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[caption id="attachment_21970" align="alignnone" width="593"] Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island. Photo credit: Russell McNeil[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Two canoeists are grateful for the life-saving efforts of three Queen’s Harbour Master Detachment employees attached to Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range (CFMETR) at Nanoose Bay.The adult male and female had paddled a kilometre offshore on Oct. 29 when they encountered choppy seas and high winds that resulted in their canoe capsizing. The pair were not wearing life jackets. After a few minutes in the cold water, both began to suffer from hypothermia. A witness spotted the pair struggling in the water and called 9-1-1. A mayday call was issued by the Canadian Coast Guard over radio channels monitored by Queen’s Harbour Master at CFMETR. That’s when Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Steve White, Derrick Viggers, and Nathan Reed, all civilian employees of Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch, sprang into action. White and Viggers jumped aboard Sea Truck YFU-101, a landing craft, and raced towards the canoeists, while Reed set up a command post and provided communications between the coast guard and emergency health services.   “We immediately saw the capsized canoe in the water but were uncertain if they had made it to shore safely,” said White. “We raced in their direction and then learned from the coast guard radio and Nathan’s dispatches the pair had made it out of the water and were on a nearby beach.”White, a former Boatswain in the Royal Canadian Navy, says he recognized the signs of hypothermia in the two victims when he arrived onshore, and that both would need immediate medical attention. White said the male was suffering from more severe hypothermia symptoms than his female counterpart, who he had managed to hoist out of the water and on to the top of the canoe; but she was...

[caption id="attachment_21967" align="alignnone" width="593"] Nine-year-old German Shepard Miss Moxxii and her handler Angela Lavergne show off the special commemorative puck they will use in the ceremonial opening puck drop for the Victoria Royals Defence Appreciation Night at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre on Nov. 15. Photo by Peter Mallett/Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Trotting down the red carpet to centre ice at this year’s Nov. 15 Victoria Royals Defence Appreciation Night hockey game will be nine-year-old German Shepard Miss Moxxii Mayhem.With owner Angela Lavergne by her side, Miss Moxxii will carry the ceremonial puck to centre ice ahead of the Royals’ game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes game.She will give the puck to Capt(N) Sam Sader, Base Commander, who will perform the ceremonial puck drop between the two team captains.“I am certain she will handle her moment in the spotlight on the arena floor in a cool and collected manner as she has had experience in front of large crowds,” said Lavergne, who works at Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific). Lavergne and Miss Moxxii, a trained cadaver dog, have been volunteering their services to the base’s Urban Search and Rescue team for the past nine years. She says the ceremonial puck drop is a great way to acknowledge Miss Moxxii’s career with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as she approaches retirement.“We have little doubt Miss Moxxii’s appearance on the ice will create a positive stir amongst the crowd at the game,” said Matt Carlson, Defence Appreciation Event Coordinator with Base Public Affairs. “The game will also be a great way for the public to interact with military members and DND civilian employees manning displays from a variety of Canadian Armed Forces units.”Outside on the arena steps there will be five displays:  an emergency service vehicle from CFB Esquimalt Fire and Rescue;  a...

[caption id="attachment_21930" align="alignnone" width="595"] Left: Cpl (Ret’d) Tomkins at age 85 in 2003. He was one of the few known Cree Code Talkers who used the Cree language to create a secret code that may very well have turned the tide of the Second World War in favour of the Allies. Photo courtesy of Adele Laderoute. Right: Corporal (Retired) Charles (Checker) Tomkins during the Second World War, circa 1940. He was part of a group of Indigenous Canadian soldiers who created a secret code using their own language that the enemy had no way to break. Photo courtesy Alex Lazarowich[/caption]Lynn Capuano with files from Shannon Morrow, Army Public Affairs ~Secrecy in communication during the Second World War was as important as it was difficult. What better way to create an unbreakable secret code than to use a little-known language as its base?Messages, whether in plain language or in code, were constantly being intercepted, stolen, overheard or deciphered. It was vital that Canada and its Allies find a way to send secret messages the enemy could not decrypt.They finally succeeded towards the end of the war. Termed “Code Talking,” it cleverly used Indigenous languages to create an unbreakable spoken code.The job was simple but ingenious in its application. The Code Talkers would translate a secret message into words from an Indigenous language, speak it over the radio and another Indigenous soldier would translate it back into English at the other end.One of the languages used was that spoken by the Cree First Nation people in Alberta and Saskatchewan. There were many patriotic Cree men and women who served during the Second World War and, since Cree was little-known and only spoken in Canada, its use as a code baffled enemy forces.One of the few known Code TalkersBecause they were sworn to secrecy during...

[caption id="attachment_21927" align="alignnone" width="594"] Photo courtesy Hayley Young, CFMETR[/caption]Stephen McCormick, CFMETR Range Engineer ~As part of ongoing ship readiness preparations, HMCS Regina was at the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges Oct. 24 to 25 to conduct FORACS testing - FORACS is an acronym that stands for NATO Naval Forces Sensor and Weapons Accuracy Check.  Over the past 22 years Canada has been a regular member of NATO FORACS and relies upon this organization to provide accuracy measurements of key sensors and combat systems equipment for submarines, destroyers and frigates.  The ranges measure the bearing, range, position, and heading accuracy of sensors in surface ships and submarines to satisfy national requirements and to meet NATO material readiness standards, through dynamic combat system performance evaluation.FORACS services are provided at three fixed ranges: the AUTEC Range in the Bahamas, Stavanger Norway, and Souda Bay Greece.  Canada has use FORACS services on an opportunity basis in order to ensure submarines and warships are technically ready for weapons firings and mission obligations. In addition to the three NATO FORACS check sites, a number of ranges have NATO FORACS test equipment available, including CFMETR.To assist in Regina’s testing, staff from AUTEC (Bahamas) and Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton sailed in Regina.  “This is the first time I have conducted FORACS that I can recall, and I have been impressed by the FORACS team in their approach to integrating into the ship,” said Commander Landon Creasy, Regina’s commanding officer. “It’s been very interesting for my operators and technicians to work with some world-class engineers from a variety of backgrounds. It’s given us the opportunity to chase down faults with on-hand experts, optimize sensors, and get a deeper understanding of the equipment we work with on a daily basis.”By using deployable FORACS capabilities and the CFMETR test...

[caption id="attachment_21924" align="alignnone" width="594"] Second World War veteran William ‘Glen’ Ryder poses for a photo with his wife Velma Ryder at Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead on Oct. 28, 2019. During the war, Ryder was part of a six-man crash boat crew that patrolled the west coast of Vancouver Island for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Marine Division. Photo by Peter Mallett. Inset: William ‘Glen’ Ryder[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~On a cool, sunny day inside a glassed solarium at Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead Care in Saanich, 97-year-old William ‘Glen’ Ryder reflected on his days as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Marine Squadron. During the final three-and-a-half years of the war, Ryder was part of the Marine Squadron’s flying boat squadron of watercraft that patrolled the waters of Canada’s Pacific coast. “There certainly was a good dose of fear and panic in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941,” said Ryder. “There were multiple reports of Japanese submarines off the west coast.” Ryder grew up in Athabasca, AB, before moving to the west coast, finding work aboard Canadian Pacific vessel Princess Maquinna, a passenger ship that operated on Vancouver Island’s west coast. With the threat of conscription in Canada looming, he decided to enlist at the RCAF Marine Squadron office on Government Street in an effort to avoid becoming a member of Canada’s army. “I didn’t want to be a foot soldier and thought the prospects of getting my call to the army was getting too close for comfort.”Based out of Western Air Command’s headquarters at Jericho Beach in Vancouver, Ryder was one of a six man crew that patrolled the waters of Vancouver Island aboard RCAF boat Malecite. Named for the Algonquin tribe of New Brunswick, Malecite was built in 1941...

[caption id="attachment_21921" align="alignnone" width="593"] Funeral service for the nine deceased crew members of HMCS Kootenay with the burnt and damaged ship in the background at Devonport, UK, Oct. 27, 1969. The ceremony was held on board HMCS Saguenay, a fellow ship that had served alongside Kootenay in the naval exercise.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~It’s been 50 years since a deadly explosion and fire ripped through HMCS Kootenay, but the “awful aftermath’ still haunts 71-year-old Englishman Robert Twitchin.The east coast tragedy is still considered the worst peace-time accident in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), killing nine sailors. It all went wrong in the engine room of the Restigouche-Class destroyer on the morning of Oct. 23, 1969, as the ship underwent a full-power trial 200 nautical miles off the coast Plymouth, England.The explosion created a blackened bulge in the starboard side of the vessel. Kootenay was towed approximately 200 miles to the Davonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth.Twitchin was a junior member of a six-man team of civilian engineers that assisted in the investigation and subsequent repairs. He was a mechanical fitter and worked on the removal of the ship propellers, and then on the investigation that involved the dismantling of drive trains and the ship’s problematic gearbox and bearings.Two years previously, on the Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Eagle, Twitchin had also witnessed the terrible aftermath of a fatal fire in B boiler room, an experience that helped him confront the “devastation” awaiting him and his fellow engineers as they descended into the Kootenay engine room.Truly ShockingPrior to their investigation, the team was briefed by their Technical Supervisor Albert Benson, who advised them to “tread lightly” and sensitively in their investigation. That advice would very soon make sense.“When we first got down into the Kootenay engine room and saw the extensive destruction, including...

[caption id="attachment_21918" align="alignnone" width="594"] Murray Edwards attends a ceremony for his 90th year certificate presented by Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry at Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead in November 2019. Credit: Peter Mallett[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A 99-year-old veteran of the Korean War isn’t giving up his life-long quest to see a platoon mate receive proper recognition for his unparalleled heroism at the Battle of Kapyong.Murray Edwards served Canada from 1942 - the height of the Second World War - to the Korean War, Cyprus, and the Six Day War in the Middle East before his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1969. Edwards, a resident at the Veterans Lodge at Broadmead, turns 100 in January. While his mobility has been hampered by a stroke and he uses a walker to get around, his memory remains crystal clear of his time in Korea and the selflessness of Lt Mike Levy. He says Lt Levy was intentionally excluded from a Military Cross medal for heroism because of the commanding officer’s bigotry towards Jews. Edwards says Levy is truly a forgotten hero of Canada’s ‘Forgotten War’. Levy died in 2007.“I was lucky to know him and we were lucky to have him as the most experienced officer in the entire [PPCLI] battalion,” said Edwards. “We were also lucky to have him in the right place at the right time at Kapyong.”Recalling KapyongIn 1950, when war again broke out in Korea, the Second Battalion Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry were deployed to the Korean Peninsula as part of the United Nations Command Forces response to the invasion of South Korea by communist forces from the north. On April 21, 600,000 soldiers from North Korea and of the 60th Chinese Infantry Division began their march south in an ill-fated attempt to break Allied lines and...

[caption id="attachment_21915" align="alignnone" width="593"] Right: Chief Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Melvin Hiles, 90, is presented with his Ambassador For Peace medal by Korean Consulate Official Kangjun Lee during a private ceremony at the Kiwanis Village seniors home in Nanaimo on Oct. 8. Credit Garth Hiles. Left: An undated file photo of Melvin Hiles from his first days at CFB Esquimalt.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~There were hugs, cheers and tears for the family of an ailing veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy when he received an Ambassador for Peace medal for his service in the Korean War. Chief Petty Officer First Class (Retired) Melvin Hiles, 90, was presented the commemorative medal by Korean Consulate Official Kangjun Lee during a private ceremony at the Kiwanis Village seniors home in Nanaimo Oct. 8. CPO1 (Ret’d) Hiles served aboard Royal Canadian Navy destroyer HMCS Sioux from June 1950 to March 1951 during his 25-year military career that ended with an honourable discharge in 1973. The ceremony was attended by his children and other family members, including his 98-year-old sister Laura who also resides at Kiwanis Village. She was moved to tears of joy according to her nephew, 58-year-old Garth Hiles. Because of health problems, CPO1 (Ret’d) Hiles was unable to offer an acceptance speech or speak at the ceremony. Garth says his father immediately “perked up” upon receiving the award including an ear-to-ear grin. “Dad has always been a man of few words, but he was touched by receiving any form of recognition of his vast sacrifices in his naval career,” said Garth. “He is proud of his country and all the navy has done for other countries in their fight for freedom.” Garth and his wife Siobhan applied for the medal on behalf of his father. “When I first found out he was going to...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~When Lieutenant-Commander (Retired) David Lewis launched his small business, he had a simple business plan that relied on one premise: The nose knows common scents.Knowing there are about 450 olfactory receptors that communicate between the nose and brain, the 60-year-old veteran created Battle Rattle Candle Company - scented candles with a military twist. Ten per cent of net sales are donated to Canadian veteran charities.All 30 of his candles are military themed. Afghan Tea, Galley Cookies, Kabul Snow, Duff, and the list goes on, “making scents of our time in the military,” he says. He has divided them into two categories: domestic operation scents and deployed scents, with a recent launch of holiday scents such as Ginger-Bloggins Man, and Moosemilk.LCdr Lewis spent 13 years in the military as a public affairs officer. In 2011, he was posted to Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, as Deputy Director of Social Media for NATO. Smelling a chai-scented candle a few months ago instantly brought him back to that deployment and the tea he drank. “I began to ask myself, what if I created a line of scented candles for military members and veterans. Ones that would have a unique point of reference for anyone who has ever served in any branch of Canada’s armed forces.” After a bit of research and experimenting, he set about turning his London, Ontario, home into a mini factory. Pots of paraffin wax are heated on the stove top before adding his special scent formulas and colours. Then he pours them into small tins, adding the final touch of a wick in the centre. Each tin is topped with a lid and label. His candle names hold meaning to those who serve and have served. Some will even bring about a chuckle such as the Beardforgen,...

[caption id="attachment_21909" align="alignnone" width="594"] This authentic Second World War-era coat is just one example of the contents of the Canadian War Museum’s Supply Line Second World War Discovery Box. The resource is being made available to schools at no charge and includes other artifacts from the era to enhance classroom instruction. Photos Provided by the Canadian War Museum.[/caption]Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs ~The Canadian War Museum is bringing the Second World War to life for students across the country with a new “Discovery Box” of artifacts designed to stimulate discussion in the classroom.The project is a follow up to the museum’s Supply Line First World War Discovery Box, which has been borrowed more than 1,900 times since the museum launched the initiative in 2014.This year, the museum is circulating 20 Second World War kits and 30 First World War kits, which will be loaned to schools free of charge for two weeks at a time. Both are aimed at students from Grades 4 to 12.Sandra O’Quinn, a learning specialist with the museum, said the Second World War box contains 23 artifacts, some reproductions, others authentic. There are hands-on objects and clothing, photographs and documents. As was the case with the First World War version, she added, they were chosen to spark students’ curiosity.“A big part of the current curriculum in most provinces is teaching historical literacy skills and inquiry-based thinking,” she said. “So, by giving them things that are curious and cause them to ask questions, it opens up a whole line of thinking for the teacher to run with.”Feedback from the first round of Second World War kit loans is still being gathered, but O’Quinn said she suspects students will be fascinated by two artifacts in particular: a lifeboat ration tin and a “sweetheart pin.”“It’s a real ration. We filled it with epoxy...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A new teaching tool by non-profit Historica Canada is bringing first-hand accounts of veterans to the classroom just in time for Remembrance Day. Record of Service: Canadian Contributions to International Peace and Security is geared towards middle school and high school students and includes a free education guide and accompanying DVD in both English and French. The DVD was released in November 2018 with 4,000 copies distributed to date, while the education guide was released last month. The new teaching tool encourages ­students to reflect on how international military engagements have shaped both individual experiences and the larger Canadian identity, says Mira Goldberg-Poch, Assistant Manager, Programs and Education at Historica Canada. “The guide brings oral history into the classroom and includes activities that build research, analysis, critical thinking and communications skills. Students are invited to deepen their understanding of how international engagements have shaped both individual experiences and the larger Canadian identity, and to examine the legacies of these conflicts.”The education guide is broken into 15 activities and are focused on the first-hand testimonies and accounts of 15 military veterans who served Canada from the Second World War through to the war in Afghanistan. Activity 4: Women and the Second World War offers a first-hand account from Janet Hester Watt who worked as a member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNs) more commonly known as Wrens. They played vital roles in the First and Second World War efforts in both Canada and Great Britain. Jobs they performed included cooks, clerks, telegraph operators, electricians, coder, signallers, radar plotters and mechanics. “Once a Wren, always a Wren,” declares Watt. “You can go into a place and you meet a total stranger and you find out she’s a Wren, you’ve formed an association right then and there.”Goldberg-Poch says oral...

[caption id="attachment_21903" align="alignnone" width="593"] Former Canadian Forces Artist Program volunteer Scott Waters depicts two members of 2RCR (Royal Canadian Regiment) sleeping in their light armoured vehicle during training at CFB Gagetown in 2006.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Toronto-based artist Scott Waters’ military experience has framed much of his work.He served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry between 1989 and 1992, and was stationed at Work Point. He and his platoon mates were preparing for war, hoping to be deployed to Kuwait for The Gulf War. His insights into the reality of being a soldier is what led him to be accepted into the Canadian Forces Artists Program. A reality that doesn’t always match with the public’s perception. Much of a soldier’s work is waiting for action, leading Waters to paint a more human aspect of them.In 2006, he travelled to CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick to get images of soldiers training to deploy to Afghanistan. From that embedded opportunity he created a series of paintings showing soldiers in everyday situations. This point of view is a detour from many other artists who depict soldiers in hardship moments. Waters’ wanted to paint the truth of a soldier’s journey – the boredom from waiting, the humour found in anticipation, the solemn nod to a lost comrade. Sleeping in the LAV (Light-Armoured Vehicle) is among those. It depicts two Second Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment personnel resting in their vehicle during Exercise Royal Archer II in the lead-up to their deployment to Afghanistan.“One of the issues I was interested in painting is how military service sometimes leads to death because that’s the nature of the job,” said Waters. “So, in this painting I have presented a rather quotidian [commonplace] image of two guys napping. But there is also the intended spectre of deployment in a war zone,...

[caption id="attachment_21900" align="alignnone" width="594"] Padre Andrew Klinger prepares the ashes on the sliding board. Photo by Capt Jenn Jackson[/caption]Captain Jenn Jackson, HMCS Ottawa PAO ~When HMCS Ottawa departed Esquimalt harbour for Operations Neon and Projection on Aug. 6, it carried with her the ashes of seven veterans – two who served in the Second World War – which had been entrusted into the care of Ottawa’s crew by their families.“When we departed, along with our own families, present among the crowd were the loved ones of the ashes we carried, saying a final farewell knowing their loved one’s remains would be committed to sea during the deployment,” says Padre Lt(N) Andrew Klinger, Ottawa’s Padre.Committal of Ashes to Sea are coordinated through CFB Esquimalt’s Chaplin Office and are conducted an average of two to three times a year. The ashes are always those of former Canadian Armed Forces members, and families provide the container, as well as a short biography that is read during the ceremony as Words of Remembrance. “I am humbled to be able to honour the wishes of these veterans and their families,” said Padre Klinger.In keeping with the spirit of Remembrance Day, the ceremony will take place on Ottawa next week during a pause in her deployment in the Asia-Pacific region.“I cannot think of a more fitting way to offer a final farewell to deceased navy veterans than to commit their ashes to sea from a vessel conducting operations similar to those that represented a significant and dedicated period in their lives,” says Padre Klinger. “As I read through the Words of Remembrance for each set of ashes, I am struck by the commitment each made to their country through their service – just as I am serving now.”The ashes to be committed to sea are those of...

During this time of remembrance, I encourage everyone to think upon the reason why we wear the red flower and hold ceremonies across this great country. The freedom we enjoy here in Canada comes at a cost, paid by brave men and women who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way during times of armed conflict.It is important that we remember the toll, sacrifice, carnage, and causes of these conflicts so that in our solemn gratitude we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when 101 years ago the guns fell silent on the fields of Europe, the world takes time to reflect and pay tribute to those that fought and shall not grow old. Although the lessons of ‘The Great War’ did not stop us from engaging in future armed conflicts, they do give us this moment where each year we wear a poppy, and honour those who gave everything so that we might enjoy a future free from tyranny and persecution. Many Canadians whose names we will never know, but to whom we owe a great debt, shall be remembered. While we are fortunate to have normal lives afforded us by the peace we currently enjoy, it is important the memory of the cost remains as a stark reminder to future generations. As you gather with others at Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country, please remember the sacrifice of those who have served, and those who continue to serve in areas of conflict.Capt(N) Sam Sader---

This year we commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings and the start of the final push that ended the Second World War. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and it cost Canadians and our allies dearly. The invasion was a success, but it was only possible by the progress made in the Battle of the Atlantic, the continued support from the home front, and by the sacrifices made by tens of thousands of Canadians.We remember the fallen and their sacrifice, and we grieve with the families and friends whose loved ones will never return to us. They served with honour and integrity before making the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country, indeed to our way of life.With the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, we have to keep in mind that for many Canadian families, there is no distant beach to point to as the final resting place for their loved ones, or a graveyard in France to visit. Many are entombed beneath the waves in the ships on which they served - salt water their consecrated resting place.We all grieve with those families, for our fellow Canadians, and we work hard to remember as we live our daily lives.Veterans speak in schools to teach the next generation, while serving Canadian Armed Forces members parade down streets nation-wide, and every cenotaph is surrounded by Canadians in solemn reflection.The poppy we wear ensures we do not forget those that served and those that continue to serve to make possible for us the peaceful lives we enjoy today.RAdm Bob Auchterlonie---

[caption id="attachment_21862" align="alignnone" width="593"] The CFB Esquimalt Military and Naval Museum offices the Naval Association of Canada (NAC), represented by National NAC President Bill Conconi (R) presents a cheque for $2000 from the NAC Endowment Fund to curator Debbie Towell (C) in support of the museum’s digital imagery project. Also in attendance was Paul O’Reilly (L), a museum volunteer, who supports the project. Photo by Paul Seguna, NAC-VI[/caption]At the offices of the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum the Naval Association of Canada’s National President Bill Conconi presented a cheque for $2000 from the Association’s Endowment Fund to the museum’s curator Debbie Towell. Also present was Paul O’Reilly, a museum volunteer who supports the museum’s archiving function. The funds will be used to support the museum’s Digital Imagery Archiving Project which is an ongoing effort by the museum to digitally scan photographs held in their archives or donated to the museum. The digitized images are catalogued and filed using specialized software that allows for the preservation of these historically valuable images related to our local naval and military history. “This donation will help us to add more images to our archives in a way that will preserve them for posterity and allow historical researchers and the general public greater access to those images” stated Debbie Towell. The museum funds this effort through monies received from admissions donations at the door, research fees and donations by individuals and organizations like the Naval Association that understand the value of the project. “Images from our past are very valuable in our understanding of our naval and military history and the Naval Association of Canada is delighted to be able to support the important efforts of the museum in this respect”, stated Bill Conconi.The museum is open during winter visiting hours from Monday to...

[caption id="attachment_21859" align="alignnone" width="593"] Carmen Collins with a sheet metal laser cutter.[/caption]Ashley Evans, FMF ~Five years ago Carmen Collins was hired at Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton as the first female apprentice in the sheet metal shop where she has worked hard to earn her Journeyman Certificate and Red Seal as a Sheet Metal Worker.It was back in 2012 when Carmen first began her search for employment at FMF Cape Breton. This was where she wanted her career to be, but first she needed to decide on a school and a specialty. This led her to get in touch with the Trades Program Coordinator at Camosun College to ask if she could sit in on classes of the different trades’ options to familiarize herself with each, allowing herself the opportunity to make an educated decision. This initiative has followed Carmen throughout her career. She quickly knew that sheet metal – which she describes as origami for metal – was the trade for her. Carmen hadn’t lost her desire to be hired on at FMF Cape Breton, and while working in private industry during her 2nd year of school, she finally received the phone call she had been waiting for. There was a position open and she was asked to go in for an interview. She started her career at FMF Cape Breton shortly after, in 2014.In the fall of 2018 Carman graduated her apprenticeship and obtained her Journeyman Certificate and Red Seal as a Sheet Metal Worker shortly before being sent to Japan for three-weeks to work on one of the RCN’s Canadian Patrol Frigates. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and one of her career highlights to date, second to obtaining her Journeyman Certification and Permanent Number at Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton. “It was an incredible experience...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Pacific) recently announced the first-ever addition of nurse practitioners to its staff in an effort to enhance its service delivery.France Murdoch, a health care professional with 23 years of experience working in the Ontario health care sector in the field of nursing became the first nurse practitioner to join the clinic health care team in September. Murdoch is the first of three nurse practitioners to join the three Integrated Health Teams (IHT) of CFB Esquimalt with two others coming onboard over the next few months.   According to the Canadian Nurses Association, nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have additional educational and nursing experience, which enables them to autonomously diagnose and treat illness, order and interpret results, prescribe medications, and perform medical procedures when required.Nurse practitioners arrived on the scene in Canada’s health care sector in 2006 to address physician shortages and service delivery crunches. In 2018 there were 5, 697 nurse practitioners in Canada with more than half of them working in Ontario and less than 500 in British Columbia, but their ranks are growing.Since Murdoch is the first ever nurse practitioner to work at the base health clinic she understands that she needs to explain her role within the team.“The big message I want to get across is that I am a nurse and not a doctor and I’m not there to fill their shoes or take over their jobs,” said Murdoch.  “I work collaboratively with doctors and nurses on staff, and nurse practitioners are a relatively new facet of health care service delivery so it’s important for people to know who we are.”Nurse practitioners prescribe to a holistic-based approach says Murdoch, with the biggest part of her job being education. Once the nurse practitioner completes her patient interview and diagnosis,...

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum has just launched a dynamic new version of its informative website at www.navalandmilitarymuseum.orgIt features new content, new resources for researchers, and a brand new look and feel. This is the third iteration of the museum site, which is now in its 19th year. During that period, millions of people have visited the website to learn about the history and heritage of the naval presence on Canada’s West Coast, and of the military on Southern Vancouver Island.The latest rollout of the site follows months of intensive effort by Ardent West Creative Directors Denis Eve and Olivia Hernandez, in cooperation with the museum’s webmaster and exhibit designer, Clare Sharpe. Sharpe has worked on the museum’s online presence consistently since 2000, when the first website for CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum was designed by volunteer Wayne Lidstone. In 2013, the site was redesigned again, by Joseph Kotopski, a graduate student from Q College, and served the museum well for several years.Sharpe is delighted with the Mark III reorganization and redevelopment of the site, and says its usefulness has already been demonstrated: “We’re getting a strong positive response to the new site, in just a few short days of going live. The fact that it now includes effective contact forms and artifact donation forms is enabling museum staff to communicate well with our visitors and potential donors, and has enhanced our accessibility.”The fact that the site has been fully optimized for mobile devices, with a strong and engaging visual aesthetic, is another big plus. “Obviously, the look and feel of the website is very important, and we love its style, appearance and layout,” Sharpe commented. She notes that the old web site, being from the era it was, “was at best mobile friendly-ish.” But the new website...

[caption id="attachment_21848" align="alignnone" width="593"] Sub-Lieutenant Riley Perrior discusses Ottawa’s Boarding Party techniques with members of the Japan Maritime Defense Force during a joint naval boarding party exercise onboard HMCS Ottawa on October 16 alongside Yokosuka, Japan while deployed on Operations Projection and Neon. Photos by Leading Seaman Victoria Ioganov[/caption]Captain Jenn Jackson, HMCS Ottawa PAO ~Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa recently operated with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in KAEDEX, a bilateral exercise, alongside and near Yokosuka, Japan while deployed on Operations Projection and Neon. Held annually in the Asia-Pacific region since 2016, this exercise includes serials conducted alongside and at sea and focuses on strengthening interoperability between the two allies. The name “KAEDEX” was a mutually agreed upon name between the RCN and JMSDF as “KAEDE” is the Japanese word for maple tree. The JMSDF proposed this name to honour the RCN’s involvement.“Despite having to scale back some serials due to the aftermath of super-typhoon Hagibis, KAEDEX provided Ottawa and her crew an opportunity to work with one of our close allies in a number of different scenarios, including cooperative development of Naval Boarding Party skills and Anti-Submarine Warfare,” said Commander (Cdr) Alex Barlow, Ottawa’s Commanding Officer. Super-typhoon Hagibis passed over Yokosuka, Japan on October 12, 2019 causing wide-spread destruction. It also delayed Ottawa’s arrival and planning for KAEDEX; however despite the delay and the shorter window to operate, the KAEDEX was completed.Ottawa Deck Officer, Lt(N) Gill Herlinger coordinated the alongside Naval Boarding Exercise which took place on October 16 prior to all three ships departing for sea. “KAEDEX was a great opportunity for my team to see how another nation’s boarding team operates. We got the chance to demonstrate and talk about some basic boarding tactics with the teams from Chokai and Shimakaze,” said Lt(N) Herlinger.“So much that...

Janice Lee ~On October 22, Bob Collins, James Baird, and Keenan Hayes stood on guard for 30 hours at the Cobble Hill Cenotaph in order to recognize Canadian Forces members that have fallen in a non-combative role. Collins first stood on guard five years ago when Corporal Nathan Cirillo was killed in Ottawa. He refused to leave the cenotaph until Corporal Cirillo was buried and ended up standing guard for three days straight. “We have to honour all Canadian military members, including the ones that have passed in a non-combative role,” said Collins. This annual service has been a community effort where families, restaurants, and police have checked up on the men and women throughout the 30 hours. The people who stand guard are veterans as well as current military members. Each year Hayes plans a trip from Saskatchewan to Vancouver Island to see his family, and part of his trip includes standing guard at the cenotaph in Cobble Hill. “I have a sense of pride being a military member and I think it is very important to respect our brothers and sisters,” said Hayes. From 1911 to present there have been 2800 members that have lost their lives in non-combative roles, including training exercises and accidents, etc.The weather is the biggest struggle when it comes to standing guard at the cenotaph. What gets them through the chilly night is knowing why they are there – to represent the fallen of Canada’s military. “The fallen men and women are no less of a hero than those who went into conflict,” said Baird.

[caption id="attachment_21841" align="alignnone" width="593"] In Santa Isabel de Pichana, Lt(N) Place, the CO, and others were treated to a fine meal of fish, fruit, cassava and plantains by the cacique and his family.[/caption]Lt(N) Sean Place ~Late this summer, I had the privilege of being embarked in BAP Río Putumayo II, an Itinerant Social Action Platform (PIAS in Spanish) vessel of the Peruvian Navy or Marina de Guerra del Perú in Spanish. Río Putumayo II and her five sister ships, with seven more planned, provide an invaluable and unique service by bringing a great number of government facilities to small, remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon and Lake Titicaca.The PIAS-class has been in Peruvian Navy service since 2015, and are mostly based in Iquitos, a city of 300,000 which is only accessible by river and air. The base in Iquitos provides convenient access to the Amazon, Putumayo, Napo, Tigre, Marañon, Yavarí, and Ucayali rivers which form the circulatory system of the Loreto region of Northern Peru, which borders Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador. Each PIAS typically completes five 40-day deployments annually, with work periods of varying lengths between deployments. If that seems like a high operational tempo, it is. However, the crews often serve for only one year, and receive a financial bonus for service in the PIAS-class.A typical community visited by a PIAS is five or six houses made of cedar planks with a roof of woven dried leaves, unglazed windows, no running water or flush toilet, a kitchen hearth, and one or two light bulbs hanging from the ceiling; a one-room schoolhouse with recycled textbooks and no modern technology; people fishing or hunting every day because there is no refrigeration to keep food from spoiling; and communication with the outside world only by expensive satellite phone, or sailing in open...

SLt M.X. Déry, MARPAC PA Office ~Dr Jim Boutilier has gone from a junior officer in the RCN Reserves on the East Coast to being a navigator for the Royal Navy in the UK, then teaching in Fiji to teaching at the then-Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) and ultimately helping West Coast MARPAC commanders understand their theatre of operations in the Asia Pacific region.After travelling all over the world in many roles and jobs, Dr Boutilier is finally retiring. Unlike his previous transitions in employment, this one should be relatively simple.At the tender age of 17 he began his Baccalaureate in history at Dalhousie and joined the RCN Reserve at HMCS SCOTIAN under the University Naval Training Divisions scheme. After completing his master’s at age 22, he moved to the UK to begin his PhD at the University of London, where he joined the Royal Naval Reserve.“They had a fleet of minesweepers and they navigated from the English Channel up into the Baltic and much of that area was still dangerous in the 1960s due to mines from the Second World War,” explained Dr. Boutilier. “That was a bit of a challenge for a young navigator.”Despite being from Bedford Nova Scotia and navigating the waters around Western Europe, Dr. Boutilier found himself teaching at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, in 1969.As luck would have it though, his naval background and his passion for history coalesced into a professorship at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria.For the next 24 years, Dr. Boutilier helped create the future leaders of the CAF. “I loved teaching at the military college… I didn’t like marking very much, but I loved teaching,” he said.  “It was very exciting to watch my one-time students advance through their careers.” From the current Chief of Defence...

[caption id="attachment_21835" align="alignnone" width="593"] Jim Diack and the Honourable Janet Austin. Photo by Rachel Rilkoff, Government House[/caption]The Honourable Janet Austin was presented the First Poppy by Jim Diack, Command Treasurer from the BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion on 18 Oct at Government House.This symbolic gesture marks the start of the 2019 Poppy Campaign, a fundraiser in support of programs and services for veterans and their families.From the last Friday of October to November 11, tens of millions of Canadians wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s Veterans and remember those who sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today. While the Poppy is distributed freely to all who wish to wear one, the Legion gratefully accepts donations to the Poppy Fund.Along with the first poppy, the Poppy Fund also presented Her Honour with a poppy scarf.

I am Corporal Sylvia Guirguis, and Rebekah (Becca) is my daughter. Without the support provided by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and several registered charities, the past three years would have been considerably more challenging.About meI have been a cook with the Regular Force since May 2015. After obtaining my Culinary Management diploma from Georgian College in Barrie, I completed my Red Seal, before joining the CAF a few years later. At graduation of Basic Military Qualification, I was awarded top female athlete, and also received advance promotion due to my culinary training and experience.Serving in Petawawa with 2 Service Battalion from 2015 -2018, I cooked primarily at Normandy Court Kitchen, and spent some time tasked to the unit to perform general duties. I have a passion for food and find it an honour to serve our troops doing something I love.Rebekah’s arrivalDuring my time in Petawawa I became pregnant with our third child, Rebekah. While on course in Borden, I received a phone call from my obstetrician that the 20 week ultrasound showed abnormalities in Rebekah’s heart, and that I needed to head to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa for further investigation.I was able to complete my course in Borden before heading to Ottawa to receive the news that would change our lives forever.Rebekah was born with Heterotaxy Syndrome. Basically, her heart was formed quite differently than a normal heart, as well as having atrial and septal defects (holes where they shouldn’t be). She also was born with gut malrotation, and was in liver failure due to a condition called Biliary Atresia.Within the first two weeks of her life, she received a surgery known as a Kasai Procedure. This was a temporary attempt to aid the flow of bile from her liver to her intestines in...

[caption id="attachment_21822" align="alignnone" width="593"] Members of the Fleet Club Slackers celebrate their 20-14 Mini Grey Cup victory along with RAdm Craig Baines, second from right, and Formation Chief CPO1 Derek Kitching. Photo by Avr Renzo Ruiz Hass[/caption]Trident Newspaper ~The Fleet Club Slackers have been dominant at the Mini Grey Cup for nearly three decades, and it was only fitting the streak continue as the Slackers met the Wardroom Officers for the milestone 50th annual edition of the game on Oct. 10.The non-commissioned member team took a 20-14 victory over the officers in front of a large crowd at CFB Halifax’s Stadacona’s Porteous Field, with fans from across the base showing up early for chili and barbecue at the tailgate party.The game got off to an exciting start with Slackers quarterback LS Mark Latter throwing a touchdown pass to Avr Alex Edwards on the opening possession, and the Wardroom answering with a touchdown of their own soon after, though their conversion was blocked. The second quarter saw two more passing touchdowns for the Fleet Club, for a score of 20-7 at the half.The Wardroom’s SLt Kai Imai ran in one more touchdown in the final quarter, but the Officers failed to tie it up from there, with quarterback Capt Matt Elliott getting intercepted by Fleet Club’s Avr Edwards to end their final drive.The Game Most Valuable Player Award went to Avr Edwards, who caught all three of the Slackers’ touchdowns and also pulled off the key interception to seal the deal in the fourth.

12 Wing Public Affairs ~“I had big confidence in my training,” said MCpl Gabriel Auclair, after competing in the 2019 World Masters Olympic Weightlifting Championships in Montreal. “I kept thinking of all the work I did to get there. I focused on my breathing, I trusted my abilities.”His confidence was warranted. In August, the Aviation Systems Technician (AVN Tech) from 12 Wing Shearwater placed first in his weight class and age group, and helped Team Canada’s men’s team earn the number one spot at the Championships.“It was very stressful because Canada was still in second place when it was my turn,” he said, adding he was the last on the team to compete and knew if he lifted well it would mean the difference between a silver or a gold for the men’s team. MCpl Auclair participated in the over-35 age group and over-109 kilogram weight class. He pulled through for his teammates in both of his events: the snatch and the clean and jerk. He lifted 138 kilograms for the snatch and 177 kilograms in the clean and jerk, for a total weight of 315 kilograms. As a first time member of Team Canada, he set three Canadian records, one for each individual event and one for the combined total. He says the competition was intense and the American team intimidating. “But none of that affected me, and my coach was quite proud of me for that.” He is now back to his regular work at 12 Wing’s 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron, and his workout routine. He fits his five-times-per-week training schedule around his hours at the wing where has worked since 2003 when he finished his trade training.He’ll be logging 2.5-hour workouts at his local gym with an eye on the upcoming season. This includes competitions at...

[caption id="attachment_21816" align="alignnone" width="593"] The interior of Carling Campus, the new National Defence Headquarters on the west end of Ottawa. The modernized facility is expected to increase organizational efficiency and generate cost savings as it consolidates over 9,000 people from over 40 locations across the National Capital Region. Photo courtesy of The Guard[/caption]DND ~In line with other departments in the National Capital Region (NCR), Naval Staff in Ottawa is moving out of the downtown Major-General George R. Pearkes Building and into Building 6 of the new National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) at Carling Campus in the city’s west end. This move has already begun and the Naval Staff team expects to be fully re-formed at Carling Campus on Oct. 28. Naval Staff’s move is part of a multi-year NCR-wide consolidation of multiple departments from more than 40 locations that is scheduled to be completed in 2020.Situated on a 360-acre site, Carling Campus consists of 10 newly renovated buildings inter-connected by tunnels and passageways. It includes fitness facilities, recreational spaces, support facilities, and modernized offices equipped with the latest technology.The buildings throughout this new complex are unlike anything else in the military. With plenty of natural light, plants, and water — both indoors and out — the Defence Team will have a healthy and inviting work environment. Staff will benefit from having sit-stand desks, personal storage lockers, improved air circulation, and collaborative spaces for both planned and impromptu discussions. Enhanced security is a key feature at the new location, and access to the complex is strictly controlled.The move to Carling Campus will generate long-term cost-savings for the Defence Team and will increase effectiveness and efficiency by bringing together over 9,000 members into a modern and collaborative environment.

[caption id="attachment_21813" align="alignnone" width="593"] Members from HMCS Vancouver took part in the official opening of Honour Ranch, part of the Honour House Society. Photo courtesy of (civilian) Megan Rownd[/caption]SLt Jacob Tamman, HMCS Vancouver ~Crewmembers of HMCS Vancouver attended the official opening of the Honour Ranch in appreciation of the contribution they and members of HMCS Winnipeg have made in facilitating its opening. The newly-opened Honour Ranch, a 120-acre property 12 kilometers south of Ashcroft, B.C., provides clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and a variety of other professional services to those who require treatment for operational stress injuries. The main lodge for residents is now complete, with plans to open another 10 cottages and begin treatment in early 2020. It is part of the Honour House Society, founded in September 2011, provides a temporary home, free of charge, to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Veterans, emergency services personnel, and their families while they or their families receive medical care and/or treatment in the metro Vancouver area. Honour House has provided many families the resources they need during medical treatment, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Honour House receives no direct funding; their operational costs are covered by donations and fundraising events. It is a predominantly volunteer-run organization, with only one paid staff position. Honour House is the official charity of HMCS Vancouver. Since the charity was founded, many ships across the Fleet have offered their assistance in maintaining the residence and grounds in appreciation of the efforts put in by Honour House staff.

[caption id="attachment_21810" align="alignnone" width="593"] Cadets Graeme Bradford from RCSCC 93 and Jamie Tattrie from RCSCC 202 prep their spinnaker during the Provincial Qualifying Regatta held in Esquimalt Harbour.[/caption]Capt Cheryl Major, RCSU (P) ~Forty sea cadets from across B.C. gathered in Esquimalt Harbour Oct. 11 to 13 for the Provincial Qualifying Regatta, the first competition stage in a series that will culminate in a National Regatta in Kingston, ON, next summer. Only 20 cadets from the weekend were selected to compete in the next stage, the National Qualifying Regatta (NQR), which will be held in April 2020. At the NQR, the eight strongest cadet sailors will be selected to form the Pacific National Team.Sailing in the Cadet Program incorporates leadership, time management and quick thinking. The Sea Cadet program provides unique opportunities for youth to gain valuable skills such as leadership, citizenship and community service, while gaining a unique perspective of Canada, and the world, from a maritime viewpoint. There are 1,150 sea cadets in 30 Corps throughout B.C., including a satellite corps in Haida Gwaii.Top 10 TeamsDiana Liang, 47 RCSCC Captain Vancouver, VancouverAndrew Irvine, 325 RCSCC Admiral Waller, SookeDeniston Macilquham, 136 RCSCC Amphion, NanaimoBrendan Duperron, 136 RCSCC Amphion, NanaimoPeter Moiseyenko, 201 RCSCC Grilse, Port MoodyElizabeth Melgarejo Lazarte, 47 RCSCC Captain Vancouver, VancouverBalraj Sian, 102 RCSCC Fraser, DeltaKennedy Parsons, 354 RCSCC Invincible, Maple RidgeAtarah Irvine, 325 RCSCC Admiral Waller, SookeDillan Haynes, 5 RCSCC Rainbow, VictoriaColin Douglas, 349 RCSCC Chilliwack, ChilliwackAidan Gresmak, 263 RCSCC Beacon Hill, LangfordEthan Jewell, 54 RCSCC Admiral DeWolf, Campbell RiverKane Cho, 81 RCSCC Hampton Gray V.C., NelsonJacob Laser, 63 RCSCC Kalamalka, VernonCamden Warwaruk-McKay, 325 RCSCC Admiral Waller, SookeRobert Shen, 47 RCSCC Captain Vancouver, VancouverMichael Kim, 201 RCSCC Grilse, Port MoodyGia Liu, 5 RCSCC Rainbow, VictoriaMarco Tom, 47 RCSCC Captain Vancouver, Vancouver