Sault soldier, high school math teacher to be honoured at CFL game

Sault football fans and supporters of Canada’s military have a good reason to tune in to the Ottawa Redblacks CFL home game that kicks off at 7:30pm on Friday on TSN1 and TSN5.

Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Lambert, a former commanding officer of the 49th (Sault Ste. Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA), will be honored at the Redblacks game tomorrow in Ottawa.   

The Ottawa Redblacks have a ‘Hero of the Game’ Canadian Armed Forces Recognition program. The program involves the Redblacks hosting and publicly honouring deserving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members during an in-game presentation in all their home games of the regular season.

Lambert, 48, enrolled with the 49th Field Regiment in 1997 as an Officer Cadet and began progressing through many key artillery courses and appointments.

He completed the two-year Joint Command and Staff Program from the Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto.

He became the 49th Field Regiment’s commanding officer in March 2019 and was succeeded in that post by Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Nadon in Oct. 2022.

Lambert is a math teacher and football coach at Korah Collegiate and is a Bachelor of Science graduate of Algoma University.

He earned his Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University.

Lambert was deployed to Iraq in Nov. 2022 for a six month mission, serving as a member of Operation Impact, part of NATO Mission Iraq. 

Operation IMPACT involves highly-specialized CAF members from the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. They train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces in developing their military skills. 

The intent of the CAF Recognition Program is to publicly recognize members for outstanding achievements and contributions to the institution and their community.  The award winners are highly accomplished CAF members that have demonstrated a commitment to domestic and/or international operations, have proven leadership and dedication, provide community service or volunteer work, and are well respected by their peers.