Franck Gervais is shown dressed as a decorated solider at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Ottawa police are now investigating a Quebec man who is alleged to have illegally worn a Canadian Forces uniform during Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial.
His chest adorned with medals, the man wore a paratrooper's beret and the green DEU jacket of the land forces, with the ranks of sergeant.
The Department of National Defence has now confirmed that Franck Gervais is not a member of the military.
"Investigation launched in light of numerous inquiries about a man at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa," the Ottawa police said on its official Twitter account Thursday afternoon.
It added that "the man possibly made unlawful use of military uniform or certificates."
Social-media photos also show Mr. Gervais getting married in uniform.
Canadian Forces personnel raised questions about Mr. Gervais within minutes of his appearance on national television on Tuesday, noting many mistakes with the way he dressed as a soldier.
Their suspicion was eventually confirmed by the Department of National Defence. "The Canadian Armed Forces have no indication that Mr. Franck Gervais is a member of the military," the department said in a statement.
It added that "such activities are a disservice to the proud men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who earn the right to wear their uniforms through their hard work and the sacrifices they make for our country."
During the Remembrance Day ceremony, Mr. Gervais stood in the crowd and spoke briefly when questioned by reporters from the CBC and the Ottawa Citizen.
"For me, first it's to remember what people have done for us in the past and the future," he told the CBC's Diana Swain.
"We fought together. It's brothers," he told the Citizen.
His appearance raised alarms bells among viewers with military background. His beret appeared too small. He didn't have the red sash that infantry senior non-commissioned officers normally wear on formal occasions. He sported fancy sunglasses and had a Vandyke beard with a soul patch.
He wore a Royal Canadian Regiment cap badge and had insignias suggesting elite soldier status, such as paratroopers' wings and the "torch" badge of the patrol pathfinders, specialists who are deployed in enemy territory ahead of the main fighting forces.
Unfortunately for Mr. Gervais, among the CBC viewers was a a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment who had been with the airborne, Michael Womack, a warrant officer based in Wainwright, Alta. He started a drive on Facebook to unmask Mr. Gervais.
"Hope I am wrong, but something was off about him," WO Womack wrote a few minutes after seeing the CBC interview.
WO Womack found Facebook photos of Mr. Gervais's wedding in which he wore a uniform next to his bride. Again, there were errors. He wore a red sash but it was draped on the wrong shoulder and there was another regimental badge on his beret. He wore an officer's braided aiguillette.
"If someone can verify anything that backs him up let me know and I will retract it. But I am not holding my breath on that happening," WO Womack wrote, asking if other Forces members could corroborate Mr. Gervais's military status.
By Wednesday, DND confirmed that Mr. Gervais was not with the Forces.
Mr. Gervais lives in a red-brick bungalow on a rural road in the Outaouais region, on the Quebec side of the capital region.
A woman who answered Mr. Gervais's phone said he would not comment. She said they had been getting threats on the phone.
Mr. Gervais works as a carpenter, assembling hardwood stairs for Potvin Construction, a Rockland, Ont., firm. He has worked there for a decade and sometimes mentioned his military service, a fellow employee said.
Records indicate that Mr. Gervais has appeared in municipal court in Quebec for minor offences such as driving without a licence.
In its statement about Mr. Gervais, DND noted that "falsely impersonating a Canadian Armed Forces member is an issue to be taken seriously and is covered under section 419 of the Criminal Code of Canada."
Unlawfully wearing a military unform is not a common offence, but a Winnipeg resident pleaded guilty to the charge two years ago.
Josh Tuckett had claimed he was a corporal who had served in Afghanistan and Haiti. While he faced a maximum sentence of six months, the judge noted that such penalty would be applied only if the deception had a more sinister aim. Since his masquerade gained him no concrete benefits, Mr. Tuckett received a discharge.
Tu Thanh Ha