Nearly every major police service has a tactical team, including Montreal.
Toronto‘s ETF (Emergency Task Force) did a demo for the 48th a while ago, although I was working and unable to attend that night.
Even Halton Regional Police, a force of no more than 300 cops, has an emergency task force and a bomb squad. The province enforces minimum standards for a police service to qualify and be recognized as having that capability, and it usually means some additional resources allotted by the province (although the budgeting is normally municipal).
Anyway enough about that.
Parade nights are exactly as was described. There will be class training, anything from learning about your pay statement and benefit plans, to classes on things you need to know for an upcoming ex, such as house clearing, vehicle check points (VCP‘s), etc. 32 Brigade is doing a lot of that sort of stuff, as we are in "transitional operations", meaning going from defensive to offensive ops, and it involves a lot of rear area security, FIBUA, patrolling, and meeting engagements (contacting the enemy when neither side has prepared or is aware of the other‘s location previously).
Our unit has our annual church parade soon, so we will start doing more drill and parading in DEU‘s.
At the beginning of the training year (September 2003), there was an emphasis on PT, and each night finished with a 40 minute PT period, and one night we even did a swim test. We are supposed to do another PT test at the end of the year, and the goal is to beat our scores from Sept.
The training is a lot of refresher stuff, but overall is supposed to progress towards a unit or higher formation goal, and the theory is it will all be put in to practice at milcon.
Mr. Ted ... a HALF HOUR in the mess? Oh, before dismissal... ok. We don‘t even see our mess until dismissal, but when we finally get there, we‘re usually there until 1am, drinking ourselves silly. Our mess ain‘t pretty (insert pun here), but it‘s got air hockey, pool, foosball, and beer.
Dileas!