 1946, an “organizing committee” of former commanding officers and serving officers met to draw up the first set of “rules and duties” for a Regimental senate. Its primary role was to “act in an advisory capacity to the Commanding Officer.” Subsidiary roles included “obtain[ing] public support of and interest in the Regiment,” “maintaining the Scottish Traditions of the Regiment,” organizing “financial and political support for the Regiment,” and in “general to assist the Commanding Officer in every practical way to put the Regiment on top in Military District No. 2.”
At the Senate’s general meetings, the CO would report on the serving battalion so that the “Senate may be kept well informed as to the activities of the Regiment.
The Senate Executive Committee
Its principal purposes and roles today are largely those of its founders in 1946:
To act in an advisory capacity to the Commanding Officer.
To assist the Commanding Officer in every practical way to maintain the Regiment as an outstanding unit in the Canadian Armed Forces and to ensure its continuity as an infantry regiment of the CAF.
To support the maintenance of the traditions and dress of the Regiment and its Scottish-Canadian heritage.
To foster, nurture, and protect the idea of the Regiment, past, present, and future.
To obtain public support and interest in the Regiment.
To provide leadership to, and coordination with, the Regimental family broadly defined.
To work with a variety of groups, individuals, and organizations interested in the Regiment and the purpose of the CAF.
To organize and mobilize, whenever needed, other support for the Regiment.
To organize and support, whenever needed, financial support for the Regiment through the Argyll Regimental Foundation (ARF).
To recommend to the Commanding Officer nominees for the appointments of Honorary Colonel and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel.
THE ROLE OF REGIMENTAL SENATE TODAY
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d)
Tom Compton, CD
Tom Compton has served in uniform for over 40 years, from Private to Lieutenant Colonel. He enrolled in 1975 and finally retired in 2017. While he’s served in numerous units and headquarters, he considers the Argylls his home. Experiences include: overseeing domestic operations during wildfires in the B.C. interior; commanding the Argylls (2003 to 2006); and serving as a staff officer in Canadian Army Headquarters and as part of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff in Force Development. Tom also served on Roto 3-08 to Afghanistan (2008–2009). There, he was the mentor to the Senior Staff Officer for Operations of the Afghan National Army Brigade in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
Honorary Colonel
Glenn De Caire, OOM
Glenn De Caire completed a career in law enforcement that spanned over 35 years in the communities of Toronto and Hamilton. He served as Chief of Police for the Hamilton Police Service, retiring in January 2016. Afterwards, he completed eight years with McMaster University Security & Parking Services.
Colonel (Ret’d)
Ron Foxcroft, CM
Ron Foxcroft is a former Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. He is a member of its Senate and of the Argyll Regimental Foundation. It is no fluke that Colonel Fox, as he is called within the Regiment, is a well-known figure locally. A local boy (always a good start in this life), he now resides in Burlington with his wife, Marie. They have three sons: Steve, Dave, and Ronnie. A successful businessman, he is the CEO of Fluke Transport and the founder and CEO of Fox 40 International Inc.
Dr
Robert Lochiel Fraser
Robert Fraser’s ancestors emigrated from the Highlands of Scotland in 1855, at the end of a long period of social, economic, cultural, and political transformation known as the Highland Clearances. Someone once noted, wryly one presumes, that it says something of a family that after 800 years in a Highland glen, it left and came to Hamilton, where it spent the next 160 years! Educated locally, Robert attended McMaster University for his BA (there was no other choice), Ottawa’s Carleton University for his MA, and the University of Toronto for his PhD.
Colonel (Ret’d)
Glenn Gibson, ICD.D, CIP, FCLA, FCIAA, CFE
Glenn Gibson began his journey of continuous learning as a corporal with The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada in 1969 – a path that ultimately led him to become a global chief executive officer in the claims and risk management sector. His executive career expanded to include leadership within the Hamilton Tiger-Cats organization, where he served as President, Vice-Chairman, and now as Chair of its foundation.
Colonel (Ret’d)
Rick Kennedy, CD
The Argylls were a family way of life for Rick Kennedy, who joined the Argyll cadet corps at age 14. Educated at McMaster University, he possesses a degree in geography; he is, for example, able to explain the difference, should one wonder, between an esker and a drumlin, and for most of his life, he has navigated his way from home to work successfully. A planner by instinct and temperament, Rick was a wealth management adviser for most of his adult life, retiring in 2025 after 44 years.
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d)
Gary Sexton, CD
After a brief five years with Revenue Canada after graduating from university, Gary Sexton became an independent financial adviser with FundEX Investments (now Investia Financial Services Inc.) in 1996. He holds the Certified Financial Planner designation and operates his practice in Grimsby under the name Financial Focus, advising families on how to make better holistic financial decisions for themselves.
Argyll Senator
J. Murray Souter
Murray Souter has led several large organizations over his career, including Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits, Black’s Photography, Sprint Canada, Bell-Aliant Telecommunications, Bauer Hockey, and Reebok. A respected executive, Murray is known for his ability to refocus companies on their customers to achieve success. He is also sought after for his work with corporate boards, particularly in the areas of board governance and board recruitment.
Lieutenant General (Ret’d)
Paul Wynnyk, CMM, MSM, CD
Paul is a former army cadet and reservist who served over 38 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, he undertook a number of senior roles including Commander of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, Commander of the Canadian Army, and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.
Honorary Lieutenant Colonel
Shendal Yalchin
A lifelong Hamiltonian, Shendal Yalchin serves as the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the Hamilton Club, one of Canada’s most historic private clubs. In this role, she leads with a commitment to excellence, tradition, and meaningful community engagement.
Argyll Life
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s) is a Canadian Army Reserve infantry battalion with a storied past, a proud present, and a bright future. Its home since it was raised in 1903 has been the Lieutenant-Colonel John Weir Foote VC Armouriesin Hamilton, Ontario. It’s not just a unit, it’s a trusted team, united by mutual respect, shared values, and a common mission.
The Heartbeat of Highland Tradition. The members of the Pipes and Drums are fully committed to the Regiment and its role in the Army Reserve. Garrison duties include playing for battalion parades and other unit ceremonial events, playing in all regimental messes at formal dinners, piping the Commanding Officer into his mess following dismissal, and piping in the accused at orders parades. Moreover, most members actively participate in field-training exercises. Read more at the following links.
