News

[caption id="attachment_5284" align="alignnone" width="300"] Royal Roads Military College drummer from 1971-72.[/caption] Shaggy-haired 1970s recruits getting their first military haircuts. Muddy runners completing the obstacle course. Uniformed cadets at the formal dance. These were some of the people photographed each year at the former Royal Roads Military College.  Until now, most of these exceptional images were accessible only in photo albums, preserved in the Royal Roads University archives. This month the archives completed digitizing over 1,200 pages from these albums covering 1963 to 1988. Now the photos are searchable by year and fully accessible online through the library webpage: http://library.royalroads.ca/archives/annual-photograph-albums-royal-roads-military-college-1963-1988.  These digitized photo albums offer a chance to reflect on the discipline, teamwork and commitment of Royal Roads cadets, and leadership traits encouraged and admired today at RRU as part of a growing educational legacy, said Paul Corns, associate vice president of Community Relations and Advancement at Royal Roads University.   The majority of the photos in the digitization project were taken by RRMC staff photographer Len Watling, who first spent nine years with the Royal Canadian Navy at HMCS Naden as a darkroom technician before joining the staff of Royal Roads in 1964. Watling was an exacting artist who started his photographic business in 1941 while still a teenager. He routinely ran obstacle courses and hung out of helicopters to get the right shots of cadets.  These unique albums are the most requested items in the RRU archives, often displayed during events such as homecoming, said RRU archivist Caroline Posynick. Now that they are digitized, the albums are much more accessible, and the public can flip through them at home on their computers. This will bring the experiences of cadet life into sharper focus for anyone interested in military heritage.The $16,000 project was partially financed by a B.C. History Digitization Program...

[caption id="attachment_5248" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cpl Brown and a colleague, both DART combat engineers, conduct road tree removal to provide access to Dona Victoria Cortes Dais Memorial School in Pontevedra, Philippines.[/caption] With gusts reaching 380 kilometres per hour, Typhoon Haiyan was one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded. Setting off landslides, knocking out power in several provinces and cutting communications in the country’s central region of island provinces, the tropical super storm has affected an estimated 11.3 million people across the Philippines.It has caused significant loss of life, a large number of injuries and damage to many homes and infrastructure. In response to the humanitarian situation, Canadian Joint Operations Command implemented Op Renaissance 13-1, deploying more than 300 CAF personnel to provide primary medical care, engineering assistance and safe drinking water.  “One of our primary tasks is to open roads that have been blocked by the effects of the typhoon,” said Task Force Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Taylor. “We have engineers that are operating heavy equipment as well as chainsaws and electrical experts who will be removing a lot of the rubble that’s blocking the roads and permitting the humanitarian actors, the non-government organizations and the UN agencies, access to those villages to distribute relief supplies.”  The production of potable water is one of the most important contributions of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit is set up and maintained by the Water Production Detachment of the DART Engineer Troop and, under ideal conditions, can purify up to 50,000 litres of safe drinking water a day. “Agricultural fields, crops have been blown away; storm surge has flooded the fields with sea water; and fishing boats have been destroyed,” said LCol Taylor. “So the people are really at a loss not only for their homes, but for...

[caption id="attachment_5245" align="alignnone" width="300"] A People’s Choice Award winner during last year’s Canadian Armed Forces Photography Contest, “Eskimo Girl” is Able Seaman Rommel Billanes’ first submission to the annual contest.[/caption] Able Seaman Rommel Billanes has, for the second time, been recognized during the Canadian Armed Forces’ Annual Photography Contest for being one of the major award winners in Best in Show (Advanced Category), with his photograph entitled “War Child.”This year he won first place in Portrait, third place in Special Effects, and an Honorable Mention in Environment, all in the Advanced Category. Last year he took home several awards in the Amateur Category, including Photographer of the Year (Novice Level), second place in Portrait, second place in Animal, third place in Open Theme, and the People’s Choice Award for his photograph “Eskimo Girl.”AB Billanes uses his self-taught photographic proficiency to take photos alongside the Image Technician during events such as Family Days, Fleet Mess Dinners and Remembrance Day ceremonies onboard HMCS Protecteur. He has been interested in photography since he was in college, but, he says, “The turning point was in 2011, when I got posted to CFB Esquimalt after my BMQ. I was away from my family in Ontario, so I decided to buy a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera to make myself busy and express my creative skill.”It was at that time he read a notice in The Lookout that the Department of National Defence holds an annual contest for both amateurs and professionals. “I decided to try my luck by submitting various images of different themes,” he said. “I won second prize in the Amateur category in Portraits, entitled ‘Little Miss Sunshine,’ and I also bagged the People’s Choice Award out of 48 entries.”Like last year, AB Billanes had the opportunity to include his daughter in the...

[caption id="attachment_5242" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cdr (Ret’d) Dan Fitzgerald takes the captain’s seat as Commanding Officer during training in the Navigation Bridge Simulator.[/caption] In a small room in Work Point’s Collier building, Cdr (Ret’d)  Dan Fitzgerald directs his bridge crew from his captain’s chair to bring a Halifax-class frigate into port.Before them is a 330-degree realistic computer-generated field of view. So real, virtual ships can even roll and pitch to feel like it’s moving. A total of eight bridges, six visual and two radar used for navigation exercises, reside in the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Navigation and Bridge Simulator (NABS).The simulator was required after the disbanding of the destroyer training squadron. It was integrated into NOTC in 1997 as a way to train bridge officers without the expense of using a real ship. The simulator offers training programs for all levels of bridge officers, from those who have never set foot on a bridge to the most experienced naval officers.  To keep it real beyond the virtual ship, NOTC has hired retired Commanding Officers to aid in the training. “Every real ship has a CO, and when we train we treat NABS as a real ship,” says Capt(N) (Ret’d) Ken Watson, manager of NOTC’s simulation department.The NABS Mentor program was developed as a way to fill crucial leadership roles during training that were previously filled by less experienced training staff.“We had training officers who lacked experience as a CO making decisions a CO wouldn’t make,” says Watson. “We thought there must be a way to have the leadership in place to make the training more realistic, and the NABS Mentor Program was born.”The program places experienced retired Royal Canadian Navy Commanding Officers in the simulator with trainees.Mentors are casual employees of NOTC Venture. Watson himself was Commanding Officer of HMCS Yukon...

[caption id="attachment_5197" align="alignnone" width="300"] The 19 Wing Operation Team takes a turn in the 30 second challenge, hauling a 35 tonne aircraft down the tarmac.[/caption] Cheers echoed across the airfield as 12 teams at 19 Wing Comox competed to pull a 35-tonne CC-115 Buffalo search and rescue airplane across the tarmac during a GCWCC event on Wednesday, Nov. 13.“We had approximately 120 military and civilian participants involved in the Buffalo Pull,” said event co-organizer, Captain Jeremy Maltais, chair for the Government of Canada’s Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC) at 19 Wing Comox. “It was a great team-building event that promoted physical fitness, while raising $1,350 towards our $45,000 goal for the GCWCC.”Following a group warm-up led by Personnel Support Program fitness staff, the competition began with the goal of seeing which 10-member team could pull the aircraft farthest in 30 seconds.“Teams found that once the airplane’s wheels started to turn, momentum was easy to sustain, but getting a 35-ton airplane to roll from a dead stop was difficult,” said Sergeant Cesar Esteban, co-chair of the 19 Wing GCWCC. Following the competition, the Combined Aircraft Servicing team, made up of technicians from 19 Air Maintenance, 407 and 442 Squadrons was named the winner, pulling the aircraft 100 feet. A celebratory fundraising lunchtime barbeque was also held following the event.  “This type of activity generates a lot of friendly competition among the units and squadrons on base, and is also a lot of fun,” said Capt Maltais.While 19 Wing members are committed to helping their communities throughout the year through volunteering, the importance of the Workplace Charitable Campaign cannot be understated given that many people in the Comox Valley are touched by at least one of the several organizations supported by the Comox Valley United Way.  The Buffalo Pull was just one of...

[caption id="attachment_5194" align="alignnone" width="300"] Vice-Admiral (Ret’d) Nigel Brodeur (left), son of Rear-Admiral Victor Brodeur, presents replicas of his father’s medals to Bertrand Dupain, principal at L’école Victor Brodeur.[/caption] In a small Remembrance Day ceremony at l’école Victor Brodeur in Esquimalt a piece of history was passed down.A set of miniature medals, replicas of those worn by the school’s founder and namesake, Rear-Admiral Victor Brodeur, were presented to the school by Rear-Admiral Brodeur’s son, VAdm (Ret’d) Nigel Brodeur.“This school meant a lot to my father,” says VAdm Brodeur, who retired as Vice-Admiral and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff in 1987. “I thought it was only right to pass on a tangible connection between him and his legacy.”The medals are one quarter scale replicas of the medals Rear-Admiral Brodeur acquired during his 37 year career as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, including service medals for the coronation of King George V, Croix de Guerre avec Palme en Bronze from France, and the Second World War Victory Medal.The presentation was conceived as a way for VAdm Brodeur to acknowledge, strengthen, and solidify the bond between his family and the Francophone community in Esquimalt.“My father started this school as a way to help a community which was, at the time, small and unsupported,” say VAdm Brodeur. “To see his dream reach this point, to have a thriving and exuberant Francophone community in Victoria, is everything my father could have hoped for and more.”Principal Bertrand Dupain says the presentation came as a welcomed and flattering event.“It’s an honour to have something so rich in history and personally important to our school’s founder,” he says. “While the school may not be in the form Rear-Admiral Brodeur originally envisioned, it holds the same values and goals, and we hope he would be proud.”The medals also...

[caption id="attachment_5191" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sgt Dominix demonstrates how to properly search a vehicle.[/caption] Sgt Frank Dominix and MCpl Jodi Woolridge from the Military Police Unit Esquimalt instructed crews from HMCS Whitehorse and HMCS Nanaimo on security procedures pertaining to persons, baggage and vehicle searches Oct. 22. The training was custom tailored to meet the crews individual needs based on their current in-place security policies, Defence Controlled Access Area Regulations, and Inspection and Search Defence Regulations.One key point emphasized by Sgt Dominix and MCpl Woolridge during the training was, as a condition of being given access to a controlled area, a person shall on demand of a designated authority submit to a search without warrant of his/her person or personal property while entering or exiting the controlled area, or any restricted area within the controlled area. If upon entering a controlled access area where a person refuses to be searched, they can be denied entry; however, once inside a controlled access area, they are subject to search by authorized persons who may use as much force as reasonably necessary to carry out that search. These regulations apply when persons want access to Royal Canadian Navy ships and/or jetties which gives access to the ships. During the training, MCpl Woolridge demonstrated proper techniques for searching baggage, while Sgt Dominix provided an informative demonstration of a thorough vehicle search using specialized search mirrors. Members of the audience were able to participate in the training by attempting to find pre-placed items of interest in both the demo vehicle and baggage. As part of the MARPAC Force protection team, the Military Police Unit Esquimalt team continues to assist units with specialized Force Protection training and advice.  -Military Police Detachment

[caption id="attachment_5162" align="alignnone" width="300"] British Frag 20-lb Mk III Bomb Tail Fin with Arming Vein.[/caption] Two Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians from Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) were called to help solve a 70-year-old mystery late last month. On Oct. 25, PO2 Shawn Goodine, Maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal (MEOD) 2 I/C, received a call from the Regional Joint Operations Centre (RJOC), telling him a crashed aircraft, possibly from the Second World War, had been found 10 kilometers northwest of Port Renfrew, B.C. Employees from Teal Cedar Products Ltd. had stumbled upon the wreckage while surveying an area for potential logging. “They thought they saw some military ordnance that resembled tail fins from aircraft bombs within the debris,” says PO2 Goodine. “They weren’t really sure so they called the RCMP for assistance.” The RCMP passed the information on to the PO2 Goodine and early on Oct. 30, MEOD and a member of the RCMP headed to the remote logging area outside Port Renfrew to investigate. The loggers had already surveyed the area and showed the divers every piece of debris they had found on the roughly 130 by 40 meter crash site. “They knew where all the pieces were,” says PO2 Goodine. “So it was basically, ‘Shawn we found this, Shawn we found that. This is the landing gear. This is the piece we think belongs to a bomb.’” As the team worked its way down the mountain slope from the tail section to the cockpit of the plane, they searched for serial numbers and anything else that might help identify the plane, but they found much more. “We found a couple pairs of boots; we found part of a leather jacket worn by the aircrew, and the old style World War Two leather aviator hat. We didn’t find the goggles but we definitely found the leather hat and it actually still had the ear bud still in for comms,” says PO2 Goodine. Unfortunately, there were no clues as to the fate...

[caption id="attachment_5158" align="alignnone" width="600"] One component of the Personnel Support Programs Deployment Support course involved training in sea survival skills. Students practiced safely entering the water in their clothes, moving in the water as a group and turning over the 20-person life raft in the Naden Athletic Center pool.[/caption] Nineteen Personnel Support Programs (PSP) fitness instructors learned what it’s like to be a sailor last week. Coming from bases across Canada, they were part of a deployment training program designed to prepare them to sail in Canadian warships. The five-day course is a follow-up to the successful pilot project developed in 2011. Students learn at-sea survival skills in addition to job-specific training that prepares them to provide fitness and recreation services to ships’ crews. “The course is basically branched in five different areas beginning with the seamanship division of the school here at Esquimalt, providing the critical sea survival training theory in addition to job-specific training from fitness, sports, health promotion and recreation,” says Chris Giacobbi, PSP Training Manager, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS). While the applicants have many of the basic skills necessary to provide fitness services on board the ship, their job stretches beyond that scope. They are also there to help maintain good morale among the crew by organizing recreational activities and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. When they arrive on ship, one of their jobs is to meet  with crew members and conduct a town hall to find out what activities the crew would like to have. The course shows them how to do that and then develop a deployment-long program for the crew. The course also addresses “the inherent barriers of delivering fitness at sea,” says Giacobbi. “For example, elevated sea states, changes to ports itineraries, ship’s company working on different schedules.” In addition...

[caption id="attachment_5153" align="alignnone" width="600"] Corey Hargreaves, a financial counsellor with SISIP Financial Services, is ready to meet the military community and help them make the financial decisions.[/caption] SISIP is laying out the welcome mat throughout November to mark Financial Literacy Month. The financial services company is hosting events all month long to make military members aware of the resources available to them. “Financial literacy is having the knowledge and understanding to make sound, responsible financial decisions,” says Corey Hargreaves, a local Financial Counsellor with SISIP. “Along with financial literacy comes knowing what resources are available and how to use them.” During November, SISIP is setting up at locations around the base to arm military members with the knowledge they need to take control of their finances. There will also be an open house at their office in the Naden CANEX building on Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They will be serving up cake at 11 a.m. Visitors can enter to win an iPad or iPod Nano just for stopping by to say hello at any of these events, but Hargreaves hopes people who come by will seriously consider their financial situations and whether there’s anything they should change. He acknowledges that developing a long-term financial plan can be difficult. “Navigating the financial landscape is intimidating,” he says. “A lot of people don’t even know where to begin.” A great place to start is to create a monthly budget, he says. “The foundation of financial literacy is your budget - how much do you earn and where is it going? And obviously savings too. One of the sound financial principles is to have a savings plan. You’re never going to regret saving money,” says Hargreaves. Some people think of the word budget as negative, but it’s just a...

[caption id="attachment_5121" align="alignnone" width="600"] LS Amber Oldland to stand guard at Ottawa vigil.[/caption] An HMCS Winnipeg sailor will be in the spotlight for the whole of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) this Remembrance Day. LS Amber Oldland will ship out to Ottawa for the country’s largest Remembrance Day Vigil, standing guard for the RCN as one of four ceremonial sentries along with representatives from the Army, Air Force and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). “It’s a very exciting opportunity obviously,” she says. “This is a big deal for me. I get to represent the navy I love so much on the national stage.” The selection came as a shock, as LS Oldland was initially nominated in secret by Winnipeg Deck Officer Lt(N) Anthony Morrow. “He came up to me and told me to write a bio and get my ceremonial dress ready,” she says. “We got some pictures taken, it was all sent off, and I kind of forgot about it.” Last month the good news came in: she’d been selected. “The feeling was indescribable,” she says. “I’ve been begging to get on a Cenotaph team for Remembrance Day since I joined, and now I get to go to the biggest vigil in Canada. It means so much to me.” LS Oldland will fly out and spend a week in Ottawa with her two-year-old son and parents, who live in Niagara Falls. From there they will be put up in a hotel and tour the various military and historic sights around Ottawa, including a luncheon at the Royal Canadian Legion, a tour of the War Museum, and a visit to the House of Commons. “It will just be so interesting to see the ceremony from the inside,” says LS Oldland. “I couldn’t be more honoured to be a part...

[caption id="attachment_5116" align="alignnone" width="600"] Online archive sheds light on Victoria’s war history.[/caption] An in-depth look at Victoria during World War One is now just a click away. A new website titled “A City Goes to War” was conceived by University of Victoria (UVic) PhD student and retired Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Colonel Jim Kempling. “I thought about how a lot of Victoria’s history from World War One has been forgotten,” says Col Kempling. “On Remembrance Day, we all say ‘we will remember them.’ The truth is we have forgotten. I wanted to help people remember what happened in Victoria.” The website comprises historical articles, timelines, and service records that show the many significant events, both good and bad, that took place in Victoria during the conflict. “We always talk about how Canada was ‘born on the bloody slopes of Vimy Ridge’, but we never talk about how there were anti-German riots in Victoria,” says Col Kempling. “Racism was rampant at the time. The Asian population in British Columbia wasn’t even allowed to join the military, they had to make their way to Alberta or further. These are things we’ve completely forgotten about.” Victoria was also home to significant figures during the First World War, another fact often forgotten. “Sir Arthur Currie, Commander of the Canadian Corps, was a school teacher and real estate agent in Victoria before World War One,” says Kempling. “Many people in Victoria have forgotten that, but it’s a big part of our history.” The website, besides being an online archive, also offers a teaching package aimed at educating high school students on The Great War. The package includes assignments to encourage students to make what’s called a “Fakebook”, essentially a fictional social media page for a historical figure. “We want kids to be aware...

[caption id="attachment_5111" align="alignnone" width="600"] The cast of “Heroes”, Alan Ormerod plays Henri, Bill Christie plays Gustave, and Thomas Holder plays Philippe.[/caption] An upcoming stage production looks to give Victorians a skewed and hilarious look at the lives of World War One veterans. The production, called “Heroes”, is a translation of a play by French playwright Gérald Sibleyras. Originally opening in London in 2005, Langham Court’s production is a first for Victoria and director Don Keith, who says he couldn’t be happier to bring it to the community. “It’s such an intelligent, witty play,” he says. “The cast is just delightful and they really bring a huge amount of talent to the production.” The show will run from Nov. 14 to Nov. 30 at the Langham Court Theatre and focuses on the lives of three World War One veterans who are living out their remaining days in hospice. While the subject matter is emotionally heavy, Keith says the play itself is a comedy, and it shows in the cast. “The characters are hilarious, they spend so much time together, they’re like three uncles who do nothing but bicker,” he says. “We did our best to do the characters and the source material justice, so it was important for us to get the relationships right.” While the original London production featured English heavy hitters Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, and Ken Stott, Victoria’s production features three new local talents. Bill Cristie, Alan Omerod, and Thomas Holder will take the stage as veterans Gustave, Henri, and Phillippe. “We’ve got an Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scot, so you can imagine the conversations they have,” says Keith. “It has been such a pleasure working with them and the experience they present is incredible.” While the last of the World War One veterans has died, Keith...

[caption id="attachment_5052" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cdr Lorne Carruth, LCdr Michele Tessier, Cdr Barb Clerihue and Jean-Paul Condon are featured in Kaleidoscope Theatre’s production of the Rocky Horror Show.[/caption] What do fishnet stockings, counter culture stage performance, and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) have in common? Nothing usually, but this year they’re coming together for Kaleidoscope Theatre’s performance of the Rocky Horror Show. The production runs Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the McPherson Playhouse, and features a number of faces from CFB Esquimalt. “It’s been such a great experience getting this show together,” says Cdr Barb Clerihue, who will run the show as Kaleidoscope’s Stage Manager along with Assistant Stage Manager LCdr Michele Tessier. “We’ve got a great cast together, and this is definitely going to be one of the most all-out shows we’ve done.” The show is a performance of the original Rocky Horror Show, a cult stage musical that premiered in London in 1973 and spawned an equally legendary film in 1975. “This is a show with a lot of very important history and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” says Cdr Clerihue. “The cast is really giving it all they’ve got, so it’s going to be one memorable show.” A naturally organized motivator, Cdr Clerihue fit right into the role of stage manager. She says while the director creates the play, the stage manager makes it happened. “If I had to use a navy analogy, the stage manager is like the XO to the director’s CO,” she says. “The main difference is the military is an organization of discipline, whereas actors tend to do whatever they want. My career has definitely given me a leg up on getting these actors in line.” Under the bright lights of the stage the military is present as well, with Jean-Paul Condon of the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch, and Cdr Lorne Carruth, Commander Coastal Division, hitting the stage as Dr. Everett Scott. “My wife shanghaied me into...

[caption id="attachment_5058" align="alignnone" width="300"] Maj (Ret’d) Louis Barbeau (right) presents PO2 Robyn Jutras with a certificate honouring her selection as the winner of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Centennial Quick March Competition.[/caption] The long and storied history of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) now has a little Naden Band flavour. PO2 Robyn Jutras, bassoon and tenor saxophone player for the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, was recently selected as the winner of the PPCLI Centennial Quick March Competition.“I was so excited to hear my march had been chosen,” says PO2 Jutras. “To have something I wrote become a part of the long and prestigious history of the PPCLI is a real honour.”The competition began in 2011 and urged military composers from across the country to submit their quick march compositions for the 100th anniversary of the PPCLI. PO2 Jutras, as a long time musician and composer, says she took to the competition right away.“I’d written a few pieces before so I thought this was the perfect competition for me,” she says. “I started listening to a ton of military marches, reading up on their structure, and got to work.”When it comes to composing, PO2 Jutras says military marches are among the easier pieces.“The pieces of a march all fit together more or less the same,” she says. “Obviously each one is different, but when it comes to structure they can be very similar. It made my job a lot easier.”Putting pen to paper and staff to bar, PO2 Jutras composed the march in just under a month. After submitting the march in February 2012, it wasn’t until the following August she would receive the good word.“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “It wasn’t just winning a competition. Now my music is taking place next to all...

[caption id="attachment_5055" align="alignnone" width="300"] Leah Smith and son Daniel O’Regan enjoy the MFRC casual child care service.[/caption] Some might view it as babysitting to give the at-home parent a break. But for other people, the MFRC’s Casual Child Care service is helping young children from military families connect with other children in a meaningful way.Leah Smith and her husband LCdr Danny O’Regan have moved four times since 2006, including this past June from the United Kingdom to Esquimalt. Both of them grew up close to their families in Newfoundland and had to reinvent that makeshift support system with each posting.   “When you move regularly, you have to work hard to become part of the community,” says Smith on moving into a new area.  “Having the MFRC around makes the transition much easier.”Leah brings her two-year-old son Daniel to Casual Child Care at the Lampson Street location. It has given the parents a break while they do some renovations on their home, but Smith thinks her son is really benefitting from the experience. “It’s an easy way to get out and help your child create a community,” says Smith. “It is important for children to have the opportunity to try new things in a safe and nurturing atmosphere.” She wasn’t always able find something that she was comfortable with, but gave the MFRC child care on Lampson Street an opportunity. The MFRC provides her son a well-structured program in a very secure environment. Leah believes that it helps her son develop important skills. The experience allows him to develop a sense of independence. He tries new things and meets new friends. Afterwards, he talks about his friends and how he “plays and shares” at playschool. He talks to her about the care providers and even sings the cleanup song he learned....

[caption id="attachment_5015" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cpl Lessard (left) and Yao (right) pose in front of the Cormorant search & rescue helicopter that carried them to safety after four days of being stranded on Mount Jutland in Strathcona Park.[/caption] Cpl Jean-Simon Lessard had to put his survival skills to the test when he was trapped for four days in the mountains of Strathcona Park.The electrical distribution technician left Sept. 28 with friend Christopher Yao for what was to be a two day hiking trip on Mt. Albert Edward.Arriving at the park, Cpl Lessard says there was no indication such a drastic change in weather was on the way.“We didn’t hear anything about a storm when we talked to the park attendant,” he says. “The weather reports said it would be mild until Sunday, which was when we planned on leaving. We had no idea what we were in for.”The pair began their hike towards Mt. Albert Edward, following the well-worn trail past Circlet Lake and up towards the alpine. About one kilometre from the top of the mountain, Cpl Lessard and Yao realized something was wrong.“It was snowing a little bit and we found a small sign covered in snow. We brushed it off and it said ‘Mt. Jutland’,” he says. “We were on the wrong mountain. We decided to turn back then and make it back to Circlet Lake.”It was then the weather took a turn for the worse. Within minutes the 20km/hr wind kicked up to a blistering 100km/hr, bringing a blinding curtain of snow with it. Cpl Lessard and Yao were forced to make camp and wait out the weather.“We thought if we just waited for the storm to let up we could leave early the next morning,” he says. “We set up our tents next to a cliff...

[caption id="attachment_5012" align="alignnone" width="300"] Capt(N) Tim Tulloch (right), Naval Advisor for the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff London, presents Cdr James Stride, RN, HMS Duncan Commanding Officer, with a replica of the 2012 Centennial Totem in the City of Duncan.[/caption] A small piece of Duncan adorns a brand new Royal Navy destroyer following a grand ceremony Sept. 26 in Portsmouth, UK.The miniature cedar totem pole was presented to Cdr James Stride, Royal Navy (RN), commanding officer of HMS Duncan, the last of six Daring Class frigates to be commissioned by the Royal Navy.“It was a privilege and an honour to be asked to represent the Vancouver Island Branch of the Royal Naval Association and the City of Duncan,” says Capt(N) Tom Tulloch, Naval Advisor with the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (London), who made the presentation. “It’s a tangible reminder of the enduring ties between Canada and the UK, and especially the relationship between the Royal Canadian Navy and the RN, which goes back over a century.”Principal guests at the ceremony included the ship’s sponsor Lady Marie Ibbotson, wife of Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Sir Richard Ibbotson, as well as First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas. The ship’s company assembled for the presentation along with a band of Royal Marines, and a piper to honour the Scottish heritage of the ship’s namesake, Admiral Adam Duncan.“The presentation was very well received by all who attended,” says Capt(N) Tulloch. “I had a lot of sailors approaching me afterwards asking questions about the carving and about the City of Duncan. Everyone was very interested and proud to have such a tangible connection to Canadian history.”The cedar statuette was carved by Kwakwaka’wakw carver Calvin Hunt, and is a one-tenth scale replica of the totem pole Hunt carved for the city of Duncan’s centennial in 2012. “It’s...

Each year Waste Reduction Week encourages Canadians to divert more of their waste away from the country’s landfills. This year Carrie Johnston of Formation Safety and Environment is asking CFB Esquimalt personnel to participate in a program that could significantly reduce waste at work. “It can be easy to forget the amount of waste we produce throughout the course of our day, but it’s important we stay aware,” says Johnston. Due to its size CFB Esquimalt is one of the more significant waste producers in the region and employees have a responsibility to exercise environmental stewardship in their daily duties, she adds. “CFB Esquimalt alone was responsible for more than 3, 300, 000 kilograms of waste material last year, of which over 1, 900, 000 was diverted from landfills,” she says. “We need to be proactive and diligent in finding more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as much material as possible.” In the coming weeks Formation Safety and Environment in partnership with other units within Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) will be initiating a number of pilot programs to further increase the streams of recyclable waste. These programs involve the separation and diversion of various types of recyclable materials such as soft plastics and Styrofoam, and compostable materials. “For example, with the exception of cafeterias like Nelles Block or the Wardroom, there aren’t facilities for composting kitchen and food scraps or really any organics at all,” says Johnston. “With the Capital Regional District’s looming ban of all kitchen scraps at the Hartland landfill by 2015 this is something we have to get in place as soon as possible.” Until these pilot programs are in place Johnston is challenging all units to start separating more of their recyclable and compostable materials now. By separating different materials into different containers in these...

As Blueprint 2020 Champion and Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) Edison Stewart put it in his recent blog on enhancing our ability to communicate, “talking is a wonderful thing.” He says before we can make fundamental changes to how we do things, whether here at Defence or government-wide we need to communicate better, share ideas more often, and listen to what each other has to say. As the largest organization in government, with some 130,000 people in locations throughout the world, sharing ideas isn’t always easy. But just because it may be difficult does not mean it shouldn’t be done. Online forum launchedTo help share ideas, a new online forum has just been launched to encourage dialogue and knowledge-sharing, and foster an innovative and collaborative spirit across the Defence Team. Called Defence Connex, the space is located on the government-wide GCconnex platform and uses online tools familiar to many, including discussion groups, polls and blogs. To participate, all you need is a “…forces.gc.ca” email address. Defence Connex is designed to get your input on two distinct engagement initiatives currently underway at Defence: Blueprint 2020 and Defence Renewal. Blueprint 2020 is a pan-government, Public Service-specific initiative that is examining how to fundamentally transform the Public Service and is limited to public servants. At the same time, the Defence Renewal initiative is examining the way we work in order to be more efficient and effective, engaging both public servants and Canadian Armed Forces members to find opportunities to reinvest in ourselves. Although distinct, these initiatives do share one very important theme – a focus on personnel engagement to collect your insight to forge a clear path forward. A one-stop collaboration shopDefence Connex is truly a one-stop-shop for you to connect and collaborate with your colleagues from across Defence, no matter your rank, classification, which organization you serve, whether you are military or civilian, or the distances involved. Senior leaders here at Defence are interested in your thoughts, and your participation on Defence Connex...

[caption id="attachment_4934" align="alignnone" width="300"] A Hull Tech QL5 student uses a high yield fire hose to suppress the roaring flames of a simulated Sea King helicopter crash.[/caption] A group of Hull Technician Qualification Level 3 (QL3) students spent Oct. 9 beating back a roaring tower of flames as part of their Helicopter Crash Rescue Fire Fighting (HCRFF) training.Clad head to toe in fire fighting gear and spraying torrents of water from hoses, students battled a simulated Sea King Helicopter crash. “It gives students an opportunity to fight a helicopter fire with the equipment they would be using on board an HMC ship’s flight deck,” says Sgt Jeremy Buckingham, Senior Firefighter at Canadian Forces Fleet School Esquimalt (CFFSE). “In the event of a helicopter disaster on board ship they’ll have a frame of reference for the type of things they’ll be dealing with, which is invaluable when it comes to saving lives.”The boxy metal simulator contains various liquid and gas propane ejectors that pump the required fuel for the helicopter fire fighting evolution. Portions of the simulator can be ignited at varying degrees of intensity with only the touch of a button, with even at lowest levels projecting a wall of heat over 30 feet in every direction.“We’re keeping the fires low today so the students can get near it somewhat comfortably,” says Sgt Buckingham. “At the higher levels, the radiant heat can melt the paint off cars if we’re not careful. It can get quite intense.”Students suppress the flames initially using Twin Agent Units: Aqueous Film Forming Foam and Potassium bi-carbonate (Dry Chemical). “These are the tools they’ll be using on the ship,” says Sgt Buckingham. “When it comes to fighting helicopter fires it’s vital to have an in-depth understanding of your equipment and how to used it.”This year’s QL3...

[caption id="attachment_4931" align="alignnone" width="300"] HMCS Oriole braves the choppy waves of the Strait of Georgia on the way back to the home waters of CFB Esquimalt.[/caption] A hand-picked crew recently returned from three weeks sailing the tall ship HMCS Oriole in the open ocean, with their compass set for San Francisco, and then back to Esquimalt. The journey was conceived by the Fleet as an opportunity for the temporary crew to get true seafaring experience in the 92-year-old sailing ketch.“They were chosen just before we left,” says LCdr Jeff Kibble, Oriole’s skipper. “We took applications from across the Fleet for people who were most deserving of the opportunity to sail on Oriole for three weeks. We lucked out and got a really great group of people.”San Francisco’s port resides 610 nautical miles away from Oriole’s home waters. “It’s the first time I’ve taken Oriole that far,” says LCdr Kibble. “In a way it was just as great an opportunity for me as it was for them.”During the trip, the crew got a salty taste of the ocean with cresting waves up to 20 feet high with 35 knot winds. This left many holding a bucket or doubled over the edge. However, LCdr Kibble says for the most part the crew stepped it up, followed instructions, and sailed like pros. “The boat itself was never in any danger, but a lot of the crew were not used to those kinds of conditions,” he says. “We had army guys who had never sailed a day in their life. Considering that, they sailed like real salt dogs.”During their five days in San Francisco, the crew was honoured with a visit from Cassie Doyle, the Canadian Consul General for Northern California and Hawaii. “She was very interested in the ship,” says LCdr Kibble. “It...

[caption id="attachment_4887" align="alignnone" width="300"] HMCS Protecteur's Replenishment At Sea (RAS) Team awaits the arrival of HMCS Ottawa into station in order to conduct a RAS on Oct. 2.[/caption] HMC Ships Ottawa, Regina and Protecteur sailed from Esquimalt Harbour today to take part in conventional maritime warfare training off the coast of Southern California from Oct. 7 to 11.  “This exercise provides another excellent opportunity for ships of the Pacific Fleet to train in partnership with ships of the U.S. 3rd Fleet,” said Rear-Admiral Bill Truelove, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific. “This not only showcases the navy’s operational readiness, but our commitment to the Pacific region while strengthening defence relationships with our allies.” Military personnel from Canada and the United States will participate in Task Group Exercise (TGEX), which is designed to build and strengthen interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the United States Navy (USN). This interoperability enhances Canada’s maritime contribution to global security.  Commodore Bob Auchterlonie, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, will be in command of the combined exercise.RCN ships will join USN ships Mobile Bay, Dewey, Ingraham, McClusky and Gary for exercises designed to strengthen individual and collective skills through demanding and realistic training at sea. This year’s training objectives include improving competency in conventional maritime warfare operations such as anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, and anti-surface warfare training.  Live fire exercises will also occur. Exercises like TGEX offer valuable training opportunities for the RCN in order to maintain operational readiness and deploy on joint operations in a rapid and effective manner when called upon by the Government of Canada. These joint operations can range from the provision of humanitarian aid and disaster relief to full-combat operations alongside our allies anywhere in the world. -MARPAC PA

[caption id="attachment_4884" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lt Laura Brunet sets up an intravenous line with Dr. George Benloulou to a simulated casualty on HMCS Calgary.[/caption] The hangar of HMCS Calgary was like a Hollywood set last Wednesday, complete with people in realistic makeup that simulated gruesome injuries. Skilfully attending to them were civilian doctors and military medical officers, with assistance from Calgary’s casualty clearance team, all participants in the submarine search and rescue exercise known as SMASHEX. The navy-led exercise prepares military and civilian medical personnel for the possibility of a submarine catastrophe.“Thankfully, submarine emergency rescue isn’t something we’ve had to deal with,” says LCol Nick Withers, Pacific Regional Surgeon and member of the Submarine Escape and Rescue Assistance Team (SMERAT). “That being said, it’s a very real possibility and something the Department of National Defence needs to be prepared for.”The exercise began in the waters off Colwood when a submarine failed to respond to radio communication. Soon after, people in immersion survival suits appeared in the harbour waiting to be rescued after escaping a fictional sinking submarine. Calgary, berthed at F jetty in Colwood, served as the rescue platform, with ship divers and zodiac crews plucking survivors from the water.  Once retrieved, survivors were hoisted on deck in an inflatable retrieval basket called a Billy Pugh. CPO1 Brian Schwenker, Calgary coxswain, says the exercise was a great way to promote teamwork in the face of disaster.“In times like this we need to operate like a well-oiled machine, not as a series of parts,” he says. “Training opportunities like this give us the chance to keep warm the skill we may one day need to save lives.”Following initial treatment in Calgary’s makeshift triage unit, casualties were tagged with internationally recognized triage cards indentifying the level of injury, and taken to Victoria General...

[caption id="attachment_4880" align="alignnone" width="300"] MCpl Gabriel Auclair trains for the 2013 Canadian Senior Weightlifting Championships.[/caption] As he balanced 177kg (390lbs) on his shoulders and chest for just a few seconds, MCpl Gabriel Auclair had a moment of uncertainty as to whether he could win the bronze at the 2013 Canadian Senior Weightlifting Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.But with brute strength and a desire to medal, the 28-year-old Aerospace Technician from 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron heaved the bar laden with weight equal to two grown men up over his head. This clean lift earned him third place in his weight group in the May 19 weightlifting competition in which competitors attempted to qualify for international events.“The people I was competing against are the best in the country, and to compete alongside them was a pleasure,” says MCpl Auclair.The competition took place in the Saville Sports Centre and featured male and female weightlifters from across the country. Placing in the top three lifters of the “Over 105 kg” weight class in Canada, MCpl Auclair says this competition marks his most important performance to date.“I had an increase of about 30kg (66lbs) in my total weight lifted from two years ago,” he says. “I was really proud of my technique, and how I handled the competition. It was the best competition I’ve ever had.”To prepare for the event, MCpl Auclair trained around the clock, putting away Herculean amounts of food in the process.“I eat around 6,000 to 7,000 calories a day,” he says. “Homogenized milk, eggs, steaks, vegetables, I never stop eating. At first it was tough getting all of it down, but now I’m just hungry all the time.”The huge amounts of calories and protein factor into MCpl Auclair’s training regimen, which is devised by trainer Rob Macklem, whom MCpl Auclair met in...

[caption id="attachment_4834" align="alignnone" width="600"] OS Kelsey Smith and LS Sarah Davill scour a dockyard boat launch as part of the 2013 Great Canadian Shore Cleanup.[/caption] With garbage tongs and plastic bags in hand a small but enthusiastic team took to the task of cleaning the shore of CFB Esquimalt during this year’s Great Canadian Shore Cleanup.The team of military and civilian volunteers scoured Esquimalt Harbour and the surrounding shoreline for debris and detritus. “We had a smaller turnout this year, but it didn’t affect what we were trying to do,” says Lyle Fairley, Environment Officer for the Queen’s Harbour Master and team leader for the Great Canadian Shore Cleanup. “Last year was the first so we were cleaning up years and years worth of garbage and scrap. This year is more like an annual touch up.”The Great Canadian Shore Cleanup is a nation-wide event in which teams across the country collect, sort, and weigh the gathered waste, garbage and scrap to see who can collect the heaviest load.Last year saw over 3,000lbs of materials collected by volunteers, a number Fairley is confident won’t be exceeded this year—which he says is a good thing.“For one, we didn’t have any boats to dredge up this year. We’re hoping we can get some weight collected for the event, but to be honest no garbage is good garbage.”The Cleanup draws volunteers from all parts of the base. LS Sarah Davill is a student at the Canadian Forces Fleet School Esquimalt (CFFSE) Communications School, and says the Cleanup struck her as a way to do some good and get out of the office.“For a lot of us the harbour is our home as well as our workplace,” she says. “It’s important we do what we can to keep our home clean.”LS Davill says she was...

[caption id="attachment_4831" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cadet MCpl Quinn Patton displays aspects of the corps marksmanship program to possible new recruits and their families.[/caption] 2483 Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps opened its doors to new recruits and their families, as well as Corps sponsors and donors on Tuesday, Sept 17 as they prepared for their 61st training year.The Interactive Open House saw lots of community interest in the Army Cadet Program in Esquimalt, with the Corps cadets talking to possible new recruits (and their families) about the marksmanship program, band, orienteering, local, regional and national expeditions, as well as what the overall Canadian Cadet movement is all about. Cadets is about:  teaching youth to become better citizens and leaders promoting physical fitness instilling an interest in the Canadian Armed Forces Cadets is a non-profit, Department of National Defence sponsored youth organization for people between 12 and 18 years of age.The Canadian Cadet movement is always looking for new cadets and adults who are interested in becoming a Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer supporting this program. As well, there are no mandatory fees attached to being an Army Cadet, and these youth can earn high school credits for various aspects of the Cadet program.2483 PPCLI RCACC parades Tuesday evenings from 6:20 to 9:10 p.m. in the Nixon Gym at Work Point Barracks, with its headquarters, administration and supply located at 455 Head Street in Esquimalt.  If your child is interested in joining, come down on any Tuesday evening and the Commanding Officer and Corps Staff will show you why this is the best youth program in Canada. -Capt Grant Whittla, 2483 PPCLI RC(Army)CC

[caption id="attachment_4828" align="alignnone" width="600"] Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign volunteer PO1 Dori Aubin sells 50/50 tickets as part of Fleet Maintenance Facility's fund raising activities.[/caption] The Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton kicked off their portion of the Government of Canadian Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC) during an event Sept. 25 by the dry dock.“FMF provides a large portion of support to this campaign,” said Capt(N) Chris Earl, Commanding Officer of FMF. “We know how important it is to give back to our community, and we look forward to giving this year all we’ve got.”Volunteers took donations and sold 50/50 tickets, all to contribute to the GCWCC and its support of the United Way and Healthpartner organizations.The event itself is part of CFB Esquimalt’s larger fundraising campaign. The fundraising goal of $700,000 was announced Sept. 19 and is one Capt(N) Earl believes his unit can help achieve.“In the past FMF has really raised the bar in terms of donations, volunteers, and good work,” he says. “I know you can be depended on to roll up your sleeves when it’s time to give back.”Capt(N) Earl also spoke on the prevalence of GCWCC funded programs in the community, and the work they do for military members and their families.“You don’t have to go far to see the GCWCC helping people,” he said. “Whether it’s Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Canadian Diabetes Association, or the Single Parent Resource Centre, they’re out there every day supporting the community.”As the event wrapped up Capt(N) Earl expressed his gratitude and pride for the unit he took command of only two months prior.“You are a group of incredibly giving, caring individuals,” he said. “I know if we all work together and do our best we can make this the best year for the GCWCC yet.” -Shawn O’Hara,...

[caption id="attachment_4793" align="alignnone" width="300"] Maritime Forces Pacific’s Senior Command Team and the Interim CEO of United Way hold up their donation forms just before the official Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC) kick off, held at the Naden Drill Deck during the Industrial Supplier Trade Show Sept. 19. From left to right: CPO1 Shawn Taylor, Heather Gardiner, Capt(N) Luc Cassivi, RAdm Bill Truelove, CPO1 Paul Helston, Cmdre Bob Auchterlonie, CPO1 Michel Vigneault and Capt(N) Bradley Peats.[/caption] This year’s goal for the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC) was announced to thunderous applause at the 2013 Industrial Supplier Trade Show.Base Commander Capt(N) Luc Cassivi  announced CFB Esquimalt’s fund raising goal of $700, 000, stating it is a reachable and reasonable milestone.“We know the military community is one of giving,” said Capt(N) Cassivi. “We’re also a family-oriented one, and the United Way helps fund programs that aid families across the region.”CFB Esquimalt’s goal of $700,000 is a part of a regional goal of $6 million. Capt(N) Cassivi says the United Way and Healthpartners are able to help more people than most might realize.“One in three people receives some kind of help from a United Way funded group,” he says. “This isn’t just a campaign that affects us, it affects a huge portion of our community.”Interim CEO of the United Way of Greater Victoria Heather Gardiner was on hand to speak of the charitable spirit of the military community and of the United Way.“I myself have had support from United Way organizations in the past,” she said. “Without their help, and without the help of the military which is our biggest contributor, many people in our community would have much harder lives. Thank you so much for your help and care.” -Shawn O’Hara, Staff Writer

[caption id="attachment_4790" align="alignnone" width="300"] Instructor David Rogers from BC Hazmat Management Ltd. teaches a Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) course to employees of Seaspan.[/caption] A retired naval captain is changing the way marine industrial training is done in British Columbia.Capt(N) (Ret’d) Alex Rueben best known for leading Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton and serving as MARPAC Chief of Staff, is the Executive Director of the Industrial Marine Training and Research Centre (IMTARC). Last February, the doors to his organization opened in a modest one-story building on the outskirts of Naden. For the first time in B.C. marine history, there is a centralized, specialized facility for marine industrial workplace training, research and development.“Before, many industrial marine employers worked out their own isolated solutions to training their workforces, if they could afford it or made it a priority. In the case of the smaller employers, the training was often unaffordable. Now, IMTARC makes the training affordable and brings the industry together in the classroom where they learn as much from each other as from the curriculum being taught,” explains Rueben. The facility features two classrooms with a 24 student capacity, and a 12-person computer lab with one-touch projection systems and networks that allow direct conference calling to classrooms across the country.“Some of our clients are large organizations with operations in several locations so they need to be connected,” says Rueben. “This lets them offer the same level and fidelity of training to multiple classrooms at the same time.”IMTARC serves the needs of marine industrial organizations by brokering training provided by private and public training service providers, leasing out the   learning facilities, and developing new curriculum for topics such as ship repair industry entry level training (pre-employment course), industrial marine estimating, industrial marine planning and scheduling, industrial marine terminology, and various leadership...