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[caption id="attachment_31356" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Chief Petty Officer First Class Stan Budden.[/caption] Kateryna Bandura, Lookout Editor — Chief Petty Officer First Class (CPO1) Stan Budden, Chief Warrant Officers Corp, joined the primary reserves in 1993 as an infantryman with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. In 1996, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a Marine Engineer, which morphed into a Marine Technician in 2017. CPO1 Budden said he feels privileged and honoured to be given this role. “Culture change needs to remain the top priority as we build on the needs of the RCN, and I am in a unique position to influence this,” he said. “Naval Fleet School (Pacific) (NFS(P)) is an institution where the best and brightest shape the fleet, and I look forward to facing this challenge.”  1. What does this new role mean to you? Serving as the (NFS(P)) Chief Petty Officer (CPO) is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the RCN and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in a meaningful way. I am directly helping to promote the goals of Strong, Secured and Engaged in the RCN. Training plays a crucial role in reconstituting the current fleet. The training imparts the knowledge and skills that allow the next generation of sailors to serve professionally, safely, and confidently. With work, we can become the RCN Canadians want and deserve, facing challenges head-on. 2. Do you have a specific goal you wish to attain in your new position? I want to ensure everyone at the Fleet School, staff and students, feels supported. This can be explained with a word I learned from Lilo and Stitch, ‘Ohana’, which means ‘family’, but in a broader sense than most of us think. We are all family as RCN and CAF members. We need to look after each other and treat everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of background, experiences, or age, like we would with members of our primary families. My secondary goal is to promote a physically fit...

[caption id="attachment_31353" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Lieutenant (Navy) Tyson Babcock[/caption] Lt(N) Michelle Scott, HMCS Vancouver PAO — A career in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was never on his radar, yet Lieutenant (Navy) Tyson Babcock now finds himself with 17 years of service under his belt. Lt(N) Babcock currently serves as an Operations Room Officer deployed aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver. “It is hard to define a most memorable moment of my career because each step has been unique. Perhaps, the best part is seizing all the opportunities I never knew I would have,” Lt(N) Babcock said. With both grandfathers in the Army and the Air Force, he was intrigued by the notion of serving his country, but he never considered the Navy. Growing up in Kamloops, he decided to try out cadets and joined 204 Black Maria Air Cadet Squadron at 15 to see how he liked it. That led him to discover the Royal Military College (RMC) and the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP), which pays participants to earn their degree while obtaining an officer’s commission. He applied for ROTP for all Air Force trades in Grade 11 and was offered a position as a Naval Warfare Officer a few months before graduation. “I had no idea what they did, but after some research and great advice from my dad, I decided it fit what I was looking for,” he said. Throughout his career, Lt(N) Babcock has served in a variety of roles – from being a member of the RMC marching contingent sent to participate in the Nijmegen Marches commemorating the liberation of Holland during the Second World War, to a Junior Officer deploying for the first time with HMCS Regina, to the prestigious role of Executive Officer in HMCS Edmonton. “I got to share trips with some...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — An update to a permanent exhibit at the Juno Beach Centre will shine a brighter spotlight on today’s Canadian war veterans. Located in Normandy, France, the Juno Beach Centre is a popular tourist destination that pays tribute to the 14,000 Canadian Troops that landed there on June 6, 1944, a decisive moment of the Second World War. “This is more than just a D-Day museum,” said Marie Eve Vaillancourt, Juno Beach Centre Exhibitions Director. “It was the wish of the veterans who helped found the Juno Beach Centre that the museum focus on Canada’s history following the Second World War.” Vaillancourt said the Centre’s new Faces of Canada Today project is one way the museum is continuing to grow and why it remains a beacon of Canada’s presence on the beaches of Normandy. The Faces of Canada Today exhibit will re-open in spring 2024, and will provide an important update of those who have served in conflicts following the Second World War, including the Korean War, Afghanistan and United Nations Peace Keeping Missions, and NATO missions throughout the Cold War. This is the first major update for the exhibit in over 20 years, and will contain the first references to Canada’s role in Afghanistan, Vaillancourt noted. Vaillancourt said the centrepiece of the new Faces of Canada Today will feature personal stories and reflections of diverse Canadians and details the numerous peacekeeping missions in which the Canadian Armed Forces participated. The exhibit will include military families and their importance in mission success. It will also include a celebration of Canada’s historic relationship with France, particularly the strength of its friendship and alliance which remains strong today. Like the rest of the Juno Beach Centre, Faces of Canada Today will have a strong link to the Second World War, Vaillancourt said. The Juno Beach Centre’s Legacy of Honour film project will also be included in the new exhibit which interviews 12 Second World War veterans including Victoria’s 102-year-old...

[caption id="attachment_31345" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Participants of the Maritime Security Challenges 2022 conference. Front to back: Captain (Navy) (Retired) Kevin Carlé (NAC VI); Rear-Admiral (Retired) Jennifer Bennett (NLC); Major (Retired) Scott Usborne (RUSI VI President); and Lieutenant-Commander (Retired) Paul Seguna (RUSI VI Vice President).[/caption] Paul Seguna, VI Vice President, Royal United Services Institute — Representatives from the Navy League of Canada (NLC), Naval Association of Canada (NAC) and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Vancouver Island (VI) branches attended the recent Maritime Security Challenges 2022 (MSC 22) – Pacific Seapower: Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific conference held in Victoria, B.C., Nov. 14-16. The conference was attended by senior representatives from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and allied navies, government and academic maritime security, marine industrial and environmental experts, along with a wide range of Indo-Pacific based interested parties. The conference addressed the full scope of maritime security issues in the Indo-Pacific region, including challenges to freedom of navigation, the importance of regional maritime trade to the global economy, and impacts of climate change. The MSC series of biennial conferences have been held since 2005 with the aim of providing a venue for discussion on issues of common concern, the exchange of shared experiences, and potential solutions to the challenges presented to participating nations in the region. MSC 22 hosts included the RCN, Navy League of Canada, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Commander RCN Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee and Commander MARPAC Rear-Admiral Christopher Robinson were amongst several RCN keynote participants.

Mark Nelson — An entire category of nautical vocabulary is dedicated to keeping a ship in safe waters, not aground or on the rocks. Resting upon or touching the sea bottom is referred to as a grounding, which is one of the worst outcomes for a ship, sometimes leaving a vessel high and dry until the tide comes in or unable to continue. Touch and go describes a minor grounding, where the ship can continue its progress. Intentional grounding may be referred to as beaching, so a vessel may load and unload (as with a landing craft) or possibly prevent a badly damaged vessel from sinking. When a ship enters coastal waters, the Officer of the Watch needs to pay attention to the aids to navigation that is specifically intended to assist in determining a vessel’s position or safe course or to warn of dangers. Buoys are used to mark navigable channels, hazards to shipping, and anchorages. In Canada, we pronounce ‘boy’ and not the American ‘boo-ee’. When travelling up a channel, Port hand buoys are coloured green, marked with odd numbers, and should be kept on the port side. Starboard hand buoys are coloured red, marked with even numbers, and should be kept on the starboard side. A bifurcation buoy marks the division of a channel. Fairway buoys indicate safe water. Cardinal buoys indicate the safest water using the cardinal points of a compass (north, south, east and west). Some buoys are distinctly shaped for visual identification, such as a square-shaped can buoy or a cone-shaped nun buoy, resembling a nun’s habit. Light buoys display light to be visible at night. Bell buoys are designed to be heard when visibility is diminished and include a bell with hammers that clang with wave action. Most buoys have a radar reflector;...

[caption id="attachment_31337" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Sailor First Class Alexandra Madsen opens a care package she received from home for her birthday.[/caption] Kateryna Bandura, Lookout Editor — From a child’s drawing to a bag of candy, morale mail brings a part of home to all the deployed sailors. As HMCS Vancouver and Winnipeg navigate the Pacific on their six-month deployment, the blue mail bags always ignite smiles around the ship. “We don’t always realize the power of receiving a note, card, or package that someone took the time to put together for you specifically,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Michelle Scott, Vancouver’s Public Affairs Officer. “It can really turn around someone’s day or even week on ship.” Fleet Mail Office Victoria is one of two Canadian Forces Postal Unit offices dedicated to supporting deployed Royal Canadian Navy ships. To date, the office has sent 238 bags of mail weighing 2.5 tons (2,577 kilograms) to both ships. The Posties, as they are affectionately called, have proudly served deployed Canadian Armed Forces members by ensuring packages are sent and received properly by deployed units. On ship, this task is handled by the meteorological technicians (met tech) on board, who receive and send mail back to the postal units ashore for further processing. Sergeant (Sgt) Victoria Rogers, a met tech in HMCS Winnipeg, said delivering mail is a lot of work but one she absolutely enjoys. “I’ve seen sailors laugh and cry as they opened their packages,” she said. “Some packages are decorated by little kids with stickers and drawings and some are decorated with themes for each one.” While everyone’s mail is different, some things generally stay consistent. “There are always candy and treats getting pulled out and passed around, little toys or stuffies the little ones pop in the box before it’s secured with tape, and notes and pictures from loved ones back home,” Sgt Rogers said. But some sailors truly make the most of morale mail. “Snacks and food items are one thing,” Lt(N) Scott...

[caption id="attachment_31332" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Graduates of HMCS Venture’s General Military Training Instruction (GMTI) course gather for a graduation photo at the Collier Building, Nov. 10. Photo: Corporal Tristan Walach / MARPAC Imaging.[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — The new training facility at CFB Esquimalt is already proving itself as a critical benefit to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). As a result of HMCS Venture’s new mandate, 18 successful candidates graduated from the General Military Trainer Instruction (GMTI) course on Nov. 10. The course is typically delivered at Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruitment School (CFLRS) in Saint-Jean-sure-Richelieu, Que. “The General Military Trainer Instruction (GMTI) course is instruction and training for our people on how to deliver one of our assigned courses, the Basic Military Qualification,” said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Angus Fedoruk, HMCS Venture Division Commander. “This is one of the first ways the new Venture is proving what it can do under its new mandate.” GMTI was championed and organized by Chief Petty Officer Second Class (CPO2) Luc Poirer-Potvin, key member of leadership instruction at HMCS Venture and former instructor at CFLRS. It prepares NCMs and Junior Officers to instruct Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) and Primary Leadership Qualification (PLQ) courses. The new training course will help address CAF personnel shortages, which aligns with CAF Reconstitution efforts currently underway at the instruction of General Wayne Eyre, Chief of Defence Staff. HMCS Venture’s training mandate expanded and now includes Naval Warfare Officer, Naval Technical Officer, Second Language Training, and RCN leadership training that includes Officer and NCM courses. A reorganization in the Naval training system created HMCS Venture out of the Naval Training Development Centre (Pacific) and elements of the Naval Fleet School (Pacific). The fresh cohort of graduates learned skills such as instructing drill lessons, including demonstrating the ideal sequence, inspecting personal kits, preparing...

[caption id="attachment_31326" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Left to right: Acting Sub-Lieutenant Cusack, Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) Tremblett, Petty Officer First Class Szeto, PO2 Smith, Lieutenant-Commander Vanderveer, Lieutenant (Navy) Lingard, Sailor First Class Couckuyt . Back left to right: Sailor Second Class (S2) Chaudhry, Sailor First Class (S1) Peters, S2 Champagne-Rochard, S2 Ladouceur-Lauermeier.[/caption] S1 Nicholas Couckuyt, HMCS Saskatoon NCIO On Nov. 11, a group of sailors, including myself, represented HMCS Nanaimo and visited our namesake city to participate in the local activities for Remembrance Day. Our first stop was Royal Canadian Legion Branch 256 to participate in the Remembrance Day ceremony. Our crew paid respects by laying a wreath and visiting with veterans and Legion members. The ceremony included a local boy singing a stirring version of Garth Brooks’ ‘Belleau Wood’, a song about the Christmas Truce of 1914. The Legion members were proud to show off the murals which adorn almost the entire outside of their building, including an image of our ship, HMCS Nanaimo. Legion Branch 256 treated us to lunch while sharing stories from their careers. The crew also attended a ceremony at the Nanaimo Dallas Square Cenotaph. While meaningful and dignified, the ceremony showed a great sense of community in the City of Nanaimo. The Air and Sea Cadets enthusiastically escorted each dignitary to lay their wreaths. Others distributed poppies and brochures to attendees. The ceremony was capped by a gun salute courtesy of the 5th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. Lieutenant Commander Mike Vanderveer, our Commanding Officer, presided as the Reviewing Officer of the parade. The ceremony was made extra special with the presence of Victor Osbourne, a Second World War Navy veteran, who was celebrating his 104th birthday. The crowd at the Cenotaph sang a cheerful ‘Happy Birthday’ to Mr. Osbourne and thanked him for his service. Following the ceremony at the Nanaimo Cenotaph, the crew gathered at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 to socialize with more community members, including Mayor Leonard Krog, and Lisa Marie Barron,...

[caption id="attachment_31320" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Guests interact with HMCS Ottawa sailors and subject matter experts while the ship docked in North Vancouver at the end of October. Photo supplied.[/caption] Kateryna Bandura, Lookout Editor — Approximately 500 guests visited HMCS Ottawa while the Halifax-class frigate docked in North Vancouver at the end of October. Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Justin Simmons, Executive Officer with HMCS Ottawa, said the ship was in North Vancouver as part of the Achieve Anything Foundation’s ‘This is You’ program with The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. “The guests were very gracious for the opportunity to tour our ship, and they asked many inquisitive questions, which the ship’s crew were more than happy to answer,” LCdr Simmons said. The guests toured the upper decks and the bridge, and interacted with several static displays of various sailors and their trades. Subject matter experts of various trades on board the ship showcased what they do best. “Our subject matter experts comprised of divers, boarding party members, helicopter crash rescue firefighters, machinery control room watch keepers, medical technicians, naval weapons engineers and bridge watch keepers – so, essentially, all trades on board,” LCdr Simmons said. LCdr Simmons said HMCS Ottawa had 20 students embarked as part of their at-sea Naval Engineering Indoctrination (NEI) course, where they learn all aspects of the ship. Ottawa’s NEI students were responsible for acting as tour guides, ensuring guests were taken to the areas where demonstrations were taking place. The guided tours took the guests through several working and living spaces throughout the ship, including Sickbay, the operations room, the machinery control room, and the messes. “The guests seemed especially interested in seeing some of the more interactive displays,” LCdr Simmons said, “such as the one with the boarding party where they got to hold the guns, or the rescue firefighters who cut a steel pipe in half with a tool.” Ottawa is nearing the end of its trial’s sail in which the crew is testing the proficiency...

[caption id="attachment_31316" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Lieutenant-Commander Anne Gardam, HMCS Malahat’s Executive Officer, keeps a watchful eye on junior members of HMCS Malahat taking part in NABs simulation training at CFB Esquimalt on Nov. 10.[/caption] Lt(N) Donald Den, HMCS Malahat PAO — During the evening of Nov. 10, members of Victoria’s Naval Reserve Division (NRD) HMCS Malahat, including several Naval Warfare Officers (NWOs), Naval Communicators (NavComms), and Naval Combat Information Operators (NCIOps), took part in virtual ship training at CFB Esquimalt. The Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator, or ‘NABS’ for short, is a series of virtual training platforms at the Base that accurately replicate the displays and visuals of a bridge on a Royal Canadian Navy ship at sea. Linked to a separate control room running the simulation, ‘bridges’ can conduct navigation, contact avoidance, communications, and other tasks as if they were at sea. Along with all the proper equipment on the bridge with the appropriate scaled space and seating, the NABS offers a 360-degree realistic field of view, using multiple monitors to simulate an ‘at-sea’ environment. NABS also uses a high-accuracy virtual environment, simulating real-world locations, including realistic land masses, sea depths, and even the type and class of vessel a sailor would likely encounter in that location. Using this customized programming, Malahat members can work on skills in a controlled environment so they are better positioned when out at sea. “Having the simulator is invaluable to maintaining skills that quickly fade while ashore,” notes Lt(N) David Marrack, Deputy Operations Officer. “It is a huge resource for Malahat as an NRD with personnel who may not have the time to dedicate to prolonged refresher sails.” Beginning with basic refresher training on contact avoidance and navigation, the two Malahat bridge teams worked on conducting Officer of the Watch Maneuvers in...

On the rainy Wednesday morning of Nov. 2 Chief Petty Officer First Class Matt Goodwin briefs the participants in the Bring Your Kids to Work Day activities outside the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum. The rain didn’t dissuade over 75 participants in showing up for the program of activities at CFB Esquimalt starting with a tour of the museum. [...]

Peter Malett, Staff Writer — Glass fragments from the Second World War illuminate residents at Veterans Memorial Lodge with a glowing light. The series of ten stained glass windows at the Broadmead Care long-term care home incorporates fragments from London’s Westminster Abbey, bombed in the final days of the Battle of Britain in May 1941, Dorset Highcliffe Castle, and the Abbey of Saint-Étienne in Normandy, France. “Our Second World War veterans can still remember that time,” said Chaplain Francis Welch, Coordinator of Spiritual Care at Broadmead Care. Chaplain Welch said the artwork’s origin intrigues most residents. “To them, this artwork is very real because it is made from actual buildings they may have seen or walked in,” Chaplain Welch said. He said residents are fascinated that remnants of destruction and the madness of war can create joy and hope. Five of the stained glass windows honour different branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marine and Women’s Services. Another window is dedicated to the province of British Columbia. Carson Sage, Veterans Memorial Lodge Manager of Volunteer Services and Innovative Activation, said the stained glass windows not only make for great talking points for visitors but also provide some therapeutic value for residents with dementia. “The idea behind the windows and the stories they tell is to stimulate the long-term memories of people with dementia, since they often have a loss of short-term memory,” he said. Sage is working on a project on each pane of stained glass, which will describe the artwork contained and its historical or military significance. Last summer, the staff made a presentation about the history of stained glass, initially inspired by the desire of Second World War veterans for world peace. The artwork was commissioned in 1956 by famed glass maker Goddard and Gibb of London, England, and dedicated on the site of Victoria’s Memorial Pavilion at Royal Jubilee hospital. When the pavilion closed its doors, the contents of the chapel and its...

Andrea Lam, Health Promotion Specialist, PSP — Adapted from Overcoming Stigma Through Language primer by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction This year, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) National Addictions Awareness Week is from November 20 – 26. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘A Community of Caring’, which focuses on how collaborating as a community makes change happen. The Addictions-Free Living Working Group of the Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) Health & Wellness Strategy is creating a culture that encourages healthy lifestyle choices. The group hopes their efforts will reduce the risk of problems with alcohol, cannabis, gambling and other potentially harmful substances and behaviours. According to the 2018 MARPAC Health & Wellness Strategy Evaluation Report Card results, the two priorities for addictions-free living were: Continued work on reducing stigma around substance use and addiction; Continued education and resources about addictions and substance use. The Addictions-Free Living Working Group encourages Defence Team members to visit the CCSA National Addictions Awareness Week website (https://www.ccsa.ca/national-addictions-awareness-week) for more information, and to seek support with substance abuse. Reducing Stigma: #WordsMatter Language around substance use disorder often creates feelings of shame and fortifies the stigma associated with it. Stigmatized language can lead to behaviours that isolate people who use substances. This stigma discourages people from seeking help for fear of being labeled as an ‘addict’. It can also impact the quality of healthcare services they are provided and influence the allocation of government resources towards treatment initiatives. We can address this stigma by shifting to person-focused language that acknowledges someone as a person before describing their personal attributes or health conditions. This language will also acknowledge users are struggling with a health condition and shift away from shaming them.   NAAW 2022 Event Naloxone Training presented by AVI Health & Community Services When: Nov. 23 @ 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Where: C&PO’s Rainbow Room (in-person) What: Learn the signs of an opioid overdose, how to administer Naloxone, and...

Mark Nelson — Every sailor needs a comfortable place to sleep to maintain their peak efficiency, but more importantly, to preserve the twinkle inherent in their eyes. Sailors sleep in a mess, sometimes referred to as a mess deck. A mess is a space filled with bunks, often called racks. The rack owner might refer to their happy resting place as their pit, i.e., ‘I am heading to my pit for the night’. Pit is an appropriate term for a bed that bows down in the center and keeps a tired body steady while the ship rocks. Cart is another nickname for a bunk, derived from a mid-19 century military name for a bed. Someone who spends an inordinate time in their rack might be referred to as a rack monster or pit monster, i.e., ‘Bloggins, the pit monster, will catch some zees anytime he sees his cart’. Zees is used to describe good sleep. ZizEX might describe a decent nap session, making an off-hand reference to snoring. Before the introduction of bunks fitted in the St. Laurent-class destroyers (launched in the 1950s-60s), mess decks were outfitted with mick bars (short for ‘hammock’), which were notched metal bars mounted strategically on the bulkhead and deckhead. These bars provided strong points where hammocks could be affixed. During quiet hours, sailors would snore away, swinging their micks in unison with the ship’s rolling. In the morning, the pipe ‘Lash up and Stow’ would indicate it was time to put the hammocks aside for the daily routine. A hammock consisted of a six-foot canvas with grommets at both ends for securing the clews and a thin mattress inside for extra warmth and comfort. The clews consisted of two lanyards, each spliced to a metal ring, and each ring carrying eight nettles connected to...

[caption id="attachment_31290" align="aligncenter" width="596"] From left, Lieutenant-Commander Andrew Foran, Captain (Navy) Sheldon Gillis, and Commander Daniel Rice sign the paperwork making HMCS Goose Bay’s Change of Command official on Oct. 13. Photo supplied.[/caption] Joanie Veitch, Trident Staff — When Commander (Cdr) Daniel Rice took the helm of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Goose Bay in March 2019, he didn’t expect to be in command of the vessel for the next three-and-a-half years – 1,309 days to be exact. Speaking to the ship’s company and other guests at his outgoing Change of Command ceremony – held at HMC Dockyard Halifax on Oct. 13 – Cdr Rice listed some of the more memorable moments from his time as captain, including that strange time in March 2020, when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions scrubbed scheduled missions off the calendar entirely.  “In its place were a dispersed group of sailors working from home, and what an interesting period that was,” he said. “A boatload of force generation sailors, almost entirely within sight of Chebucto Head for nearly a year. An increasingly fatigued crew, who gave much of their time and energy preparing for missions that never came to fruition, and a culture change crisis that continues to grip the Canadian Armed Forces.” Since restrictions began to ease, however, the ship and its crew have been going non-stop, with taskings that took them to ports in Northern Canada on two different iterations of Operation Nanook, West Africa on Operation Projection, and helping out with hurricane relief efforts in Newfoundland and Labrador after post-tropical storm Fiona devastated the Atlantic region. “During these past 43 months, we spent some 370 days underway and steamed 60,000 nautical miles. That’s a long time to get to know your shipmates, to watch them grow, as sailors and officers, and to celebrate their accomplishments,” Cdr...

[caption id="attachment_31270" align="aligncenter" width="595"] HMCS Vancouver’s ships company in Japan as they complete Operation Neon. Photo: Lieutenant (Navy) Michelle Scott[/caption] Lt(N) Michelle Scott, HMCS Vancouver PAO — Searching the East China Sea and Yellow Sea for Vessels of Interest (VOI) and sanctions evasion activities is no easy task. But for Sub-Lieutenant (SLt) Henry Wong, a Bridge Watch Keeper under training in HMCS Vancouver, it was a learning environment unlike any other. “I was part of the team identifying vessels; we had many tools at our disposal, but it was definitely more challenging serving in this role during Op Neon,” SLt Wong said. Pulling into Kure, Japan, on Oct. 21, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver finished its support to Operation (Op) Neon after 31 days. This was Vancouver’s first deployment on Op Neon, Canada’s contribution to a multinational effort to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution sanctions imposed on North Korea. SLt Wong and the rest of the Bridge team were tasked with searching the waters in some of the busiest commercial lanes in the world. Meanwhile, members of the Operations Room searched the water and airspace beyond the Bridge team’s visual horizon through radars and sensors. “There is difficulty operating in such a dense littoral environment,” said Sailor First Class (S1) Seamus Bowkett, a Naval Combat Information Operator in Vancouver. S1 Bowkett, a Track Supervisor in HMCS Vancouver, provided information to the Operations team to build and maintain a complete air, surface, and sub-surface picture to analyze and locate contacts. Given the density of the vessels operating in the area, it can be compared to searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s where Vancouver’s CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, Canuck, comes in. “As we patrolled for particular ships, or other vessels carrying out suspicious activities, we were quite busy sorting between all the contacts on our sensors to decide which ones were the most important to investigate. On one busy day, we picked up over a thousand different contacts,” said Captain...

[caption id="attachment_31268" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Algae, juvenile rockfish, urchins, and worms grab and take hold in this new habitat. Photo: Dirk De Keersmaecker, ARSBC Archive.[/caption] Howie Robins, President and Rick Wall, Vice President, Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia — For end-of-life ships, a new life starts at the bottom of the ocean. A group of marine environmentalists re-experienced the magic of reef-making with underwater visits to two ships in September. Underwater artificial reefs take marine vessels and convert them into living incubators for a plethora of marine life, from plants to sponges to fish. A team from the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) and the producers of a new underwater TV documentary Water Worlds explored two artificial reefs: the Yogn, located near Powell River, and the former HMCS Columbia, near Campbell River. Due to COVID restrictions, the ARSBC last visited their latest reefing projects in 2018. The teams discovered that the marine habitat multiplied over the last few years. Like other artificial reefs managed by ARSBC, the Yogn and Columbia show how end-of-life vessels have a second life in expanding marine habitats. Rockfish and lingcod call Yogn home The teams were amazed to see so many resident rockfish and lingcod on the Yogn after only a few years as a reef. The USS YOGN-82 was an unpropelled gasoline barge built in 1943 by Concrete Ship Constructors in National City, California, and launched in 1944. Displacing 4,860 tons, it is 375 ft long, 56 ft wide and 38 ft deep. Each vessel had a crew of 12 and carried ten million litres of gasoline in 24 cargo tanks. It was reefed in June 2018 off Willingdon Beach in Powell River, B.C., and now rests on its keel fully upright in 100 ft of water.  The Yogn has been positioned as...

[caption id="attachment_31282" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Base Commander Capt(N) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson (right) presents Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Steve Morrison with the Aboriginal Veteran Millennium Medal on Nov. 8. Photo: Rodney Venis, Public Affairs.[/caption] Lookout Staff — Base Commander Capt(N) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson presented Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Steve Morrison with the Aboriginal Veteran Millennium Medal during a CFB Esquimalt ceremony on Nov. 8, National Indigenous Veterans Day. PO1 Morrison said receiving the medal was a proud moment for him and those who came before him. “This medal is also for my aunts and uncles who were residential school survivors who stepped forward to serve in the Second World War,” he said. “They were Metis and they had to hide who they were so this [medal] is for all of us – all our ancestors who have gone before and those who are serving now.” The Medal is awarded to Aboriginal Veterans in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Merchant Navy, and those who joined the US Forces in either peacetime or wartime, who served before 2000, and to Aboriginal members who were serving during 2000. The medal may be awarded posthumously. PO1 Morrison is also the National Military Co-chair of the Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (DAAG). The group advises senior leadership, including the Minister of National Defence, on Employment Equity issues affecting Indigenous members and employees of the Department of National Defence/CAF. “The DAAG is the voice to leadership of the Indigenous members of the CAF as well as Indigenous DND and PSP employees,” he said. PO1 Morrison said he is proud to be the elected National Military Co-Chair and work alongside Stanley Mercrdi, his Civilian Co-Chair. The Aboriginal Veteran Millennium Medal was created in 2000 to commemorate those Aboriginals who risked their lives...

Royal Canadian Navy — Over 1,700 naval reservists died in service to Canada during the Second World War. To honour their sacrifice, an online Virtual Cenotaph has been created to repatriate the lives of these ‘citizen sailors’ back to the cities, towns and villages where they grew up and began their naval service. “You don’t need any experience, military, investigative or otherwise to research one of these sailors,” said retired Captain (Navy) Kim Kubeck. “Anyone willing to give a few hours of their time can help add a story to the Cenotaph.” ‘Citizen sailors’ is the nickname given to those who joined the war effort as members of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve and the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service. The inspiration for the Citizen Sailors Virtual Cenotaph came Capt(N)  Kubeck, and the project is supported in part by the University Naval Training Division (UNTD) Association and a core team of dedicated volunteers. Capt(N) Kubeck retired from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2013 after 32 years of service with Canada’s Naval Reserve. After working with the Dutch branch of the Royal Canadian Legion on the Faces to Graves project (a search for information about Canadian soldiers buried at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands), she saw an opportunity to honour the memory of Canada’s naval reservists. “When I started out learning some of the stories about these sailors, it struck me personally,” Capt(N) Kubeck said. “Faces to Graves showed me what the stories mean to so many people and how they can be shared.” The Citizen Sailors Virtual Cenotaph hopes to share some 35 defined data fields on each sailor that will be searchable, but also unique stories about who these people were, as discovered by the researchers working on each...

  Capt Christine MacNeil, HMCS Winnipeg PAO — For those who serve, their fellow Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are like a second family. But, six individuals aboard HMCS Winnipeg are fortunate to have two families around them – their CAF families as well as their brothers.   [caption id="attachment_31279" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Sergio Lorenzo and Evan Acosta[/caption] Sergio Lorenzo and Evan Acosta are step-brothers from Nova Scotia. “Being able to deploy with my little brother is probably the best part of this deployment,” Master Sailor (MS) Lorenzo said. “It may not always be sunshine and rainbows, but at least I know he is here and that brightens up my day.” Sergio is nine years older than Evan, but they have always been close. In 2008, Sergio decided to make a positive change in his life and joined the Halifax Rifles (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps). Four years later, Evan joined the same unit. Both then decided to join the CAF and transferred to the Regular Force. Sergio joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a Hull Technician (now Marine Technician). Evan joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as an Avionics Systems Technician and now works on the CH-148 Cyclone in the Maritime Helicopter community. In 2021, MS Lorenzo was posted to HMCS Winnipeg; in early spring 2022, the Air Detachment arrived on the ship, bringing Sergio’s brother, Corporal (Cpl) Evan Acosta. “Sailing with my brother is surreal,” Cpl Acosta said. “Every time we fly, we are close by one-another. Although he frustrates me, like any brother does, while at sea, when we get into port we have a lot of fun exploring countries.”   [caption id="attachment_31278" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Hubert and Thomas Desbiens[/caption] Hubert and Thomas Desbiens are brothers from Quebec City. “When we work together, we don’t even have to speak and we know exactly what to do. It is the kind of bond that takes a lot of time to develop,” Cpl Thomas Desbiens said. Hubert and Thomas are also...

[caption id="attachment_31285" align="aligncenter" width="595"] The Topshee family, (from left) Charlotte Topshee, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Audrey Topshee, and Iris Topshee are joined by Ray Young of I Used To Be a Pallet and his wife Lana Young. The Little Library was revealed during a ceremony in Dockyard on Nov. 14. Photo: Peter Mallett/Lookout Newspaper`[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — A realistic replica of the Admiral’s Residence is now turning heads – and pages – in Dockyard at CFB Esquimalt. The Little Library at the corner of Hospital Road and Rainbow Drive was unveiled on Nov. 14 as a gift by Vice-Admiral (VAdm) Topshee and his family to the house and its future tenants. The act of generosity follows a time-honoured tradition at CFB Esquimalt, said VAdm Topshee. “Traditionally, when current tenants leave the Admiral’s house, they leave behind a gift to the house,” he said. “There have been many intriguing gifts over the years.” Gifts from past residents include an intricate Indigenous art carving gifted by Rear-Admiral (RAdm) Ronald Buck, a south-facing porthole-style window looking over the Pacific Ocean by RAdm Robert Yanow and a hand-carved wooden table gifted to the house by RAdm Gilles Couturier. Another part of the tradition, noted VAdm Topshee, is that the tenants plant a tree on property grounds when they leave. The idea for a Little Library came from Audrey Topshee, VAdm Topshee’s wife. Little Libraries intend for visitors to take a book or leave a book for others to read. Audrey said each member of the family is an avid reader. “We like to read, share reading with others, and are local library ‘nerds’. We wanted to leave a gift for the house that was unique, distinctive, and attractive, and could be enjoyed by many, not just the occupants of the house,” she said. “The Little Library was just the perfect all-around fit, once we figured out how and by whom it could be built.” Audrey was impressed by some other custom-built Little Libraries in...

[caption id="attachment_31243" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Jenny Pike in a photography studio. Photo supplied[/caption] Updated by CFB Esquimalt, Naval and Military Museum — At the onset of the Second World War, many brave Canadian women challenged the traditions of the time and volunteered to serve their country. Jenny Pike was one of those trailblazers. Serving as one of the first women photographers during the Second World War at only 22 years old, Jenny was responsible for processing some of the first photographs from the D-Day landings. Her passion and dedication to service helped open doors for future generations of Canadian women. The youngest of four children, Jenny Whitehead Pike, was born in Winnipeg in 1922. As early as age 11, Jenny was sure she would become a photographer and often helped in her brother’s photo lab. Later, this experience would serve her well when she was hired to work in the photography department of Eaton’s department store. In early 1943, with the Second World War underway, Jenny’s father helped her write a letter to the Secretary of the Naval Board offering her photography services. His support was unusual in an era when many parents disapproved of their daughters joining the Forces. There were no vacancies then, but Jenny was encouraged to join the Naval Service as a Probationary Wren. The Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) seemed like a good life, and Jenny registered in February 1943. She trained at HMCS Conestoga in Galt, Ont., before being posted to Ottawa HQ for photo training. Jenny was one of only seven young women in the first class. From there, she went on to Halifax in October 1943, and in February 1944, she sailed in the third draft to London, England. She had been in London just four months when the D-Day invasions began. Jenny’s...

[caption id="attachment_31239" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Bruce McShannon, an 84-year-old retired navy veteran.Photo: Lookout Newspaper.[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — As a retired Navy veteran makes notes in a large red leather-bound book, he knows he keeps the residents’ legacy alive at Broadmead Care’s Veterans Memorial Lodge. “It is important for people to know and remember what all our veterans did during their lives, so I am delighted to be working on this project,” said retired master sailor Bruce McShannon. McShannon’s project, titled ‘Remembrance Book’, contains everyone who lives at Veterans Memorial Lodge long-term care home. His entries include the residents’ full names, years they lived, place of birth and a brief account of their military service. Previous ‘Books of Remembrance’ had been kept at Veterans Memorial Lodge, but interest dwindled during the pandemic. Then, the resident-run political body Veterans Association, decided to call on Bruce for help. “The book is a really good way to recognize the people of Veterans Memorial Lodge and what they did during their military service,” he said. McShannon, 89, served 25 years in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as a Weapons Technician. He served aboard HMCS Quebec, HMCS Resolute and HMCS Haida. He later worked as a Commissionaire at base security checkpoints for over 30 years before his retirement in 2018. “I have been keenly interested in the stories of other veterans since moving to Veterans Memorial Lodge two years ago,” he said. McShannon is also working on another project with the Veterans Association – a small museum at Veterans Memorial Lodge containing items McShannon collected since the Second World War. “[My late uncle] was killed in Holland during the Second World War, and my aunt shared some of his collection with me that included Canadian and German hat badges and medals,” McShannon said. McShannon’s collection of military artifacts dates as far back as a bayonet from the War of 1812 and contains hundreds of military medals, hat badges, photographs and other items. He purchased most from...

[caption id="attachment_31235" align="aligncenter" width="595"] The corvette was torpedoed by U-1004 and sunk in February 1945. One of two recently recovered mangled portholes show the power of the attack.[/caption] Legion Magazine  — A pair of portholes are grim reminders of destruction during the Battle of the Atlantic. The mangled portholes, bronze bent from the force of the explosion, “are the real story of the sinking of the Trentonian,” said Roger Litwiller, a Canadian naval historian and author, in an interview with Legion Magazine. He donated the two artifacts from the ship to a pair of Canadian museums in late 2021. The Royal Canadian Navy modified Flower-class ship was the last corvette sunk during the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic. On Feb. 22, 1945, it was escorting a convoy in the English Channel when it was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-1004 just 20 kilometres from Falmouth on England’s southern coast.    “The torpedo struck us aft with a terrific explosion and the corvette went down in 10 minutes,” said Lieutenant Ralph Abbott, Navigating Officer, in a newspaper account at the time. After destroying the charts, he abandoned the ship. “Some of the men sang while awaiting rescue,” but Abbott had to swim for about 45 minutes before rescuers arrived.  The survivors, including several wounded, were picked up by motor launches. Six of the 101 crew members died. The wreck lay scattered over the sea floor some 50-plus-metres deep, undisturbed for decades, providing habitat for fish and marine plants. But recently, it has attracted recreational divers.  In May 2021, Litwiller, author of White Ensign Flying: Corvette HMCS Trentonian, was contacted by the president of a British diving club. Although the club’s members had been warned of the British law protecting undersea wreckage of Second World War ships and aircraft, many of which are considered gravesites, two of the club’s divers had retrieved portholes from Trentonian.   The club could not safely return the artifacts to the wreck site, so the president searched for a home for the historical items and offered them to Litwiller....

[caption id="attachment_31229" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Commander Annick Fortin, the Commanding Officer of HMCS WINNIPEG, and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Sue Frisby, Coxswain of HMCS WINNIPEG attend a Women, Peace and Security Dialogue in Bangkok, Thailand during OPERATION PROJECTION on Saturday October 8, 2022.Photo: S1 Melissa Gonzalez, Canadian Armed Forces Imagery Technician[/caption] Capt Christine MacNeil, HMCS Winnipeg PAO — The Elsie Initiative. Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Many Canadians may not be familiar with these important initiatives while living in a peaceful country. However, for the countries HMCS Winnipeg visited during Operation Projection, these topics are very much front and centre. With a female Commanding Officer (CO) and female Coxswain (Cox’n), HMCS Winnipeg was in a unique position to provide speakers on these topics. In several ports, Commander (Cdr) Annick Fortin, the CO, and Chief Petty Officer First Class (CPO1) Sue Frisby, Cox’n, spoke at Women, Peace and Security (WPS) events about their experiences as women leaders in a male-dominated environment, and what the Canadian Armed Forces has done, and continues to do, to promote equality. For the Winnipeg’s CO and Cox’n, the issue around Women, Peace and Security was distilled down to a grassroots level: “What is it like to be a female leader in a male-dominated environment?” Thirty years ago, HMCS Nipigon was refitted to become the first destroyer to accommodate the first Regular Force women as part of the ship’s crew. Now, women serve on all RCN vessels, and in all positions. Although the path ahead of us is likely as long as the one behind, we should still take time to pause, reflect, and acknowledge how far we have come and how much we have achieved. Canada as a nation continues to recognize the need for both equity and equality, aiming for a future with equal opportunity. As the WPS discussions continued throughout several port visits, it was an eye-opening reminder of how other nations look to us as an example...

[caption id="attachment_31226" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Ventriloquist Sheila Margaret Kidd holding dummy, Spike Ryan. Photo supplied.[/caption] CFB Esquimalt, Naval and Military Museum — An offbeat Royal Canadian Navy-related historical artifact – a Second World War ventriloquist’s dummy – is being highlighted at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. The dummy, Spike Ryan (or simply ‘Spike’), was the working ‘partner’ of ventriloquist Sheila Margaret Kidd. When she joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) to contribute to the national war effort on July 4, 1943, she also brought Spike and her skills as a ventriloquist. Just 20 years old when she signed up for wartime service, Wren Kidd was already a professional ventriloquist who had three years’ experience performing in clubs and theatres before becoming a ‘Wren’ (a term often used for women in the WRCNS). As a Wren, she was chosen to perform in the at-the-time very popular Meet the Navy shows with her not-so-silent partner, a redheaded dummy named Spike Ryan. Wren Kidd had developed her ventriloquist abilities during her teen years, when she suffered from painful throat ulcers. “I discovered I could talk without moving my lips,” she explained in an August 1943 newspaper write-up. “Wren Kidd took the skill she gained from her ailment and, using ingenuity and initiative, parleyed this into a huge part of her career. These character traits probably served her well during her time as a Wren and we’re proud to be highlighting her,” said Tatiana Robinson, CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum Curator. Her performances with Meet the Navy attracted good reviews, although, at the time, a female ventriloquist was considered an oddity. “For the first time in one’s life, one heard a girl ventriloquist, and a very skillful one, in the person of Sheila Kidd,” commented one reviewer. Meet the Navy was not an easy gig. Mornings and afternoons were spent in rehearsals, and there were sometimes multiple performances in a single day as the show made its way to cities and towns across...

Gabrielle Brunette, Communications Coordinator Student, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton — A great deal of planning and work goes into a Rest and Maintenance Period (RAMP) for a Royal Canadian Navy ship. “A RAMP is like a mini work period that focuses on a ship’s operational deficiencies, overdue maintenance, and anything else that will affect the post-deployment work period,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Kevin Chung, the RAMP In-Charge of the maintenance project. Before HMCS Vancouver conducted a RAMP in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 4-11, the Production Management team at Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton reviewed the project to better prepare a feasible work package, given the limited resources and duration of the work required. “This is a critical step as anything that is missed during this review could result in work not being completed in a foreign port,” said Steve Ringma, Vancouver’s RAMP Production Team Manager. He said his team relies on port services such as shore power and cranes to conduct work since they cannot bring that overseas. As such, Lt(N) Chung said the RAMP is challenging to do in a developing country or a port with limited resources. A ship will only get one RAMP per deployment, Lt(N) Chung. Depending on the state of the ship and where the ship sits in the operational cycle, a RAMP may or may not occur. The amount of personnel needed for a project, as well as the length of the RAMP, depends on the information in the work package. “We sent 33 technicians from 15 different trades, conducting maintenance deemed critical by Fleet Engineering Readiness,” Ringma said. Ringma said the FMF RAMP team did a great job executing the work period. “It was great to see the team adjust and be flexible as challenges arose,” he said. “We had excellent support from the...

[caption id="attachment_31217" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Chief Petty Officer Max Bernays. Photo: Canada.ca[/caption] Lt(N) Anastasiya Karakoy, HMCS Max Bernays UPAR — Many of us who have held the privilege of living in relative peace and stability find great challenge in appreciating the full magnitude of adversity faced by the generations who came before us. For the thousands of members currently serving in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), walking into work at HMC Dockyard on a calm, sunny Halifax morning makes it difficult to imagine this same place, less than a century ago, as an assembly point for the countless ships serving in the Battle of the Atlantic, the success of which fundamentally supported Allied victory in the Second World War. The hardship faced during the Battle of the Atlantic gives rise to some of the most inspiring stories of courage and heroism Canada has ever known. The story of Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Max Bernays is just one of these stories. It serves as an indispensable example of bravery which will continue to inspire generations of Canadians.  Who was Max Bernays? Born in 1910 in Vancouver, Max Bernays was from a sea-faring family. He spent his early years in the merchant marine before joining the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in 1929, being mobilized for the Second World War a decade later. With only limited experience in the position on smaller ships, Max Bernays was promoted to Acting Chief Petty Officer in March 1942 and appointed as Coxswain of the River-class destroyer HMCS Assiniboine, a position normally held by a more experienced sailor. Young Max Bernays and his ship would soon be engaged in North Atlantic convoy escort operations under the leadership of Lieutenant-Commander John Stubbs. Fire aboard HMCS Assiniboine On Aug. 6, 1942, just several months after CPO Bernays’ appointment as Coxswain, HMCS Assiniboine engaged in a fierce surface gun battle against the German submarine U-210. Both the bridge and wheelhouse of Assiniboine were engulfed by fire from shells launched by...

Mark Nelson — Every commissioned warship in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is honoured with an official ship’s badge based on the ship’s name and designed with heraldic elements. The badge serves as a unifying symbol for the ship’s company. Before the Second World War, there was no official control over the badge a Canadian warship might wear. During the Second World War, with Commanding Officers and crew members coming up with their designs, we saw ships emblazoned with Donald Duck, as in HMCS Snowberry, or an image of St. Clair blasting a U-boat with lightning flashing from her fingertips, as in HMCS St. Clair. HMCS St. Laurent, a ship named ‘Sally Rand’, had a picture of the famous burlesque dancer knocking down dive bombers with her fan. HMCS Wetaskiwin displayed an image of the Queen of Hearts sitting in a puddle of water. These badges boosted morale and offered a uniting symbol for the ship’s crew. However, at the end of hostilities, something more official was warranted. In 1945, Naval Staff decided that ships remaining in service should have official badges designed with the elements of heraldry. The task of producing official badges for the RCN was initially given to Lieutenant-Commander Alan Brookman Beddoe (1893-1975), a Canadian war artist, consultant in heraldry, and former First World War prisoner of war. Incidentally, Beddoe also illustrated the Books of Remembrance on display in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Badge designs are made to connect to the ship’s name, and incorporate heraldic symbology and terminology. For example, colours are described using the heraldic terms gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black), purpure (purple), or (gold), and argent (silver or white). In heraldic language, the badge of HMCS Calgary is described as, ‘Or, a bend wavy azure charged with...

[caption id="attachment_31209" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Grace Brodie, Staff Sergeant of the Toronto Branch of Red Cross Transport “C” Company, 1941. Photo: Maritime Museum of British Columbia.[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — When Lieutenant (Lt) Grace Brodie joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) in July 1942, she faced a unique challenge. “No one had created a women’s uniform,” said Heather Feeney, Collections and Exhibits Manager at Maritime Museum of B.C. “Brodie was handed a stack of material and told to find a tailor of her own.” But Lt Brodie, one of the first female ‘Wrens’, was tenacious and resourceful. Her Second-World-War-era dress uniform, created by a Vancouver-based tailor, is now part of a new exhibit at the Maritime Museum of B.C. Feeney researched Lt Brodie’s uniform after it was donated by Lt Brodie’s estate executor, who also donated her Red Cross uniform to the museum’s collection and provided much of the background information for Feeney’s research. According to Feeney, the civil and military tailor, John Doig of West Pender Street, was less than impressed with the idea of making a uniform for a woman. But Lt Brodie appealed to their shared Scottish heritage, and Doig embarked on the project. Feeney notes Lt Brodie’s uniform is made from men’s uniform suiting, which gave the jacket a superior drape and sheen compared to those made from regulation serge. The first alteration Doig made was to switch the standard Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) dress uniform buttons. The buttons would appear out of proportion since Lt Brodie was only 5’1” (1.55 metres) in height. Doig suggested using mess buttons instead. The rest of the story behind Lt Brodie’s uniform is part of the Douglas St. museum’s Darn It! Our Maritime Make and Mend Culture display. Lt Brodie’s Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) career lasted from 1942 to 1945. All reports from that time indicate she was highly regarded and won the respect of her fellow officers. According to biographical research files at the museum, Lt Brodie...