Members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada regiment carry Corporal Nathan Cirillo's casket from McEvoy-Shields funeral parlour to the hearse during his final journey home on Oct . 24, Ottawa, Ontario.

Spectators pay tribute to Cpl Nathan Cirillo in front of the National War Memorial during the Commemoration event  Oct. 23.

Canadian Armed Forces members parade during a Commemoration event, held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario on Oct. 23, paying tribute to Cpl Nathan Cirillo.

[caption id="attachment_8366" align="alignnone" width="300"] A pilot climbs aboard his CF-188 Hornet aircraft to take off from CFB Bagotville to take part in Operation Impact on Oct. 23.[/caption]On Oct. 23 at 3 Wing Bagotville and  8 Wing Trenton, approximately 140 personnel from Canadian Forces Bases and Wings across Canada deployed on their mission to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Impact.In light of recent events, I am proud and thankful that our Canadian Armed Forces’ men and women stand courageously for peace and stability. Their resilience demonstrates our values internationally.Canadian Armed Forces contribution to coalition operations against  the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) includes approximately 600 personnel, including members already working with Americans in an advisory and assistance role by providing strategic and tactical advice to Iraqi security forces and aircrew support elements, such as command and control and logistics.Our contribution also includes, six CF-188 Hornet fighter aircraft, one CC-150T Polaris aerial refueller to support coalition air operations and two CP-140M Aurora surveillance aircraft to provide reconnaissance capabilities.We will not be intimidated.More than ever, we remain committed and determined to work with our allies and partners around the world to fight against the terrorist organizations to prevent the spread of terror and tyranny.Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of National Defence

[caption id="attachment_8363" align="alignnone" width="300"] Team Scrambled Eggs and Ham - LCdr Leung, Matt Campolongo and Colin Geddes - at the race finish with race directors Tex Geddes and Michael Templement.[/caption]Considered one of the most difficult ultramarathon on the planet, the Grand to Grand Ultramarathon (G2G) is gruelling says LCdr Francis Leung. It takes determined participants 273 kilometres, from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona to the Grand Staircase in Utah.The naval officer knows this firsthand, having recently completed the race over seven days across a distance similar to that of Victoria to Campbell River, through storms, sand dunes, caves, canyons, and rocky, mountainous terrain.A veteran runner who put the sport aside for work and family, LCdr Leung considered training for the G2G as a way of regaining his edge,“I was a competitive athlete most of my life, but after a series of injuries compounded by demanding work schedules, I got into a fairly sedentary lifestyle,” he says. “I needed something like this to get back into shape.”LCdr Leung, and fellow runners Michael Templeman and Matthew Campolongo formed team Scrambled Legs and Ham. They set out Sept. 23 from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a legendary natural wonder.With a storm front on their heels, LCdr Leung and his team made good time for the first day, but with just 50 km under their belts, they knew there was still over 220 km of more punishing terrain ahead of them.“At one point on the first day, we could feel this cold front licking at our necks,” he says. “We later found out that the competitors behind us had to run through a flash flood with water up to their shins and chunky hailstones coming down on them. We were very lucky to miss that because it eventually...

[caption id="attachment_8356" align="alignnone" width="300"] Director of the Naval Museum of Halifax, Richard Sanderson, and RAdm John F. Newton, Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic and Maritime Force Atlantic, make a media announcement about the discovery of a historic anchor.[/caption]An anchor of a historic naval ship has been discovered.This anchor, believed to have belonged to HMCS Niobe, has been unearthed at HMC Dockyard in HalifaxNiobe was the first Canadian warship to enter Canada’s territorial waters, on Oct. 21, 1910, a landmark event in the beginnings of the Naval Service of Canada.As fate would have it, the discovery of the roughly 900-kilo (2000-pound) anchor was made just days before the commemoration of Niobe Day, which will from now on, be celebrated annually by the Royal Canadian Navy on the 21st day of October.An excavation crew working at HMC Dockyard recovered an anchor and chain buried beneath a demolition site on the morning of Oct. 14.The anchor was unearthed at former Jetty 4, where Building D-19, a Second World War dockside warehouse and one of the first structures at HMC Dockyard, once stood and is now being demolished. This work is part of the ongoing refurbishment of HMC Dockyard in preparation for the arrival of a new fleet of ships that will be delivered through the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy over the next decade and beyond.The dimensions of the roughly 900-kilo (2000-pound) anchor are, 4 metres (13 feet) from crown to head, 4.1 metres (13.5 feet) across the stock, and 3.35 metres (11 feet) from bill to bill of the flukes. Additionally, each link of the anchor’s chain is 51 centimetres (20 inches) by 28 centimetres (11 inches) and weighs approximately 34 kilos (75 pounds).While still in the process of officially confirming this historic find, Richard Sanderson, Director at the Naval Museum of Halifax,...

CPO2 Lesperance and Cdr Montgomery direct personnel in using of the contents of an Emergency Response Container near building D-100 in dockyard during the Great B.C. Shakeout Exercise on October 16.

Royal Canadian Navy sailors standing sentry prepare to take their first post, at the National War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa.

Royal Canadian Navy sailors standing sentry take their first post at the National War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, Ontario.

 Cpl Jean-Christophe Boivin-Couillard from 2nd Canadian Division, is lifted up by members of his unit for winning the Queens Medal for Champion Shot (Regular Force) at the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration.

 Competitors take part in the finals during the Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration held at Connaught Range in Nepean, Ontario last month. Sharp Shooting in Canada.

[caption id="attachment_8278" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ken Cawley practices his stealth, sneaking up on a decoy attached to a fishing line, as part of the First Responder Oiled Animal Capture Course held at D Jetty last week.[/caption]Rescuing oil-slicked animals and birds is now a skillset of a few base employees.To ensure they can do the job, 10 people from Port Operation and Emergency Services (POESB), Fleet Maintenance Facility, and the Coast Guard took the First Responder Oiled Animal Capture course with Focus Wildlife Canada last week.Standing in for the real thing was a remote controlled four-wheeled water fowl that zipped around the parking lot near D Jetty in Colwood and Esquimalt Harbour, as students took turns catching it with a net.  “It’s not as good as the real thing, but it’s a lot safer,” says Chris Battaglia, co-founder of Focus Wildlife Canada and course instructor.Battaglia and Focus Wildlife Canada provide professional spill response and training across Canada and the United States. Part of this training includes the capture or deterrence of animals in an environment affected by a spill.Students were educated on the responsibilities of a first responder in an oil spill situation. This includes how to evaluate a spill, the threat it may pose to wildlife, and how to intervene when it comes to oiled animals.“It’s about giving them the tools needed to deal with a situation before the specialists arrive,” says Battaglia. “Obviously they won’t be able to deal with a large volume of oiled birds on their own, but that first 24 to 48 hours can be critical, and it’s important to have people know what to do in those situations.”The course also included hands-on oiled animal capture training. Using both floating and rolling decoys, students scooped the models up in nets in the harbour and on the ground.“There...

[caption id="attachment_8275" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lt(N) Matthew Clark, Commanding Officer of the Naden Band, takes the musicians through a rehearsal.[/caption]In-between playing gigs at numerous events, the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy has been laying down tracks for a new CD.The album, titled “Snapshots of Excellence”, focuses on the Naden Band’s smaller ensembles.“Most people are used to seeing the band all together at events, or at Christmas time,” says Lt(N) Matthew Clark, the band’s Commanding Officer. “We have a lot of great talent, and a lot of smaller groups and soloists we wanted to shine the spotlight on. It’s very exciting for us.”The band is comprised of world-class musicians; this talent includes everything from trombone quartets to woodwind quintets, soloists of all kinds, and modern rock and jazz inspired groups.“There is a lot of variety in our performers,” says Lt(N) Clark. “We have a great respect for the classic style, but it’s nice to get to stretch our legs a little.”For the recording process, the band’s practice hall and headquarters at N33 have been converted into a recording studio, with microphones every few steps, and hundreds of feet of snaking wires and cords draping the room like vines. They are recording well into the evening, night after night.“We’ve had to turn the air conditioning off because the mics are so sensitive,” he says. “After eight hours of playing and recording, it becomes quite the oven. Playing music is a lot more exhausting than I think a lot of people understand.”Despite all the late nights, sore jaws, and boiling hot recording sessions, Lt(N) Clark says at the end of the day it’s a worthwhile experience.“Sometimes I’ll get home at 11:30 p.m. and think about how I might have gotten in over my head,” he says. “But when I wake up the...

[caption id="attachment_8272" align="alignnone" width="300"] The envelope of a letter sent to Bella from her brother Fred during the First World War. Inset: A portrait of Ed Grant in his service uniform.[/caption]Staff at Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site is providing people a window into the lives and relationships of a Bella Coola family from a century ago.Each day, using social media, they have released letters sent by brothers Ed and Fred Grant to their sister Belle in Victoria during their service in the First World War.The online historical exhibit is called “Dearest Belle.”“It’s a very interesting look at how people thought back then,” says Dave King, Visitor Experience Manager at Fort Rodd Hill. “You get to see what they were doing, the new things they were seeing and experiencing, how they felt about it, and how much their family meant to them.”Fred, a member of the 2nd Mounted Rifles, and Ed of the 5th Artillery, were deployed separately to France and Belgium. King says the letters give an intimate look at how this journey affected these two humble farm boys.“They got swept up in something much larger than themselves,” he says. “This was a time of change, for Canada and Canadians.”The letters, along with photos of the family, were discovered in a second-hand bookstore in Victoria called Sorensen’s Books. When King and his team discovered the collection, they realized it’s potential.“We realized there was a potential for interpretation and presentation, to get a look at that part of Canadian history that is so close, but yet so far in the past,” he says.Fifty letters were chosen from the collection, and are being released through Fort Rodd Hill’s Facebook page and Twitter account, culminating with the final letter Nov. 11.King says the most illuminating part of the collection is that the...

Amphibious Insert Training from Lookout on Vimeo.

Description:CFB Esquimalt's newspaper Lookout is a growing and dynamic operation in Victoria, B.C.  We are searching for an energetic, articulate and driven person to join our sales team. This individual will be focused on trade show and ad sales (print, social media and coming soon, digital).Do you have advertising sales experience?Do you have a proven sales record?Are you passionate about for providing exceptional client service?Are you looking to be part of an exceptional team and strong culture?If yes is your answer, then we'd like YOU on our sales team.Responsibilities:Sell local base-specific ads into the newspaper and recreation guides, and national ad campaigns into 17 base newspapers; sell booths for two dynamic trade shows hosted on the base each year; sell our upcoming social media and electronic screens;Develop strategies to grow existing business and develop a pipeline of new opportunities;Maintain accurate client and related data base;Manage sales meetings with existing clients/agencies and potential clients/agencies; andCollaborate with sales team and other departments as required.Qualifications:Advertising sales experienceSelf-starterProven success in prior salesTech savvy with solid PC and software skillsExcellent verbal and written communication skillsAbility to build and maintain solid client relationshipsSolid presentation and negotiation skillsSelf-starter with an entrepreneurial spiritTeam playerSolid organizational skillsDetail orientatedSalary:Commission-based only, percentages negotiatedIf you are interested in this position please send your resume and cover letter via email to melissa.atkinson@forces.gc.ca or fax (250) 363-3015.

This year, the Great British Columbia Shakeout will begin at exactly 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. (stock photo)

The Naden Band prepares to march off the parade during the opening of the BC Legislature on Oct. 6.

Members from HMCS Edmonton, Nanaimo and Whitehorse jointly kicked off their 2014 GCWCC campaign on Y-Jetty, Oct. 8.

The table is set for a Flag officers dinner at the Admiral's residence in HMC Dockyard Esquimalt to kick off the Maritime Security Challenges conference Oct. 6.

The Flag officers dinner at the Admiral's residence in HMC Dockyard Esquimalt to kick off the Maritime Security Challenges conference on Oct. 6.

Flag officers and honoured guests gather at the Admiral's residence in HMC Dockyard Esquimalt for a dinner to start the Maritime Security Challenges conference Oct. 6.

[caption id="attachment_8232" align="alignnone" width="300"] The United State Coast Guard Cutter Active’s rigid hull inflatable boat approaches the suspect vessel while HMCS Calgary stands guard in the background.[/caption]Merely two hours after departing San Diego harbour to start an eight-day Operation Caribbe deployment with Joint Interagency Task Force South, HMCS Calgary was directed to investigate a small suspicious vessel (panga) in international waters.The panga was approximately 100 nautical miles southwest of the United States – Mexico border.Along with U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Active and Haddock, and a USCG C-130 Hercules on station, Calgary went in pursuit of the vessel. As this was a joint interagency operation, Calgary had the U.S. Coast Guard and a Law Enforcement Detachment embarked.A Hercules provided reports on the panga and tracked its position, while Calgary closed the location of the vessel at full speed. As Calgary was launching its Barracuda and dispatching the Law Enforcement Detachment team, the USCGC Active dispatched  its team to approach the vessel of interest.Calgary arrived on scene and sighted numerous bales floating in the water. As they approached the floating objects, they were discovered to be bales of what was suspected to be contraband.The Law Enforcement Detachment was quickly dispatched to recover the bales and investigate the contents. Twenty two bales were recovered, (with an additional 28 in the panga), and the contents were confirmed to be marijuana, totaling approximately 1,200 pounds.“Shortly after embarking the Law Enforcement Detachment crew, we were presented with an opportunity to conduct trans-national Maritime Interdiction Operations. I was impressed with the seamless interoperability between the two units. It was a true testament to the great cooperation with our partners to the south,” said Cdr John Wilson, Commanding Officer of Calgary. “It was a great day for the whole ship’s company to be a part of the frontline...

More than 500 sailors from HMC Ships Calgary, Winnipeg, Brandon and Yellowknife have departed Esquimalt harbour last week to take part in operations and exercises off the coast of Southern California.Supported by two CH-124 Sea King helicopters from 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, the ships will participate in a Task Group Exercise (TGEX) with the United States Navy and Japanese Maritime Self–Defense Force from Oct. 20 to 31.  “The Canadian Pacific Fleet routinely conducts operations and exercises with partner nations. The high-tempo training builds strong bilateral and multilateral ties between the Royal Canadian Navy and the navies of other nations,” said Cmdre Bob Auchterlonie, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific.The aim of Task Group Exercises are to enhance combat readiness while improving interoperability and tactical excellence. This specific TGEX will focus on interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy, United States Navy, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is hosted by the United States Navy’s 3rd Fleet. Before the commencement of TGEX, HMC Ships Brandon, Yellowknife, and Calgary will participate in San Francisco Fleet Week - a tradition in which active navy ships dock in a major city for several days for military demonstrations, airshows, and guided tours of the ships.On completion of TGEX, Yellowknife and Brandon will join Operation Caribbe, Canada’s contribution to Operation Martillo, a U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South-led interagency and multinational effort among Western Hemisphere and European nations, designed to improve regional security and deter criminal activity. As part of Operation Caribbe, the Canadian Armed Forces support multinational efforts to address illicit trafficking by providing naval and air capabilities to detect and monitor suspect activities on the water off the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Central America. 

[caption id="attachment_8226" align="alignnone" width="300"] Firefighter Mark Walker takes in the sights during a high line exercise at the CFB Esquimalt Fire Department, Oct. 8.[/caption]The training tower of the recently constructed fire hall served as a platform for a unique training session last week.Firefighters from the CFB Esquimalt Fire Department took part in Confined Space and Rope Rescue certification course taught by Roco Rescue Canada. It included a high line rescue of a mock victim. During a high line rescue, a series of pulleys, lines, and anchors are used to create a line across a space. A crew can then haul a rescue technician across and over an obstacle to the victim. During a shipboard emergency, the high line can be used to haul a rescue technician over open water.“That way you can take someone who has been injured, and instead of going across gangways and up and down ladders you can get them straight to the jetty,” says Keith Shields of Roco Rescue, who helped take the firefighters through the course.Given the unique environment firefighters operate in, Shields says it’s important they be prepared for a variety of situations.“Working in maritime and military environments presents some unique challenges,” he says. “With these different techniques, they have the tools needed to respond to them.”The course culminated in a day-long written and practical exam, where firefighters were quizzed on proper operation, terminology, and theory, while also performing practical drills using the techniques learned in training.“It’s a timed exam, and they’re being held to a national standard, so it can be pretty tough,” says Shields.When it comes to the course itself, firefighter Lieutenant Keith Lee says the course goes a long way towards bridging the gap in experience.“Some of this is new knowledge for a lot of us, but it’s the right training to...

Jump Camp for SAR Techs from Lookout on Vimeo.

CFB Esquimalt firefighters and their furriest member Sparky are reminding everyone about Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11.