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[caption id="attachment_12598" align="alignnone" width="300"] Urba City challenge taking contestants.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~For its sixth consecutive season, the Victoria UrbaCity Challenge, presented by MAXIMUS Canada, will test the minds and bodies of close to 300 participants in a strategy race course running throughout Victoria’s urban jungle. On Sunday, June 12, the city streets will swarm with challengers paired up in teams of two or four, pushed to demonstrate their fitness and problem-solving skills – all in support of the Island Prostate Centre. “The challenge is not just about racing and having fun, it’s about the unique social and community giving experience,” says Jonathan Willcocks, founder of Pinnacle Pursuits Inc., the company who designs and manages the event.“You will do more in your own backyard than you might all year, while having a blast and raising money for a good cause. What more could a person want?” Willcocks explains that the event’s objectives are threefold:To create an annual, self-sufficient fundraiser to support the Island Prostate Centre to build community in the city by bringing together people of all abilities in a celebration of downtown Victoria to highlight key Victoria businesses which support the vibrant downtown community. Participants, he says, support these objectives by racing through between 15 and 20 challenge stations around the city, answering skill-testing questions and completing various team-building exercises and mini-scavenger hunt style quests. “People are tired of the norm that involves racing for the sake of racing or of contributing a corporate cheque to a cause without a clear strategic purpose,” says Willcocks, who emphasizes the challenge’s people-centred focus.“They are searching to be a part of that team-mate and community-based interaction.” Four different levels, ranging from the skill-testing Brain Category to the physically exerting Braun category, ensure a level of inclusivity for all in the challenge.Participants looking...

[caption id="attachment_12595" align="alignnone" width="300"] From left to right: Cdr Clive Butler, Vancouver City Counsellor Melissa De Genova, Constable Blair Da Costa, HLCol Allen De Genova, and Fire Chief Tim Armstrong pose for a photo before departing the ship.[/caption]SLt Sean Catterall, HMCS Vancouver ~Two weeks ago, HMCS Vancouver’s Commanding Officer, Commander Clive Butler and  the ship’s crew hosted the President of the Honour House Society, Honorary LCol Allen De Genova on board the ship. Joining him was Melissa De Genova, her husband Constable Blair Da Costa, Fire Chief Tim Armstrong, and former Royal Canadian Navy Commander, Fraser Work.The group were journeying around the province to bring awareness to the men and women in uniform of their organization, and to promote an upcoming PTSD care program the society is helping to put into place this year. Honour House is known as “a home away from home” for all members of the emergency services, military personnel (serving and retired), and their families when they are injured or ill, and need a place to stay and recover in Vancouver.More information on the Honour House can be found at www.honourhouse.ca. Follow them online on their Facebook site www.facebook.com/honourhouse, as they visit 38 different communities across B.C. as part of the Honour Tour.

[caption id="attachment_12591" align="alignnone" width="225"] Peter Mallett, LookoutPO1 Timothy King of Fleet School welcomes Colour Sergeant Richard Hall, of the Royal Marines Commando Training Unit, Exeter, England, to Naden Athletic Centre on May 9. Squash players from the base battled their rivals from abroad in a one-day, eight match tournament.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A touring squash team made up of players from the British Royal Marines cruised to a 7-1 victory over players from the base.The 10-member team dominated eight challengers from the base in over eight matches on May 9 at the Naden Athletic Centre.Esquimalt was the Royal Marines final destination in a two-week tour of British Columbia, including stops in Vancouver and CFB Comox, where they compiled an overall record of three wins, one draw and one loss in their other four stops, which were 10-match fixtures against civilian and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) opposition.“The tour isn’t really about wins and losses but more to do with getting military people together in an effort to develop and encourage camaraderie between like-minded individuals in the military,” said Royal Marines Captain, Colour Sereant Richard Hall who works at the Marines’ Commando Training unit near Exeter, England.Hall noted that part of his team’s competitive edge has much to do with the omnipresence of “squash culture” in the British military community, and the abundance of courts at most military installations in Britain.PO1 Timothy King, a supervisor with Fleet School, helped coordinate the visit with assistance from Personnel Support Program staff, and pulled together a team of challengers made up of players from the Formation.He congratulated the opposition for their sportsmanship and performing like “a well-oiled machine”, and also for the opportunity to help them promote the game of squash to CAF personnel.“They [Royal Marines] were both humble and elegant competitors to face and...

[caption id="attachment_12588" align="alignnone" width="300"] Operation Unifier sends military members to Ukraine.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~Canada currently has over 200 Canadian Armed Forces soldiers stationed in Ukraine, most of them at the International Peacekeeping Security Centre (IPSC) in Starychi, near the city of Lviv, as part of the ongoing Operation Unifier. Operation Unifier is Canada’s contribution to support Ukrainian forces through capacity building, in coordination with other countries. Operation Unifier falls under the framework of the Multinational Joint Commission, which now includes the allies of Canada, Lithuania, the U.K., Ukraine, and the U.S. “This is Canada’s response to requests from the government of Ukraine to provide military training and capacity building to Ukraine forces personnel,” explains Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Arsenault, Commander of the Joint Task Force Ukraine. “By participating in this mission, the CAF is helping to develop and modernize Ukraine’s military.” Canadian troops were initially deployed to Ukraine for the first time late in the summer of 2015, where they started preparing and planning the training on their first two lines of effort, tactical soldier training or small team training and explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) training.Since then, the operation’s first line of effort has successfully trained 246 Ukrainian service people to date. On the second line of effort EOD training, approximately 20 Canadian military personnel, including a few navy divers, have trained 63 Ukrainian military members in counter-improvised explosive device (IED) skills. LCol Arsenault says the Canadian military has also trained 120 Ukrainian troops in the realm of military police training – the operation’s third line of effort – which is comprised of use-of-force training and military police investigators training.Flight safety training, the fourth line of effort, has only recently been activated and is intended to be running shortly. Medical training, the fifth line of effort, has resulted in 300 Ukrainian...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Athletes from the base captured three of the five top honours in the Royal Canadian Navy’s annual sports awards.Men’s basketball standout SLt Connor Duke, HCM West, was announced as the Royal Canadian Navy Male Athlete of the Year Award winner; AB Marjoline Plante, a swimmer from HMCS Ottawa, earned the prize for Female Athlete of the Year, while our women’s soccer team was named as the Royal Canadian Navy’s team of the year.The awards were presented by RAdm Gilles Couturier during a ceremony held at the Maritime Forces Pacific/Joint Task Forces Pacific headquarters on the morning of Friday April 29.Award recipients also become Command Nominees for the Canadian Armed Forces annual Sports Awards Ceremony to be held in the nation’s capital at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre on Oct. 21.SLt Duke of HCM West is a talented 6’3” shooting guard who grew up in Cole Harbour, N.S., and recently represented the base at the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Men’s Basketball Championships at the 6th CISM Military World Games Games held Oct. 2 to 11, 2015, in Mungyeong, South Korea.AB Plante, 36, normally competes in Masters age categories at swimming competitions, but last November competed in the open-age category for Canada at the CISM Games in South Korea in the 50m butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and 100m freestyle relay.The base women’s soccer team were also recognized for their surprise win at the CAF Women’s National Soccer Championships held at Camp Borden.The team’s coach Sgt Caleb Klimas and his team were already named the base’s Breakthrough Team of the Year at a ceremony late last year after their upset 2-1 penalty kicks victory over Quebec on Sept. 15, 2015.   Meanwhile from the East Coast, MCpl R.J. Jackson, HMCS Charlottetown captured coach of the year honours, while Sgt. J.P.J.Y...

[caption id="attachment_12579" align="alignnone" width="200"] Peter Mallett, LookoutBooms deployed in Plumber Bay by DND staff on May 8 helped contain a fuel spill that occurred in the overnight hours when a privately owned barge ran aground.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~DND personnel are being heralded for their quick action and cooperation in helping reduce the impact of last week’s fuel spill in Esquimalt Harbour.On the morning of May 8, Staff from Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch (POESB) responded to the incident, and promptly deployed a boom before approximately 30,000 litres of diesel that spilled into Plumper Bay could disperse more widely into Esquimalt  harbour.“I truly believe that if it weren’t for the fast action of DND personnel this incident could have been exponentially worse,” said Duane Freeman, head of the base’s Formation Environment Section.“This was a successful response effort by everyone involved that helped to reduce the impact of a significant environmental incident.”The spill occurred after a large construction barge owned by Vancouver Pile Driving broke from its moorings during a fierce overnight wind storm.The barge was pushed a short distance by the winds and current and eventually ran aground on a rock strewn beach located near the Esquimalt First Nation.At approximately 9 a.m. the Regional Joint Operations Centre (RJOC) received a call from a concerned citizen via marine radio. Within minutes of receiving the call RJOC dispatched three personnel from POESB in a 24-foot Fast Response Vessel.Chris Florkow, Alex Mihov and Andrew Dierks, three civilian employees who normally work aboard the Firebrand, deployed a large floating boom to contain the spill.“They were fast and didn’t think twice about it when they heard what was going on, and arrived on the scene in 15 minutes,” said Lyle Fairley, from POESB.“They grabbed a length of the boom that was being towed by...

[caption id="attachment_12575" align="alignnone" width="400"] (background) A Keyhole Limpet (Hemocyanin), is attached to a large rock that was pulled from a tidal pool. (top right) Photo by Metchosin Biodiversity Project Biodiveristy project botanists took a photograph of this patch of rush discovered at the training centre which they believe to be a rare species known as Juncus Kelloggii. A sample of the plant is undergoing further analysis by the group before its authenticity can be confirmed. (bottom left) Photos by Peter Mallett, Lookout A Giant California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus Californicus) is another animal found in shoreline waters.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A team of roving scientists and researchers invaded the Department of National Defence Albert Head property last Monday.It wasn’t a hostile takeover, but part of a “Bioblitz” event organized by the Metchosin Biodiversity Project.The invasion was an effort to document the wide-ranging native and rare species of plant and animal life at the 220-acre Westshore facility.Over a three-hour period on May 9, 15 members of the Metchosin Biodiversity Project fanned out across the sprawling DND property to catalogue all the species they came across.Participants were divided into three teams: spider and insects, fungi and botany, and marine life. Moralea Milne, co-founder of the group, said the site is of particular interest because it has an undisturbed swath of the Gerry oak ecosystem, which is one of the three rarest ecosystems in Canada.It is also home to a number of rare species designated as endangered or threatened under the federal government’s Species At Risk Act (SARA).“Some of the best places to look for rare and endangered species is on DND properties,” added Andy MacKinnon, another founding member of the project.“That’s because military properties in Canada and the United States have a huge range of diversity of species as they have remained military...

[caption id="attachment_12556" align="alignnone" width="250"] Buccaneer Days May 12 - 15[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~In true nautical flare, with a sly nod to the navy, Esquimalt is holding its annual Buccaneers Day, May 12 to 15. Community members of all ages are invited to fish out their pirate-themed clothing and join in on the festivities at Bullen Park.“A buccaneer is a pirate, so the event really has everything to do with Esquimalt being by the water and its maritime history,” says Kim Vis, festival parade coordinator. People can pull up chairs along Dunsmuir Road where the parade starts Saturdsay May 14, heading all the way along Esquimalt Road ending at Admirals Road.Leading the parade will be the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy with Base Commander, Captain (Navy) Steve Waddell in attendance. Later on that night, a 19-and-over Buccaneer Days Dance will be held at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Rainbow Kitchen and children’s sports programs in the community. Pirates who come alongside the park during the festivities can groove to live music in the field while enjoying the tasty offerings from 10 home-made food stalls ranging in ethnicity from Greek to German. Artistically-inclined pirates can enjoy the arts and crafts show, while those looking for a slower pace can stop by the seniors barbecue. For families with little pirates, there is a blow-up obstacle course, or they can purchase a midway wristband for $40 if they want to test out any of the 20 rides. For more information, visit: www.esquimaltbuccaneerdays.ca/events/

[caption id="attachment_12551" align="alignnone" width="264"] Capt Mark Hynes is introduced to the crowd before the start of the Canadian Airgun Grand Prix at the Pan Am Shooting Centre in Cookstown, Ont., May 1.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Capt Mark Hynes shot his way to redemption and a gold medal at the Canadian Airgun Grand Prix at the Pan Am Shooting Centre.The competitive marksman who works for Joint Task Force Pacific, J3 Land Operations, finished in first place in the Men’s Air Pistol category at the shooting competition, April 28 to May 1 in Cookstown, Ont. He edged out opponent Colin Smith of the United States by less than half a point to take the title, scoring 192.2 combined points to Smith’s 191.8.The triumph at North America’s largest international air gun competition was especially sweet for Capt Hynes who faced disappointment at the same venue, located 90 km north of Toronto, last July while competing in the 2015 Pan Am Games. “The victory gives me a huge psychological lift, but I need to remember to keep working at this and practicing because there are many others capable of winning at this competition; there will always be someone looking at knocking you off the podium next time out,” he says. He wasn’t at his best at the Pan Am Games and settled for a disappointing 12th- place finish in qualifying for the 50m pistol qualifying, and was 25th in the 10m Air Pistol qualifying competitions, missing out on a chance to qualify for this summer’s 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.“It would have been nice to do the same thing a year ago, but it was nice to go back to the same venue and put together a score that was good enough to win.”For the win, he topped an international field that included shooters from...

 [caption id="attachment_12548" align="alignnone" width="240"] Members of the base’s Joint Patrol 2 show off their gold medals after a first place finish in the military category and 11th overall in the Snow to Surf Adventure Relay Race in the Comox Valley, April 23 and 24. MARPAC’s team posted a total time of 4:14:30 with each of its 11-member team participating in a different event: LCdr Rick Kappel (uphill sprint and downhill skiing), Lt(N) Landon Zeeman (snowshoeing), Capt Benoit Godin (nordic skiing), MS Matt Walsh (running), Cpl Dan Jacklin (running), LCdr David Dallin (mountain biking), Capt Scott Macdonald (kayak), Lt(N) Will Corbett (road cycling), LCdr Kat Logan and Cpl Joe Michel (canoeing).[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~They came, they skied, snowshoed, ran, cycled and paddled and eventually conquered at the annual Snow to Surf Adventure Relay Race in the Comox Valley.The Joint Patrol 2 team, a team representative of athletes from all CFB Esquimalt’s units brought home gold in the Snow to Surf military team competition and also celebrated an 11th overall finish in a field of 127 teams.Also celebrating a strong showing was a team from HMCS Ottawa who showed their resolve by finishing third in the military competition and 20th overall.“I’m certainly quite proud of everyone on the team and the way they stepped up in the competition,” said Joint Patrol 2 team manager LCdr David Dallin, who participated in the mountain biking portion of the competition.“All team members were strong in the individual areas they competed in, and even though we didn’t win the overall title we can’t be disappointed by the results.”LCdr Dallin noted that despite two last-minute roster adjustments on his 10-member team, the group performed “admirably.” Joint Patrol 2 finished the race with a combined time of four hours, 14 minutes and 31 seconds.It was not good enough...

[caption id="attachment_12535" align="alignnone" width="240"] FDU members work on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Comox at the end of February 2015, building valuable skills that can be used in exercises such as Exercise Tri- Crab.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~For the first time in Royal Canadian Navy history, Fleet Diving Unit (FDU) clearance divers will be attending Exercise Tri-Crab, an international, maritime improvised explosive devices (IED) exercise in Guam.This will be the first time in the 10-year life of the exercise that Canadians will participate.From May 2 to May 20, five FDU members will work in conjunction with the Singapore, Australian, New Zealand and American navies to practice disposing of IEDs on boats, jetties, piers, and in the surrounding water using special disruptors.  “This is a great opportunity for us to work with other nations, learn from and share experiences, and it will ultimately make FDU members in attendance better IED operators,” said Petty Officer First Class Scott Ensor, Senior Instructor for the Training Department at FDU (Pacific).Upon arrival, FDU members will undergo work-up diving in the local waters to familiarize themselves with the environment.Then, they will team up with divers from the other participating navies to complete different IED neutralization scenarios.IEDs situated under the water may be neutralized with the help of the FDU’s specific IED technology – the Van Guard IED Robot, a remote vehicle complete with cameras and a manipulating claw, or their marine sonar system, which is able to detect shapes in the water several hundred feet away.IEDs to be neutralized on maritime surfaces above water will benefit from the help of the FDU’s extensive disrupter suite.All equipment, says PO1 Ensor, was carefully packed into a 20-foot sea container and transported via ship to Guam just over a month ago.“Other preparations for the exercise have included us...

[caption id="attachment_12531" align="alignnone" width="300"] Left to right: Capt Ave Pyne, Capt Ryan Kean, Capt Cheryl Major and Capt Greg Hume-Powell all became friends in the Cadet Program.[/caption]Capt Cheryl Major, RCSU(P) ~There’s no expectation for air cadets to join the military when they finish the Cadet Program, but for some it’s a dream come true.Captain Ave Pyne, Snowbird 2 and the Training Officer for 431 Squadron, knew he wanted to be a pilot since childhood.With a father in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), some of his earliest memories are running through airports gazing at planes on the ramp.He first thought about being a Snowbird in the 1990s when he visited 431 Squadron in Moose Jaw with his dad.“Looking at the memorabilia made think about just what kind of impact the Snowbirds have on Canadians.”Capt Pyne joined 676 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron (RCACS) in Sidney, B.C., at 13 with intentions of becoming a pilot through the scholarship program. “The person that was the biggest inspiration for me, going through the Cadet Program, was Captain Sandra Pinard (nee Dalley), who set very high standards.Consistently trying to achieve those standards developed a very strong work ethic, as well as a high level motivation and dedication.Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to persist towards the goals I was striving for.”He also learned how to teach during his time with the Cadet Program, which served him well in becoming a senior instructor with the Canadian Forces Flying Training School.“I gained my love of instruction as an air cadet. The skills I learned as a teenager are 100 percent relevant to teaching flying.”In 1998, Capt Pyne’s first aviation dream came true when he attended the Glider Scholarship Course at 19 Wing in Comox, B.C. “Glider was the best course I did in air cadets.Gliding is...

[caption id="attachment_12525" align="alignnone" width="200"] AB Nicholas DiPersio embraces his partner Chi-Ya (Betty) Su during an Operation Caribbe home-coming ceremony at Dockyard’s Y Jetty on April 29.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Hugs, kisses and warm embraces from loved ones greeted sailors disembarking HMC Ships Edmonton and Saskatoon upon their return April 29.Joining in the welcoming was Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan and senior military leaders. The men and women aboard the Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessels had just completed a six-week deployment on Operation Caribbe, Canada’s ongoing contribution to Operation Martillo, the multinational campaign against transnational criminal organizations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. “Frankly I haven’t slept very much in the past 24 hours. I am so excited to be home and reunited with my family,” said LCdr Lucas Kenward, Edmonton’s Commanding Officer.“There is really no better feeling than being on the bridge when you enter the familiar territory of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and you know you are close to home.”Moments before the two ships arrived, Minister Sajjan, who was visiting the base, took time to meet and greet military personnel and their families. Jody Bacon, wife of HMCS Saskatoon’s Commanding Officer, LCdr Todd Bacon, was pleasantly surprised by the newly appointed minister’s presence. “Before today I had no idea he was going to be here, so when I turned around and saw him extending his hand and greeting me it really surprised me,” she said. “He walked up and introduced himself to me and it was just great meeting and speaking with him.”The homecoming was also a special moment for AB Nicholas Di Persio of Edmonton and OS Justin Swance of Saskatoon who were selected in a random draw to perform the traditional First Kiss. OS Swance embraced his partner Brie Sanford while AB...

[caption id="attachment_12528" align="alignnone" width="200"] Meet Canadian elite sniper, Ottawa city Councillor and finalist in 2013's Amazing Race Canada, Jody Mitic, as he signs his memoir Unflinching, that reveals his personal journey into the Canadian military and what happened after he returned home.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~Journaling after a devastating injury has transformed a former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) sniper into a successful author. Jody Mitic, a retired Master Corporal, and current city counsellor in Ottawa, lost both legs in a landmine accident while fighting in Afghanistan in 2007. “I, like most military guys, never imagined writing a book about myself,” says Mitic.“It started more as self-therapy, just getting my thoughts out, but it slowly morphed into a full book.” Last September, those thoughts became Unflinching: The Making of A Canadian Sniper, published by Simon and Shuster.The book’s paperback edition was released May 3, and Mitic is now embarked on a tour across Canada to promote his work.He will be at Chapters in Victoria May 14 from 2 to 4 p.m.His story begins much like most soldiers in the CAF. He joined the army reserves in Ontario in 1994 when he was 17. Shortly after, in 1997, he joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa, where he received his sniper qualifications.“It felt amazing to be trained as a sniper. It ended up being the best job. I loved serving my country in uniform, and I miss it every day,” he says. His life took a dramatic turn on Jan. 11, 2007. While acting as the team leader of CAF snipers in the Tangi Valley, Afghanistan, Mitic stepped on an anti-personnel landmine with a mortar bomb underneath it. He lost both his legs. He retired in June 2014. “Writing about your own experiences is difficult,” he says. “I challenge anyone to do...

[caption id="attachment_12481" align="alignnone" width="300"] Babcock Blues Team Captain Mark Russell (right) accepts the VISSC (Victoria Class In-Service Support Contract) Hockey Challenge Trophy. The Blues retained their title with a 5-4 shootout win over the RCN Submariners at Wurtele Arena on Apr. 22. PHotos by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The men and women who maintain Pacific Fleet submarines have another year to gloat over those who sail in them.In a 5-4 shootout hockey game, Babcock Canada Inc. once again bested a team of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Submariners in their annual hockey challenge at Wurtele Arena on April 22.The submariner team, made up of personnel from HMC Submarines Chicoutimi and Victoria, didn’t give up the win easily. With just 19 seconds left in the third period, they sent the VISSC (Victoria Class In-Service Support Contract) Challenge hockey game into overtime after scoring the equalizing goal. But then Robert Cookson of the Babcock Blues converted his game-deciding penalty shot to help his team edge out their navy rivals 3-2 in the fifth round of the tiebreaking overtime.“They really got us this time. It will just build up the rivalry for next year,” chuckled Victoria’s MS Douglas Mack in a good-natured reaction to the defeat.The Blues, made up of employees from Babcock Canada, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards and BC Ferries, tapped their sticks on the ice and cheered as they were presented with the VISSC trophy.Bragging rights and nail-biting finishes aside, MS Mack reacted to the loss like most of his teammates, who were brimming with smiles despite the disappointment at the conclusion of the game. He explained the reason for the tournament is more about building “friendships and camaraderie” with the people who build and keep the RCN’s subs running than the final score of the game.The Blues team captain, LCdr...

[caption id="attachment_12520" align="alignnone" width="300"] HMCS Algonquin underwent the disposal process at Dockyard’s C Jetty on Feb. 1.Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff writer  ~On Monday at 11 a.m., after 42 years of service to Canada, the former HMCS Algonquin will depart Esquimalt harbour, under tow, never to return.The warship, gutted and stripped, will be hitched to a large ocean-going tugboat, and then moved past Duntze Head and Fisgard Lighthouse to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.Their destination is Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where Algonquin will be broken up and recycled.Departure day will be a “bitter-sweet” moment says Lt(N) Douglas Totten, Executive Officer of Detachment Algonquin. He helped organize the process of stripping the vessel of its parts, liaising with multiple agencies, which took 11 months.“It’s a day to reflect on the past – as sailors often do – there are so many on the coast who will be sad to see her go,” says Lt(N) Totten. “We are expecting a number of people to be on hand at the jetty and Duntze Head Battery when she leaves.”On Nov. 27, 2015, the $39-million disposal contract for both Algonquin and Protecteur was awarded to marine construction firm R.J. McIsaac Construction, Ltd. of Antigonish, N.S.Protecteur, a replenishment oiler, was deemed too expensive to repair after it suffered a massive engine room fire in February 2015. Protecteur, decommissioned in May 2015, left the base on Feb.15 and took 56 days to reach the disposal yard in Liverpool.Former HMC Ships Iroquois, Preserver and Athabaskan, all based on the East Coast, will meet the same fate, but plans for those vessels has yet to be announced.Lt(N) Totten served in Algonquin from 2013 until it was put out of service in 2015. Since the decommissioning ceremony on June 11, 2015, he and his unit of 30 personnel,...

[caption id="attachment_12476" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo by Cpl Gavin Kennedy[/caption]SLT Rudee Hastie, HMCS Malahat ~Navy and Army Reserve units from across Vancouver Island joined forces April 1-3 for Exercise Scottish Starburst in the waters around Victoria Harbour, Esquimalt Harbour, and the training areas at Albert Head and Rocky Point.The joint exercise entailed diving and small boat operations to insert and extract troops engaged in a land-based scenario.Participating units included HMCS Malahat, the Canadian Scottish Regiment, 39 Brigade Signals Regiment, 11 Service Regiment, 11 Field Ambulance and 5th (BC) Field Artillery Regiment.While spring time small boat exercises – designed to provide training opportunities for members to maintain individual and collective skills – are a normal training event for Malahat, this year’s exercise was a much larger affair. With more than 100 sailors and soldiers from eight Reserve units coming to Victoria from as far away as Comox, it was a great opportunity for joint training and familiarity.The exercise began on Friday evening with broad-scope and unit-specific briefs and drills at Malahat. This was followed by an opportunity to meet members from other units over the time honoured navy tradition of a hot bowl of soup from the galley.On Saturday morning, the units jointly deployed by land and sea to set up a forward operations centre at Albert Head. Each unit focused on providing their specialized skills in support of the exercise.Malahat’s boats deployed to insert Army forces into their land element scenarios. Crews then carried on with small boat and diving operations, but remained available to respond to exercise requirements such as a medical evacuation and water-borne re-supply to units at Rocky Point.39 Signals Regiment provided communications support and 11 Field Ambulance sustained a medical evacuation scenario, both at the Operations Centre and as embedded members of the patrols.On Sunday morning, Malahat’s...

[caption id="attachment_12472" align="alignnone" width="300"] PO1 Albert Van Akker, HMCS MalahatPenelope Tew receives some driving instruction from Leading Seaman Manuel Dussault-Gomez during HMCS Malahat’s annual Family Appreciation Day.Photo by PO1 Albert Van Akker, HMCS Malahat[/caption]PO2 Emily Agopsowicz, HMCS Malahat ~On April 16, family and friends of HMCS Malahat eagerly crossed the brow of an Orca-class Patrol Craft Training (PCT) Vessel moored alongside Malahat in anticipation of a day at sea learning about what Naval Reservists do.The all-ages Family Appreciation Day gave guests the opportunity to try out their “sea legs” while onboard PCT Grizzly 60 as they were shown a variety of demonstrations including high speed manouevers and a Man Overboard Exercise.Back at Malahat, a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) and Hurricane were available for public rides in and around Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The day-long event included a barbeque lunch served by the Malahat ship’s company in the Wardroom.Penelope Tew’s son John Law is an Orca Class Engineer and Resource Management (RMS) Clerk at Malahat. She was delighted to get a chance to see the ship her son is trained to work on.“I found the event to be a lot of fun. The man overboard drill was informative. In fact, everything was entertaining and educational.The helm was my own for a few minutes as we wiggled our way toward lunch. The best part of the day was seeing the sailors in action. I’ll go again,” said Tew.“The intent of this exercise was to maximize the opportunity for friends and family, as well as cadets, to sail in an Orca for a few hours for at-sea activities and familiarization,” said LCdr Michael Lawless, Commanding Officer of Malahat and Officer in Charge of PCT Grizzly. “This was also an opportunity for Malahat ship’s company to progress at-sea training requirements, as well as individual...

[caption id="attachment_12468" align="alignnone" width="300"] From left to right: New Zealand sailors Able Marine Technician (AMT) Vance Bell, AMT Robert Jackson, AMT Tomi Fataaiki and Ordinary Marine Technician Damon Dick-Carson work on board HMCS Ottawa.[/caption]Sonya Chwyl, MARPAC PA Office ~ Four New Zealand sailors have travelled more than 14,000 kilometres to join Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailors in HMCS Ottawa as part of the Regulus exchange program.They are part of a 30 person contingent sent to work with the RCN.Since January, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) sailors have adjusted to life aboard a foreign navy ship, having to learn where everything is located in the Canadian frigate, and finding their place within the ship’s crew and culture.“Everyone has been very welcoming,” said Able Marine Technician (AMT) Tomi Fataaiki. “It’s a super friendly atmosphere and the culture is very similar to back home, so we clicked straight away.”The New Zealanders perform the same duties as their Canadian counterpart, Ordinary Seaman Marine Engineers.“All four New Zealanders have been working diligently alongside the Canadian crew,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Jeff Benson. “They’re all fully integrated, and they’re expected and capable of doing all the tasks of any other Ordinary Seaman Marine Engineer.” All four have become qualified Engineering Roundsmen. Ordinary Marine Technician Damon Dick-Carson has also achieved certification as an Emergency Response Roundsman and AMT Fataaiki is now a qualified Canadian Patrol Frigate Damage Control Roundsman.AMT Fataaiki says the exchange program has been an excellent way to kick-start his naval career.“It’s been exactly what I was hoping for. The knowledge I’ve gained here will be really useful, because a lot of the same equipment will be installed on the RNZN’s ships soon. It’s a great way to get ahead of the game.”Before they return home at the end of June, the New Zealand sailors...

[caption id="attachment_12464" align="alignnone" width="300"] Corporal Blaine Sewell, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]SLt Melissa Cserhazi, MARPAC PAO ~As the sun rose over HMCS Ottawa’s flight deck, members of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy paraded to commemorate ANZAC Day, which is celebrated annually on April 25.Known collectively as ANZACs, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, along with the Royal Newfoundland and Irish Regiments, landed at Gallipoli, Turkey, during the First World War as part of the Allied expedition. The broad military goal of the campaign was to open up access to the Black Sea and to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war.ANZAC Day took on a special meaning for MARPAC this year with 12 New Zealand sailors training on board Pacific Fleet ships since January.“ANZAC Day is important for us New Zealanders as many of our mates back home have family members that fought at ANZAC Cove,” said Able Marine Technician (AMT) Jared Bryant, one of four New Zealand sailors training on board HMCS Ottawa.“It is an honour to mark this special day of remembrance with them,” said CPO1 Alden Darragh, Coxswain of Ottawa. “It has been a pleasure to sail with these young New Zealanders and to see them join together with the crew of HMCS Ottawa. Our ceremony showcased the importance of serving with our allies and being able to mark the passage of their day of remembrance.”The ANZACs landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula early on the morning of April 25, 1915. The landings were a disaster, with thousands of allied troops gunned down by enemy fire at the base of a steep cliff. By the end of the battle 10 months later, it’s estimated Australia had lost 8,159 service members and New Zealand had lost 2,721.Though the campaign failed to achieve its military...

[caption id="attachment_12460" align="alignnone" width="300"] A view of the disabled Canadian fishing vessel, North Isle, as seen from the deck of Chilean Navy Supply Ship Almirante Montt. Photo DND[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff writer ~The crew of the Chilean Navy supply ship Almirante Montt are being recognized by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for assisting a stranded Canadian fishing boat.The Chilean ship is in town as part of short-term Mutual Logistic Support Agreement between the RCN and the Chilean Navy, which concludes in June.On the afternoon of April 18, the 20 metre fishing vessel North Isle, adrift in the waters near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca off Port Renfrew, called for help on its radio after suffering a blown hydraulic line. The damaged line, which operates the ship’s net-recovery system, could not be cut free, and its submerged nets were greatly hampering maneuverability and passage through the water.Almirante Montt was on patrol in the vicinity and responded to the request for assistance. They arrived on the scene at 5:30 p.m. Four Chilean sailors, with the necessary tools to make repairs, sped off to the fishing vessel via a Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB)  Working with the crew, the sailors successfully installed five new hydraulic connectors.“I was pleased to learn they were able to assist the crew of the North Isle and get them back on their way,” said Lt(N) Travis Bain, MARPAC Tanker Support Liason Officer, the point of contact for the supply ship. “I think that it’s great having them here to help support us with our RAS [replenishment at sea training], and also an added benefit they were able to successfully assist the distressed fishing vessel that was in a potentially dangerous situation.”Almirante Montt stayed on scene until after midnight when the North Isle was able to...

[caption id="attachment_12451" align="alignnone" width="300"] Jacqueline Carlé, Community Engagement Manager at Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (left), presents the Maritime Command Pacific Phenomenal Woman Award to CPO2 Nathalie Scalabrini.[/caption]Chief Petty Officer  Second Class Nathalie Scalabrini, a senior instructor at Canadian Forces Fleet School Esquimalt, was presented with the Phenomenal Woman Award at the Pacific Women’s Day, held at Royal Roads University on Saturday April 9. The award recognizes a woman from the military, National Defence or a military family in Maritime Command Pacific for significant achievements or contributions to her community.Chief Scalabrini is the first woman Naval Electronic Sensor Operator to reach her rank and was cited for her dedication, hard work and tenacity in challenging situations. Her diverse volunteer roles include the MARPAC Defence Women Advisory Organization; superintendent of the St. John’s Ambulance Division 61C Youth Program; squad member of CFB Esquimalt Urban Search and Rescue; and field technician with the Search and Rescue Dogs Association of Victoria. When asked what she is proudest of in her life she answered, “My kids.” They have learned, as she did from her own mother, “You’ve got to give back in order to receive.” Many years ago, she discovered a quotation that has been her life’s rule: Alone, you can go faster but together we will go farther. “It works,” she says. “It so works.”

[caption id="attachment_12447" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ships' bells from the two former HMCS (Her Majesty's Class Ships) the Protecteur and the Algonquin.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~ As the final outgoing Executive Officer of detachment Algonquin, Lt(N) Doug Totten has been tasked with collecting and sorting through all of the decommissioned ship’s artefacts, most notably the ship’s bell.“I feel honoured to have this job. This is part of my duty as the last officer for HMCS Algonquin, and it’s a very important one,” says Lt(N) Totten.He says a ship’s heavy brass bell, weighing in excess of 30 pounds, is a familiar sight to young crew members who are often given the job of polishing them until they are pristine. Every ship commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is given a bell; historically they were used to mark the passage of time at sea or to communicate to other ships on the open ocean. The oldest bell presented to the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum dates from 1944 and comes from HMS Valentine, the ship that became the first HMCS Algonquin.Because HMS Valentine had battle honours, this particular bell would have seen Second World War conflict firsthand. Lt(N) Totten and museum staff ensured the bells of former HMCS Algonquin and former HMCS Protecteur were added to the collection of over 20 bells from former warships. In the future it is hoped they will go on display for all to see.Ship bells are especially sacred to sailors because they have been traditionally used as baptismal fonts for shipboard christenings. “If a sailor aboard a particular ship would like to christen their child while alongside a naval base harbour, the bell is placed into a special holder by the padre, who dips it into the ocean, filling it with seawater.That water is used to...

[caption id="attachment_12444" align="alignnone" width="300"] HMCS Ottawa[/caption]Lt(N) Curtis Dollis, HMCS Ottawa ~HMCS Ottawa has just finished Sea Acceptance Trials as part of the continuing effort to bring the ship and crew up to high readiness.While the crew is ready for some well-earned time ashore during the upcoming work period, several temporary members of the ship’s company are taking their at-sea experience back to their respective reserve unit.Reservists sailing in the frigate came about during a recent visit to Ottawa for HMCS Carleton’s official manning ceremony. Commander Sylvain Belair, Ottawa’s Commanding Officer, and Lieutenant-Commander Carmen Lapointe, Carleton’s Commanding Officer, agreed to bring members of their teams together for a brief period during trials to continue their professional development and to gain experience sailing in a major warship. The end of Sea Acceptance Trials was a perfect opportunity as it would expose sailors to a broad variety of operations and training in a short period of time.Sailors from several Naval Reserve Divisions joined Ottawa in Esquimalt, and Vancouver, as the program continued, with participation from Carleton, Chippawa, Discovery, Tecumseh, and Malahat. Junior MARS officers, RMS clerks from shore offices, boatswains, and naval combat information operators with no sea experience, all joined and to learn about life at sea in a Halifax-class frigate. “My four-day sail was a rich and meaningful experience,” said A/SLt Douglas Guerra, a reservist with Carleton. “It was a rare opportunity for me to see what life is like in the Regular Force.I would highly recommend to any reservist to take full advantage of any opportunity in the future to sail on a Halifax Class frigate.”Reserve sailors were involved in all aspects of the operations of the ship throughout the trials period.The members focused on their primary trade-related duties: bridge watchkeeping for the MARS officers, lookout and helmsman for the...

[caption id="attachment_12439" align="alignnone" width="300"] Capt(N) Christopher Earl, Commanding Officer of Fleet Maintenance Facility, displays a prototype of an Operation Palaci commemorative plaque that was presented to 17 members of 5e Regiment d’artillerie legere du Canada from Valcartier, Que. The presentation by the RCN was to thank the soldiers for their work in the anti-avalanche operation as it concluded for another season.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~To commemorate the end of this season’s Operation Palaci, which kept Rogers Pass safe and open, Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton (FMF CB) presented the soldiers from a Quebec artillery unit with a shiny keepsake.Two weeks ago, Capt(N) Christopher Earl, Commanding Officer of FMF CB, travelled high into the Columbia Mountains of B.C.’s southern interior to personally thank the 17 members of 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, based out of 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, for their work fighting avalanches.Capt(N) Earl presented the soldiers with an Operation Palaci commemorative coin and a detailed sheet metal statue of the 105 mm Howizter guns they used to blast away at avalanches in Rogers Pass near Glacier National Park.“The men and women who work in our sheet metal shop felt so strongly about the work those in Op Palaci carry out, they decided to make a keepsake for the troops to show their appreciation,” said Capt(N) Earl.“It was a great feeling for me to present them with this gift and I think they really appreciated the gesture as well.”Operation Palaci, a Parks Canada and Department of National Defence joint initiative, is the world’s largest mobile avalanche control program, and at 54 years is the longest running operation in Canadian Armed Forces history, domestically or expeditionary.FMF CB’s role is to maintain the 105-mm Howitzer guns the troops employ to blast away at melting or loose snowpack.The loose snow...

[caption id="attachment_12435" align="alignnone" width="225"] Rachel Lallouz, Lookout The new range truck, used to fight wilderness fires, at the CFB Esquimalt fire hall.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~A new half million dollar fire truck is set to tackle brush fires on DND property and, when called upon, the Greater Victoria area.  The fire hall’s new Range Truck is the only one of its kind on the Island, and is designed to carry two fire fighters at high clearance over hotspots and freshly burned ground.“Its high centre of gravity will make it perfect for combatting fires in underdeveloped areas and wildland dense with trees,” says Fire Chief Steve Mullen, who adds people need only think back to the summer fires in Kelowna to be reminded of how quickly forest fires can spread without proper extinguishment measures.Nozzles running along the truck’s underside can shoot water and foam onto ground that is still smoldering.The truck also has forward ground sweeps, nozzles that can shoot a foam or water path out in front of the truck and enable it to move closer to a fire.If a forest fire has extended up into the tops of the trees, the truck’s bumper turret can fire water directly upwards, knocking down flames that are typically difficult to reach. In the event that water isn’t helping reduce the fire, the truck’s Compressed Air Foam system carries two 25-gallon tanks of Class A Foam to help extinguish stubborn flames.“These features will allow the truck to move through a critical area when fire fighters are responding, and allow the fire fighters to relocate to different points in the brush more easily in the event of a wind shift,” says Chief Mullen.Because the truck holds 1,200 gallons of water, it can also act as a water-supply vehicle to other firetrucks.Once all base fire...

[caption id="attachment_12431" align="alignnone" width="300"] Joseph Noil 1872[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A 134-year-old grave marker error is being righted in Washington, D.C., next week.On Friday, April 29, at a cemetery on the grounds of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, a highly decorated African-Canadian sailor who served with U.S. Navy during the Civil War, then quickly forgotten at war’s end, is finally getting appropriate recognition.Rear-Admiral William Truelove, Canadian Defence Attaché, will join political and military officials from both sides of the border to unveil a Medal of Honor Headstone that properly recognizes the bravery of Joseph Benjamin Noil.On Dec. 26, 1872, Noil was a seaman in USS Powhatan when he dove into frigid seas and successfully rescued a fellow shipmate who had fallen overboard.While the President at that time recognized him for his heroism with its top honor, Noil never received a Medal of Honor Headstone upon his death at the hospital in 1882.Add to that, his name was misspelled on his death certificate – Noel – which was then engraved onto his headstone.The Liverpool, Nova Scotia native is just one of 109 Canadians known to have received the Medal of Honor; there are 3,514 total recipients.He is also the only known African-Canadian to be honoured with the award that is given only to military personnel who have shown personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.Noil also served with distinction in the U.S. Navy throughout the Civil War and by the time of his death had risen to rank of Captain of the Hold aboard USS Wyoming.In 2009, members of the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, working with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, discovered the grave and the misspelled name.Victoria historian and blogger Bart Armstrong is a member of the U.S.-based historical organization and for...

[caption id="attachment_12425" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photos Op CaribbeA crewmember from HMCS Saskatoon and members of the United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment secure the seized cocaine bales.[/caption]Lt(N) Linda Coleman, Op Caribbe, Public Affairs Officer ~It was a hot and humid day in the eastern Pacific Ocean on March 25 as HMCS Saskatoon and its embarked United States Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) conducted patrols during Operation Caribbe, Canada’s contribution to the multinational campaign against the trafficking of illicit narcotics.It was a sticky 35 degrees Celsius and the inside of Saskatoon was buzzing with activity.The ship received information from the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force (South) that a U.S. Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) had spotted a vessel of interest in the area of operations.All shipboard specialists began to work together; the integration of the LEDET with Saskatoon’s operations team was seamless.A positive picture began to develop over the day.The coordinates of the vessel of interest that had been spotted by the MPA were relayed to Saskatoon, and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Todd Bacon, made the order to proceed at operational speed on an intercept course towards the vessel.As the MPA patrolled the area the vessel being monitored, a “panga”-style fishing boat, began to jettison its cargo—a common occurrence throughout Operation Caribbe.The eastern Pacific Ocean is a known drug trafficking area for small boats, often fitted with multiple outboard motors. Saskatoon then prepared for the next phase of this particular tasking.What started off as a “detect, track, approach and intercept” tasking quickly turned into a search and recovery mission.The MPA reported the last known position of the debris field, which would turn out to contain 16 bales of illicit narcotics, and Saskatoon went into search mode.By this point, it was evening and the MPA had returned to base. Once Saskatoon...

[caption id="attachment_12412" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa, Cdr Sylvain Belair, addresses the group at the conclusion of the scheduled day sail. Photo by Cpl Brent Kenny, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Capt Cheryl Major, RCSU(P) ~More than 200 sea cadets from nine Vancouver Island communities gathered in Victoria April 9-10 for a training weekend that included a day sail in HMCS Ottawa and an Admiral’s Ceremonial Divisions inspection.On Saturday the crew and cadets put the ship through its paces at full speed, up to 30 knots, and heeling over 25 to 30 degrees during manoeuvers. After the demonstration, cadets spent time with sailors at 13 activity stations that showcased the functions of daily life and the rhythm of a Canadian warship, including weapons, fire-fighting, navigation and command, damage control, boarding and rescue.Cadets were even treated to a simulated multi-threat warfare scenario in the operations room.“Spending a day in HMCS Ottawa is an experience I’ll never forget,” said Cadet Naval Seaman Clara Jager, of 136 Amphion Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps in Nanaimo. “There’s more to the navy than I ever thought there was. I’m so excited about all the adventures I’ll have as a sea cadet.”    On Sunday all cadets were inspected by Rear-Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, during an Admiral’s Ceremonial Divisions parade.The parade included a massed band and several promotions and recognitions. This is the first time a divisional parade has been held for Vancouver Island in more than a decade.“The Cadet Program helps thousands of young people grow into well-rounded, community-minded and experienced young adults,” said RAdm Couturier.“Spending time with these great young Canadians and future leaders of this country has truly been inspiring and I want to personally thank everyone involved in supporting our cadets and making this program a success in every way...

DNDCanada Company, the leader in military employment transition, in partnership with Military Family Services, has launched the METSpouse Program – a pilot program connecting the spouses of active, reserve and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces with transportable careers.Leveraging Canada Company’s Military Employment Transition (MET) program, METSpouse will focus on providing this untapped resource of highly skilled, adaptable and motivated employees with career training, mentorship opportunities, and a database of mobile, portable and “telecommutable” jobs that fit the realities of being a military spouse.“The METSpouse Program recognizes that the spouses of our military and veterans face unique employment realities and challenges,” said Canada Company President, Angela Mondou. “For Canada Company, METSpouse is a chance to put our expertise to work for the whole military family, and to create more opportunities for Canadian businesses to benefit from our remarkable military.”The METSpouse Program will help military spouses find gainful and meaningful opportunities through an already established network of national employers. As part of the pilot, METSpouse is now available at select Military Family Resource Centres in seven regions across Canada: Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, Shilo, Toronto, Valcartier and Winnipeg.For more information visit:www.canadacompany.ca/canadacompany/met/en/index.jsp