Interview with Dr. James Boutilier

Narrator: Boutilier, James., 1939- Interviewer: Interviewed by Eric Springgay–Daubeny Interview Date and Location: March 19, 2025, Zoom Synopsis: Interview begins by exploring the Boutilier’s personal background, delving into his experiences joining the Royal Canadian Navy, completing a PHD, and working in the South Pacific. This is followed by an exploration of experiences teaching at Royal Roads Military College and advocating for the founding of Royal Roads university, as well as the process through which he became involved with Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) as a Special Policy Advisor. Boutilier discusses his engagement with diplomats and academics from the Asia Pacific region, his day-to-day activities as an advisor, and how he felt about Canada’s image in the Pacific during this period. Boutilier also explores his engagement with changing technology, the Navy’s role in determining Asia-Pacific policy, and his perspective on policy shifts between 1995 and 2020. 0:00:00 - 0:01:06 - Introduction 0:01:06 - 0:06:19 - Family background, upbringing in Bedford, Nova Scotia, broad-scale early career overview. 0:06:19 - 0:15:48 - Joining the Royal Canadian Navy, crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, teaching navigation, Flying Tiger Line Flight 923 crash response. 0:15:48 - 0:19:11 - Experiences with the Royal Navy Reserves, North Sea minesweeping, 0:19:11 - 0:29:17 - First exposure to South Pacific history, Getting a PHD at the University of London. 0:29:17 - 0:34:36 - Working at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, returning to Canada to work at Royal Roads Military College, relevance of Pacific experience when working at MARPAC. 0:34:36 - 0:42:53 - The decline and closure of Royal Roads Military College, creating Royal Roads University. 0:42:53 - 0:49:49 - Being recruited by MARPAC in 1995, early experiences, contrasts between different leaderships. 0:49:49 – 0:59:43 - Responsibilities at MARPAC, experiencing the “golden age of track-2 diplomacy,” attending academic meetings in Asia, disillusionment with leadership on Asia-Pacific issues. 0:59:43 - 1:08:55 - Canada’s Atlantic bias, impressions of Canada’s perception in the Pacific 1:08:55 - 1:15:20 - Engagement between Canada and China, naval diplomacy. 1:15:20 - 1:20:49 - Impact of budget concerns, finding money for travel expenses, collaborating with the US Navy in the Pacific, 1:20:49 - 1:26:20 - Incorporating technology at the personal level and strategic level, communicating technological change to MARPAC leaders. 1:26:20 - 1:32:29 - Opinions on the effects of government changes on policy, retrospective analysis of Canadian naval policy since 1995. 1:32:29 - 1:36:27 - MARPAC’s role in filling an Asia-Pacific policy vacuum, diplomatic contribution of the Navy. 1:36:27 - 1:40:55 - Trying to get other ministries engaged in Indo-Pacific relations, struggles to find funding for defense conferences. 1:40:55 - 1:51:54 - Frustrations about Arctic policy and AOPS program, feelings about contemporary policy making. 1:51:54 - 1:54:33 - Concluding remarks

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Springgay-Daubeny, Eric
• Boutilier, James, 1939-

Subject

• Military education
• Royal Roads Military College
• Canada. Royal Canadian Navy
• Military history

Language

• eng

Identifier

• Interview #SC141_BJ_945

Keyword

• Maritime Forces Pacific
• Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
• Shangri-La Dialogue
• Royal Roads University
• Dr. James Boutilier
• South Pacific
• Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships
• Indo-Pacific Strategy
• Asia-Pacific Policy
• Canada-China Relations
• Department of National Defence
• Flying Tiger Line Flight 923
• Royal Roads Military College
• North Sea Minesweeping
• Global Affairs Canada
• Nanisivik Naval Facility
• Royal Canadian Navy
• Arctic Policy

Date created

• March 19, 2025

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews (HIST 426, 2025).

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 01:54:33

Alternative title

• "Not Our Core Interest": The Royal Canadian Navy and the Arctic Since 1990

Geographic Coverage

• Pacific Area

Physical Repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• interviews
• reminiscences
• video recordings (physical artifacts)
• oral histories (literary genre)

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2026-0008; Series: VIII; Item: 945

Fonds title

• Military oral history collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• 2025

Technical note

• Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in Spring 2025. Recorded in digital format by interviewer. Keywords supplied by interviewer. Metadata by KD.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/0ebc-6927