Peter MallettStaff Writer––Six volunteers from Naval Personnel Training Group (NPTG) assisted HeroWorks recent Radical Renovation - the Langford-based Indigenous Perspective Society.With personal protective equipment in place, and tools in hand, they helped in the demolition phase of the project. The preliminary work goes until Oct. 1 and then the Radical Renovation follows with an expected completion of Nov. 20.The Indigenous Perspective Society – Center for Excellence In Community Education (IPS), offers training, consulting, and projects to help foster a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives, cultural differences, and the need for self-determination. A large part of IPS’s programming and training helps to support Indigenous children, youth and families involved in the child welfare system.HeroWorks vision is to transform the building, a former die casting shop, into a culturally relevant and safe space. The goal is to reflect Indigenous cultures and ensure psychological safety for the work that goes on there. Cost of the renovation is estimated at $628,000. It includes the reconfiguration of workspaces to accommodate more participants, increased natural light by adding more skylights, redesign of the building’s interior layout, soundproofing, accessible and gender-neutral washrooms, building façade and landscape redesign, and culturally relevant designed spaces. “I got involved because I learned the HeroWork organization always lends a helping and does some very admirable work,” said LCdr Christopher McKelvey, senior staff officer with NPTG. “It presented me with some volunteer work where I could physically see the results of my efforts immediately.”He helped organize the tool and supply trailer, remove all the lighting tracks on the ceiling, knock down drywall, and remove some of the existing structural walls. Joining him were Capt Catherine Mason, CPO2 Patrick Devaney, MS Kevin Allan, PO1 Darrell Barnes, and SLt Andrew Fors. Two other volunteers from CFB Esquimalt also pitched in. Military members and civilian DND...

[caption id="attachment_26911" align="aligncenter" width="595"] U.S. Navy sailor Lieutenant Junior Grade Kyle Luchau and an HMCS Harry DeWolf crewmember raise the United States flag in commemoration of 9/11.[/caption]Lt(N) Lisa TubbHMCS Harry DeWolf––In the early hours of a Saturday morning at sea in the Canadian Arctic, while deployed on Operation Nanook 21, several crewmembers of HMCS Harry DeWolf solemnly assembled on the starboard bridge wing to raise a flag to half-mast. It was the Flag of the United States that unfurled in the wind. The day was Sept. 11.United States Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Kyle Luchau thought he would be the only person commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks while attached to this Canadian warship. However, as many Canadians did on that day 20 years earlier, the crew of Harry DeWolf jumped at the chance to support their American friend. After raising the American Flag, the Bridge Watchkeeper began a day-long narration of events from Sept 11, 2001, over the ship’s intercom system in real time. Each time the bridge watchkeeper announced the next chronological event – planes taking off, their collisions with the World Trade Centres, the evacuation of lower Manhattan - the crew paused from their task at hand to listen and reflect. LTJG Kyle Luchau had been on board since embarking in Iqaluit, Nunavut, on Aug. 11. His embarkation was conducted with the goal of strengthening his skills as a naval officer through familiarization and experience with Canadian operating systems and procedures, while further fostering the relationship between the two nations. LTJG Luchau was humbled by the response and support he received from his Canadian crewmembers, “Being on this ship for a month now, I’ve learned so much about just how connected we really are, and how much this event has affected Canadians and other...

[caption id="attachment_26908" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Procurement and Contracting Division team recognized for their outstanding efforts are: Brendan Carver, Lynda Lee, Darcie Rolph, Danielle Wickens, Janee Kurk, Marcel Vignola, Michelle Hess, Shirley Choy, Janice Jorgensen, Dalis Hy, Jillian Baxter, Chad Sharratt, Celeine D’Amour, Geno Padovese, Dwayne Stewart, Corinne Readman, Veronica Hackett, Gina Mar, PO2 Joey Espineli, SLt Shaina Sowley, SLt Elias Kanoga, Kevin Lee and Justin Malchow.[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer––The Base Logistics procurement team has been honoured for their outstanding efforts in keeping the supply chain up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Procurement and Contracting Division is a user-driven cell that provides procurement and contracting services to Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) and lodger units. Procurement managers and staff were recently named winners of the Canadian Institute for Procurement and Materiel Management’s Unsung Heroes Award for their superb handling the past year’s challenges. The award will be presented via Zoom on Sept. 29. Procurement and Contracting Officer Brendan Carver says their work is normally a complex and complicated job, but when the COVID-19 pandemic began it presented a “highly volatile and unforeseen procurement challenge.” This was amplified by global supply chain shortages and a litany of other pandemic-related issues. The Unsung Heroes Award is a proud moment for his unit, he says, because the recognition is coming from an organization that represents the greater procurement community within the Government of Canada. “The procurement team’s dedication and professionalism shines through every day and truly enables operations of MARPAC, Joint Task Force Pacific, and their lodger units,” he explains. Carver says procurement became a crucial element during the pandemic. Their work enabled MARPAC to seamlessly continue support of international security operations, domestic pandemic response operations, and immediate disaster response.The 23-member Procurement and Contracting Division team successfully pushed forward several large initiatives in 2020 despite the...

[caption id="attachment_26904" align="aligncenter" width="595"] HMCS Harry DeWolf[/caption]Lt(N) Lisa TubbHMCS Harry DeWolf––Canada’s first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship just ticked off two major milestones.As of Sept. 12, HMCS Harry DeWolf has completed its first operational deployment, Operation Nanook 2021, and was the first in its class to sail through northern waters.Op Nanook is Canada’s signature northern operation that has a series of comprehensive activities designed to exercise the defence of Canada and secure our northern regions.For Harry DeWolf, it was no ordinary deployment as this voyage presented an opportunity for the crew to experience an element of Canadiana. Ship and crew charted their northern course via a historic route born from a tragic beginning. For the first time since HMCS Labrador’s northern voyage in 1954, a Royal Canadian Navy ship sailed westward through the Davis Strait to the Beaufort Sea, and successfully traversed a path through the fabled Northwest Passage. It is the same route taken by the infamous 1845 Franklin Expedition, which was lost with all hands in the same area.“Having the opportunity to sail the same route the ill-fated Franklin Expedition did many years ago is like having a classroom at your doorstep,” says Commander Corey Gleason, Harry DeWolf Commanding Officer. “Honing our skills as mariners during Op Nanook, and also being exposed to history and the beauty and culture of the Arctic, it has been a great experience for all on board.”Operation NanookThroughout the operation, Harry DeWolf demonstrated the ability of both its crew and the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship to operate in northern waters. Alongside HMCS Goose Bay and ships from the Canadian Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard, Harry DeWolf participated in exercises that simulated responses to a major maritime incident.Ship’s crew also gained invaluable knowledge from training and working alongside four RCMP personnel and one United States Navy member embarked for the operation. Understanding how domestic and international partners operate in the challenging Arctic environment will only add to the capacity to...

[caption id="attachment_26900" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer––The Tritons men’s soccer team returned to action last week with a seven-aside match against a touring team of British Army players. It didn’t matter to Tritons coach PO1 Patrick Robbins that his team surrendered two second-half goals in a 3-1 loss to British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta. What did matter was how his charges performed after a nearly two-year layoff due to the global pandemic.Many of his players are new to the Tritons, a team that hasn’t kicked a ball in more than 17 months since COVID-19 health measures were implemented.“This was our first game in a long time and a good challenge for our guys against a young and fit team from Alberta by way of the United Kingdom,” he says. “I thought our passing was very strong and this new group of players worked very well together, but there were also some things we will need to work on.”[caption id="attachment_26901" align="aligncenter" width="595"] The men’s Tritons and British Army Training Unit Suffield soccer teams after a friendly soccer game.[/caption]The game was played at the Gorge Soccer Association’s Hampton Park Turf field in Esquimalt. BATUS held a 1-0 lead on a header from LCpl Alex Clark until 10 minutes after the halftime break. That’s when Tritons striker S3 Joshua Charles caught the opposition defence napping and struck a hard right-footed blast past the BATUS goalkeeper.“I saw the opening and hit a pretty good shot with my right foot into the top corner of their net,” says S3 Charles.S3 Charles, currently posted to Naden as a Naval Electronic Sensor Operator, lamented his team’s missed chances while acknowledging the skill and ability of the opposition.Only moments after S3 Charles’ equaliser, BATUS regained their lead with an equally clinical finish from visitor Cpl Scriven whose well-placed shot found the back of the net.Ten minutes from full time, an unmarked Sgt Oliver Tonks of BATUS struck for his team’s third...

[caption id="attachment_26853" align="aligncenter" width="595"] MCpl Kwaku Amoateng and his son Jordan.[/caption]Camille DouglasTotem Times Newspaper––MCpl Kwaku Amoateng is a firefighter at 19 Wing Comox who spends his spare time drawing. In fact, he is a graphic artist who recently published a book: The Magic Umbrella: Bratasaurus Vs Tyrannosaurus.“I wrote and illustrated a book about me and my son Jordan - the fun times and the challenges we face,” says MCpl Amoateng. “I had always dreamed about writing a children’s book, but when the reality of me being separated from my son became imminent (due to a posting), I specifically chose to write a book series about us.”Jordan was diagnosed with autism at the age of three while MCpl Amoateng was working at 12 Wing Shearwater. Now, at nine years old, Jordan is a happy child attending school and making significant progress thanks to the support he received at the Shearwater MFRC.Through the MFRC, MCpl Amoateng and Jordan were introduced to an Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) team that focuses on developing functional social communication skills for children with special needs.“He’s come a long way and he’s shown a lot of improvements. The MFRC and the EIBI team really helped kickstart that for him, which was crucial for us,” MCpl Amoateng said.A posting to 19 Wing Comox resulted in a separation for MCpl Amoateng’s family as Jordan’s support system is in Nova Scotia. “Writing this book was a coping mechanism. I feel his physical presence when I illustrate him and remember the adventures we had.”The Magic Umbrella is the story of Kwadan and Jorku; it invites readers to join them under their beautiful magical umbrella and soar to exciting places as they see different things while learning to understand and communicate with each other. Kwadan and his son Jorku are very different in how they speak, which is sometimes frustrating. The pair learn to not be dinosaurs to each other.MCpl Amoateng plans to create three additional series of the book. To purchase...

[caption id="attachment_26850" align="aligncenter" width="595"] HMCS Goose Bay is seen sailing alongside US Coast Guard Ships Escanaba (left) and Richard Snyder (centre) during the early portion of Operation Nanook. Photo by Cpl Simon Arcand[/caption]MCDV enjoys a namesake community visit and other activities in Canada’s northJoanie VeitchTrident Newspaper––After 39 days covering more than 12,000 kilometres, HMCS Goose Bay returned to Halifax on Sept. 10 from a very memorable deployment — one that included participating in Operation Nanook and a namesake community visit to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.Although Goose Bay was only in port for four days from Sept. 2 to 5, the crew made the most of the available time, meeting with members of 5 Wing Goose Bay, the Mayor, and representatives of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. They also met with the family of Dr. Doris Saunders, the ship’s sponsor who passed away in 2006. More than 200 residents took tours of the ship, all with COVID protocols and precautions in place.The crew also got some “fuzz therapy” on a visit to the Happy Valley-Goose Bay SPCA — the ship’s charity — where they donated $1,000 to help with medical and shelter costs, and to cuddle some cute critters.“We had to check everyone’s pockets and backpacks after that visit to make sure no one tried to smuggle any of them aboard ship,” joked LCdr Daniel Rice, Goose Bay’s Commanding Officer.The deployment was Goose Bay’s first since before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Atlantic shores, cancelling the ship’s scheduled involvement in BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) in June 2020 and again scuttling its role in Operation Projection in January 2021.“We missed two out of two deployments over the past 18 months so we were really ready for this one,” said LCdr Rice.Midway through Operation Nanook, an annual joint exercise in the Canadian Arctic, HMCS...

[caption id="attachment_26882" align="aligncenter" width="595"] CPO1 Peggy Bradford.[/caption]Joanie VeitchTrident Newspaper––When Chief Petty Officer First Class Peggy Bradford joined the Naval Reserve in 1981, she had no idea she had found her career path. She was simply a kid in Grade 11 thrilled to have landed a good summer job. In July, CPO1 Bradford celebrated 40 years of service as a naval reservist.“I’ve loved it all the way, and I’m still enjoying what I do,” she says. “Being in the military, either the Regular Force or the Reserve, helps to bring out skills you didn’t know you had. You learn so much and have lots of opportunities for leadership. I think it’s a wonderful career.”She continued with the Reserve through her final year of high school and as she completed training in Business Administration at the Nova Scotia Community College. That administrative training opened the door to more opportunity.“I was fortunate I got to work full-time with the Naval Reserve doing administrative work for a program that later became the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels,” she says.Marrying her husband Trent — a Regular Force engineering officer — in 1989, the couple moved to the West Coast after he was posted to HMCS Ottawa in Esquimalt. Having always lived on Canada’s East Coast, CPO1 Bradford was excited to move across the country, where she accepted a contract as the Naval Reserve training coordinator at Canadian Forces Fleet School (CFFS) Esquimalt.Balancing two full-time navy schedules when their son was born in 1993 wasn’t always easy, she says.“We were lucky to have grandparents who could pitch in when we were both away. It was still really hard when we were both on deployment, but we knew we were fortunate having them so close.”Being appointed Coxswain of HMCS Whitehorse in 2004 was a career highlight, she says.“That’s the pinnacle job for any non-commissioned member. It was a bit scary as it had been some time since I was posted to a ship; things had changed and with a...

Peter MallettStaff Writer––The Soldier On road to recovery of ill and injured CAF members and veterans has a new shine these days after expanding in to the realm of jewellery making. On Sept. 9, nine Soldier On members participated in a one-day Silversmith Workshop at Argentum Jewellery School and Supply in Victoria to learn the basics of metal-smithing and fine craftsmanship. An instructor from the school spent the day teaching the fundamental steps of taking a blank piece of bronze or silver and moulding it into earrings, stacking rings, a wide band, pendant, or key chain. Participants learned the basic of chemistry of moulding different metal materials and how to anneal, solder, weld, etch, engrave, hammer cut, and prepare silver. Participants left the workshop with a take-home piece of jewellery or art, which they had spent the day creating into their own unique vision. Soldier On is a program of Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, which provides support for serving and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have experienced a physical or psychological illness or injury. Up next for a new group of participants will be a week-long sailing camp at Canadian Forces Sailing Association, Sept. 20 to 24. In October, 19 Wing Comox will host a PADI Scuba Diver Course, led by the 19 Wing Pacific Divers Scuba Club. For more information about Soldier On and its programs, visit their website: http://www.SoldierOn.caTo get involved, interested personnel can register online at https://www.soldieron.ca/Get-Support/Register-Now––

Peter MallettStaff Writer––Post-secondary in-class studies are great, but hands-on experience is grander. Which is why the University of Victoria (UVic) has a robust cooperative program that places students into real world jobs for a few months.Two UVic students landed at Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton this summer, and are applying their classroom instruction to real-life jobs.Josie Shasko, a 20-year-old third-year chemistry and math student, is working in FMF Safety and Environment Shop 420.“FMF is a lot larger than I initially expected; during my tour of the facility on my first day I was surprised how much they fit into the building,” she says. Paul Willis, 27, a third-year business and commerce student, is splitting his time between FMF’s Management System Division and the Strategic Communications department.“I love the work that I have been doing for FMF as it has given me a chance to use tools and concepts from my business classes and apply them to hands-on projects,” he says. “I’ve also really enjoyed being a public servant and knowing the work I’m contributing is serving and supporting navy operations, as well as Canadian interests.”In his Management System Division job, he is working on FMF’s Process Integration Management Systems, helping develop a Standard Operating Procedure document library. At his Strategic Communication job, he has been developing content for FMF’s Instagram, and creating a social media research report to suggest ways to increase public engagement.His work is very meaningful, says Jeremy Russell, Section Head for the Management System Division. He points to Willis’ success in creating a more effective MSD Sharepoint website. The webpage is crucial to on-the-job learning and includes documents outlining basic work procedures for FMF employees. Not only did Willis make the site more user-friendly, but he also sought extra software training to enhance his efforts.“He has shown amazing...

SLt Wilson HoUPAR - HMCS Vancouver––Students of New Waterford Division, Naval Warfare Officer Course Phase IV were in the middle of their first week of their final phase of training Sept.14 when they encountered a submarine in their sights. Students, split between the three Orca Class vessels – Orca 55, Grizzly 60, and Moose 62 – were conducting navigation training in the Southern Gulf Islands and the Strait of Georgia when they came across HMCS Victoria conducting its own program.In a fine display of interoperability between submarines and patrol crafts, Victoria’s Commanding Officer offered the opportunity to integrate his submarine into the manoeuvring exercise. This was readily agreed to by the Officer in Tactical Command. The submarine’s participation not only provided additional manoeuvring time for the students, but it gave them the unique and rare opportunity to develop their visual appreciation for a surfaced submarine underway at sea. “It is truly a unique opportunity for Orca Class vessels to conduct manoeuvres with our submarine force; this was a great experience for both the students and crew,” said Lieutenant Commander Ryan deForest, Commanding Officer of Patrol Craft Training Unit Pacific, and also the Officer in Tactical Control of the three Orca Class vessels. This was also echoed by Victoria’s Commanding Officer.“It was a pleasure for Victoria to support training for the next generation of Naval Warfare Officers and pique the interest of potential future submariners. As we continue with our programme, we will continue to monitor their training from the depths of the Strait of Georgia,” said LCdr Éric Isabelle. After an exciting day of manoeuvres, the students continued to progress through the remaining two and a half weeks of their final sea phase. Once the final evaluations are completed, they will return back to the Naval Officer Training Centre Venture, complete Damage Control School training, and receive a posting to either the Canadian Pacific Fleet or the Canadian Atlantic Fleet to join their first warshipAll core crew and students tested...

[caption id="attachment_26834" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer––A white ensign, once flown atop a captured German U-boat, has been returned to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).Second World War veteran Able Seaman Bob Haden of Victoria had kept the ensign as a war trophy for more than 75 years. The ensign was hoisted a top former German U-boat 889 following its surrender in May 1945, becoming HMCS U-889.On Sept. 13, at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 91 in Langford, the 97-year-old presented the ensign as a gift to the Commander Canadian Submarine Force, Captain (Naval) Jean Stéphane Ouellet, and his Chief, CPO1 Paddy McGuire.“This is truly amazing,” said Capt(N) Ouellet while graciously accepting the flag. “Thank you very much. I promise you we will take great care of it.”The white ensign consists of a St. George Cross on a white field with a Union Flag in the canton. It was flown on RCN vessels until the Canadian Naval Jack came into use in 1968. Haden’s ensign will now be mounted, framed, and displayed at Canadian Submarine Force headquarters in Dockyard.Capt(N) Ouellet says this ensign was the missing piece to a historical set, the other being an ensign one that once flew aboard captured German U-boat 190. They will now be displayed together. The two German U boats worked to disrupt the flow of goods and troops between Halifax and Europe by attacking convoys in Canadian waters during the Battle of the Atlantic. Both vessels came into the possession of the Royal Canadian Navy following Germany’s surrender to the Allies on VE Day. U-889 was taken under control by RCN warships on May 10, 1945, and escorted to Shelburne, N.S. The submarine was commissioned into the RCN for eight months following its capture. It was then transferred to the US Navy in...

[caption id="attachment_26820" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Clockwise from top: S1 Derek Duffy, Theodore Duffy, Peter Duffy, and Brian Duffy.[/caption]Joanie VeitchTrident Newspaper––When Sailor First Class Derek Duffy received a Sailor of the Quarter award from Canadian Fleet Atlantic earlier this year, his father, a retired Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailor, was at the ceremony with him.While the 27-year-old sailor followed in his father’s footsteps, he also took the same path as his grandfather and great-grandfather, making him the fourth generation of Duffys to sign up for military service.“I’m proud to know I’m carrying on the tradition. It’s my family heritage. It means a lot to get the award and to be part of this legacy of service,” says S1 Duffy.  The first generationHis great-grandfather, Peter Ernest Duffy, was part of the Irish settlement on Prince Edward Island following the Irish Potato Famine. Born in 1896, he was a young man when he and his brother went off to fight in the First World War, where he was a Lance Corporal with the Canadian Expeditionary Force.His brother, Wilfred James Duffy, died in 1916 and is buried at the Vimy Memorial in France.Returning to PEI after the war, great-grandfather Duffy took up the boilermaker trade until the Second World War called him back to military service, this time with the Royal Canadian Navy. From 1940 to 1943, he served as chief stoker on several Flower-class corvettes, eventually working his way up to chief engineer.Fortunate to survive the war once again, the senior Duffy went back to family life, moving with his wife, Margaret, and family to Halifax, where he worked at HMC Dockyard as a pipefitter.“He survived two wars. The luck of the Irish, maybe,” says Brian Duffy, S1 Duffy’s father. “My grandfather went through a lot, but never talked about it. He never talked about the war at all.”Peter Duffy died in 1975 at Camp Hill Hospital in Halifax.The second generationTheodore Duffy was born in 1937 and grew up in Halifax’s north end. One...

[caption id="attachment_26816" align="aligncenter" width="595"] 1000 Yard Stare is a depiction of the Vietnam War.[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer––Local submariner MS Allan Gauthier is charting a course to mental fitness through his art. When he is not on the job as a Weapons Engineering Technician with HMCS Victoria, he is in his studio with pencil or brush in hand. Art, he says, has helped him stay resilient through the COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain a healthy work-life balance. “Even before the pandemic began, everything on the news seemed to be negative and there were so may people saying hateful things. The one thing I can control in my life is my art work and the pandemic gave me an opportunity to refocus on myself and take time to do what I enjoy doing.” The 45-year-old has no formal art training past high school art class in his hometown of Sudbury, ON.“My parents like to tell people I was painting before I learned to sign my name,” he says. “As a child I was able to draw complicated objects and shapes with ease.” A gallery of workHis paintings have landed at art shows, museums, and galleries, and he has even done commissioned work. Within his workplace, he has painted the torpedo tubes in HMCS Chicoutimi with Indigenous-inspired artwork depicting bears. He received favourable comments from submarine mates and praise from foreign dignitaries who visit the submarine. “It was meant to add something to our vessel that is unique, inspirational, and something you will always remember,” he says. “You won’t find this artwork on any submarine in the world and I enjoyed painting and coming up with the design.” Another of his recent projects was the creation of a morale patch to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Victoria-class submarines. 1000 yard stare, a painting that brings him much pride, is a depiction of the Vietnam War. It took him nearly a decade to complete. “The title describes combatants who have become emotionally detached from the horrors around...

DND / VAC––Last year’s delays in the production and distribution of the Veteran’s Service Card (VSC) due to COVID-19 protocols have eased up. Thanks to the hard work of the VSC team, the 90-day service standard has almost returned. If you have completed Basic Training and have been honourably released from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), you are eligible to receive one.Why get one? The VSC is a tangible symbol of service to Canada and the CAF. It’s a sign of your ongoing connection to the CAF community, as well as to the programs and services offered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) as you settle into civilian life.But it serves a practical purpose beyond that too. While the VSC is not an official identification card, showing it can get you discounts at businesses and organizations that offer them to Veterans. The card has your name and photo, and in addition to being a record of service, shows length of service and rank at release, and is useful as proof of military service.Please note the VSC doesn’t replace the CFOne card that gives former members access to the programs and services delivered by Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, including the CANEX Rewards Program and the official discount program offered through the CF Appreciation Program.While the VSC is typically requested for transitioning CAF members by the release section during their first release interview, Veterans who don’t have one can apply for it themselves. Visit the secure VSC online application portal (https://veterans-service-card.canada.ca/en/) to get started, or download a hard copy of the form to complete and mail in.The VSC team is also available to help if you have any questions about the application criteria or process.––––

[caption id="attachment_26807" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Sea Cadet Corps Grenville’s Kisbee ring.[/caption]Ashley EvansFleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton––Naval tradition is ongoing at Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) Grenville in Kelowna with the help of specialists from Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton. Over the summer, Ryan Yeomans, Work Center 123 Paint and Graphics artist, built a new Kisbee ring to replace their deteriorated 20-year-old one.Kisbee rings were once used as life-saving buoys. Today, they are primarily ceremonial, part of naval tradition, usually the first thing a person sees when crossing the brow to the ship. For the cadet unit, it is a connection to the Royal Canadian Navy. “Having the same Kisbee ring that is on ships of the Royal Canadian Navy helps sea cadets in Kelowna have a great connection to the navy and be able to learn and be proud of naval customs and traditions even though we are in the interior of BC,” says Lt(N) Andrew Kerr, Commanding Officer of RCSCC Grenville.A ceremonial Kisbee Ring starts as a 30-inch orange plastic ring that is sanded, primed, painted, re-roped, and decorated with the ship or unit’s name in gold leaf. These rings are displayed on a wooden stand on the ship’s deck or in a unit’s building. It took Yeomans about 40 hours to complete the cadet unit’s ring. Once complete, the ring was passed to the Rigging Loft’s Terry Schafer to complete the rope work, and Carly Smethurst from the Sail Loft to craft a protective bag. The cost was waived by FMFCB as the project was deemed a community outreach initiative, and a training opportunity.[caption id="attachment_26810" align="aligncenter" width="606"] Before image of Sea Cadet Corps Grenville’s Kisbee ring.[/caption]“This donation used an important skill set that we need to maintain in our organization,” says Steven Ringma, A/Group Manager 2. “I wanted to work with the operations department to find a solution as this was an opportunity to showcase the craftsmanship and abilities of the paint and graphics work centre, while supporting...

Peter MallettStaff Writer––Derelict, unusable bicycles abandoned around CFB Esquimalt are being collected and disposed of to ensure a clean and safe working environment within the Formation.By order of the Base Commander, members from the Base Chief’s office, armed with lock cutters, will start the removal Sept. 15.“If the derelict bikes are not removed by their owner before Sept. 15, we will remove and dispose of them, or give them to charity,” says PO2 Janine Pope, a representative from the Base Commander’s office. The collected bikes will be stored on base for a short holding period to give people a chance to collect them once they find them gone. People should contact the Deputy Base Chief to retrieve their bike.The Base Chief’s staff have gone around to every bike rack and tagged bikes in poor condition. Some of the targeted bikes are in racks at Nelles Block and Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton in dockyard.“If the bikes are no longer in usable condition, it’s likely the owner was not able to move them to get them to a [repair] shop, or possibly moved to a different base and forgot them,” says PO2 Pope.––––

[caption id="attachment_26801" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Master Sailor Jamie McCurry holds up his military vaccine card after receiving his shot. Photo by Sailor First Class Mike Goluboff, Imagery Technician[/caption]Canadian Forces Health Services and the BC Ministry of Health have agreed on a valid Proof of Vaccination for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. They will not require CAF members to obtain a separate BC Vaccine Card when the province implements this requirement on Sept. 13.  Acceptable vaccination ID – CAF members onlyVaccinated CAF members can use their CAF ID (NDI 10 & 20) and CF Health Services COVID-19 vaccination wallet cards going forward as proof of vaccination in BC. There will be no need for vaccinated CAF members to submit records into the BC provincial immunization registry nor to obtain the BC Vaccine Card. This applies to both Regular and Reserve Force members who have been vaccinated by CF Health Services (CFHS).Accepting CAF IDThe Province of BC has added this guidance to their provincial website and will advise the BC business sector in its formal direction on the rollout of the BC Vaccine Card. BC will be the third province to implement a proof of vaccination requirement to access non-essential provincial services. Quebec and Manitoba, the two provinces who have already implemented their vaccine card, have confirmed that the CAF proof of vaccination will be accepted. As each province is establishing its own policies and on separate timelines, CAF members leaving BC should research the provincial government website of their destination province, prior to departure.Differing provincial vaccination cardsCAF members who have received vaccination from a CF Health Services Centre outside of BC will have a different vaccination card. These will also be accepted when accompanied with an official CAF ID. The province has also been made aware that due to the pandemic, many...

[caption id="attachment_26796" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Concept drawing of the full scale replica airframe of the Sea King helicopter created by Apex Industrial Design Ltd., of Red Deer, Alberta.[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer––A life-sized 11-tonne skeletal sculpture of a Sea King helicopter may be landing on the flight deck of the former HMCS Annapolis next year, which is submerged in Halkett Bay, north of Vancouver. The former navy destroyer, decommissioned in 1996, became an artificial reef on April 4, 2015, through the work of the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC). Next year, pending final approval from BC Parks, the sculpture of a CH-124 helicopter’s skeletal frame will be lowered approximately 70 feet below the surface onto Annapolis’ flight deck. Construction of the sculpture is being built by architectural steel contractor George Third & Son of Burnaby, B.C. The design is by Apex Industrial Design Ltd. from Alberta.The helicopter’s frame is made of uncoated steel bars and measures approximately 10 feet wide at the wheel base and 50 feet long for the fuselage. The design allows the ocean current to flow through unimpeded and thus expand on fish and fauna marine habitat opportunities living in and around the artificial reef, says LCdr (Retired) Rick Wall, ARSBC Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. [caption id="attachment_26798" align="aligncenter" width="595"] A Sea King on the flight deck of HMCS Annapolis.[/caption]“Installing the aircraft on the flight deck where it originally operated will also be a fitting symbolic tribute to all the aircrew who served on board this proud ship,” says Wall. The last of the Royal Canadian Air Force Sea King helicopters were taken out of action in December 2018 and replaced with the Cyclone helicopter. “The Sea King was a helicopter that flew off the Annapolis throughout its service life,” says Wall, who served aboard the destroyer during his 41-year navy career. “Annapolis was chosen for the Sea King location because it was the first destroyer with an assigned helicopter on the West Coast.”ARSBC’s mission is to create environmentally friendly...

[caption id="attachment_26780" align="alignnone" width="591"] MCpl Windy Lafreniere and her family. Photo Courtesy of MCpl Windy Lafreniere.[/caption] Holly BridgesRoyal Canadian Air Force__M Cpl Windy Lafreniere is a member of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne along the St. Lawrence River. She was put into foster care at birth to a non-Indigenous family and never really knew her birth parents or siblings. She later discovered she had 12 brothers and four sisters. She met her birth parents when she was a teenager, but they both passed away shortly afterwards. She lived with various foster parents until the age of eight when she met the Kinsellas, with whom she would remain with until aging out of foster care at 18, and who remain her parents today.“I owe huge thanks to the Kinsellas for me becoming the driven person I am today. If not for their love and support I would not be who I am today.”She is a Mobile Support Equipment Operator for the Royal Canadian Air Force  at 16 Wing and Military Co-Chair of the CFB Borden Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group. Now, MCpl Lafreniere is on a journey to discover more about her Indigenous connections and to instill a strong sense of identity, culture, and pride in her three children.“As my husband is Algonquin and I’m Mohawk, all of my kids recently got their status cards so they are super excited. We have tried to teach our children about their roots as we ourselves learn about them as well. My daughter was chosen by our elders at a very young age to become a jingle dress dancer (medicine dancer), which is quite an honour.”Pivotal at 16 WingAt 16 Wing, MCpl Lafreniere has been instrumental in raising awareness of Indigenous culture and supporting local Indigenous Canadian Armed Forces members and their families. Some of the events...

[caption id="attachment_26774" align="alignnone" width="591"] Vanessa Nicholson, a member of the Defence Women’s Advisory Group, has started a collection drive for menstrual hygiene products.[/caption]Peter MallettStaff Writer__A campaign to collect menstrual hygiene products for people in need has been launched by members of the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization (DWAO). Vanessa Nicholson, DWAO member, has a target of amassing 10,000 menstrual hygiene products by May 28, 2022. The end date coincides with the World Menstrual Hygiene Day. “People are normally very generous when it comes to supporting food banks with donations. However, when we donate to these organizations we don’t typically think of donating menstruation products,” she says. To kick off their “end period poverty” campaign, the DWAO members will host a virtual discussion on MS Teams, Sept. 15 at 8:30 a.m.World Menstrual Hygiene DayOn World Menstrual Hygiene Day the United Way of the Lower Mainland will release its annual Period Promise research report. It is funded by the Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and captures information about how period poverty is affecting local residents. The last study found that more than 51 per cent of respondents have struggled to buy [menstruation] products at least once in their lifetime. Period Promise also supports grants to 15 non-profit agencies that provide free menstrual products.“Not having access to these products can lead to unsanitary measures and have huge impacts on people’s lives,” says Nicholson. “A good example is people using tampons longer than is recommended to maximize use and save on products. This can lead to infections such as toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.”The first beneficiary of the donations will be The Sooke Transition House Society, a non-profit that provides shelter to women and their children who have experienced trauma resulting from family violence. For more information about...

DNDWhen Major Shannon Archer went back to work in June nine weeks after the birth of her son, there was a room in her building she could have used to pump her breast milk. But it was a public space with clear windows that didn’t provide adequate privacy. Instead she would go to her car to pump her breast milk several times a day.With CANFORGEN 116/21,  Support to Members Pumping and/or Nursing (information accessible only on the National Defence network) being issued July 28, all that changed in a matter of days.“I came back to work after the August long weekend, and they had a dedicated lactation room set up that was adequate and appropriate, with a chair and a desk, and just around the corner from a washroom and the kitchen area,” she says. “My chain of command was very supportive. The CANFORGEN lays it out clearly.”The CANFORGEN directs Commanding Officers to put in place a lactation plan that includes a minimum of one lactation room for every 400 personnel. Potential secondary spaces for future use will also be considered, as well as how this need can be met in a field or operational environment.Designated lactation rooms should be located in safe, central, and accessible areas, and supervisors must make every effort to accommodate as much time as is needed by the member. Each designated room must have a locking door and should include a comfortable chair with arms and in close proximity to an electrical outlet. Other requirements include a cooler or mini fridge in which to store the milk, cubbies or drawers to store pumping materials, and a sink located nearby to wash hands and pumping pieces.While some units have promoted the use of offices, provided they meet some or all of these criteria, bathroom facilities are not considered appropriate.Once...

[caption id="attachment_26762" align="alignnone" width="591"] Jessica Miller, pictured, and her husband Steve Murgatroyd operate the Veteran Farm Project in Hants County, Nova Scotia. [/caption]Joanie VeitchTrident Newspaper__T he property Jessica Miller and her husband Steve Murgatroyd bought in 2018 and now operate as the Veteran Farm Project in Hants County, Nova Scotia, had been abandoned for several years. The farmhouse was dilapidated and the seven acres it resided on was overgrown. They cleared the debris to make space for vegetable boxes and garden beds, and Murgatroyd built a small potting shed for Miller to plant seeds. She laughs now at the memory of the ramshackle property they saw that spring day at Sweet’s Corner, not knowing at the time what it would become.“I knew it would be a lot of work, but I fell in love with it pretty much at first sight.”Released from a 21-year career in the military, Miller was struggling with injuries, both physical and mental, and was hoping to find a place to heal and recover.She had worked as a medic with Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Atlantic), served on Royal Canadian Navy ships, and completed a tour in Afghanistan. Murgatroyd had also served in Afghanistan, and Bosnia before that, but it was in 2015 at home in Nova Scotia, on a highway near Truro, where he lost the lower half of his left leg after a car sideswiped him on his motorcycle.They began to experience the healing and recovery that comes from being outdoors working on their farm. It was the early seeds of the Veteran Farm Project.The idea took root after hearing about veterans and their families struggling financially and not being able to buy nutritious food. So, they harvested from her garden and created food packages of vegetables for delivery to veterans.She reached out to Valerie Mitchell-Veinotte, executive...

[caption id="attachment_26757" align="alignnone" width="591"] Lt Aaron Niles and his little brother Sean, who is now 11.[/caption]Emily NakeffBorden Citizen__The number 30 holds a special significance for Lieutenant Aaron Niles from CFB Borden. It’s how many days his little Sean brother was given to live in 2010. At four months old his younger brother was diagnosed with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The aggressive cancer attacks the blood and bone marrow. Those diagnosed at under a year, like Sean, have a survival rate of 20 per cent. After three years of constant treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), three years of Lt Niles and his family holding onto hope, they got the news they feared most. The treatment wasn’t working. There was nothing more they could do. The then three-year-old Sean was given 30 days to live. Hearing those words, Lt Niles was overcome with dread. “Everything sort of slows down. You stop comprehending time, you just get lost in your own thoughts.”While the family tried to wrap their heads around giving Sean the most joyful, pain-free experience with the time he had left, his care team continued to work behind the scenes. As a last resort, doctors suggested a treatment that, at the time, was still experimental and primarily being used in the U.S. Sean underwent a kind of chemotherapy he hadn’t received before that tricked his body into fighting the cancer. The chances of it working were low. But it was still a chance. Miraculously, the treatment worked. They weren’t out of the woods. But after finding a match Sean underwent the painful bone marrow transplant that would ultimately save his life. Today, 11-year-old Sean is cancer-free. The Fifth Grader likes video games and spending time with his family, though he is still coping with the physical effects of...

[caption id="attachment_26751" align="alignnone" width="591"] The ship’s company stand for a group photo in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, on March 30 while the ship was deployed on Operations Projection and Artemis. Photo by Corporal Lynette Ai Dang.[/caption] Lt Jeff KlassenHMCS Calgary__After seven months away from home, HMCS Calgary returned to Esquimalt Aug. 30 after two successful Operations: Artemis and Projection.“For most of the ship’s company this was the most challenging deployment of their entire career. The success we had is a testament to their resilience,” said Commander Mark O’Donohue, Calgary’s Commanding Officer.In January, the ship’s company went into quarantine before participating in intensive pre-deployment workups on Task Group Exercise 21-01 throughout February. Calgary left Esquimalt for their deployment on Feb. 28. Deploying under COVID-19 conditions was challenging. The typical shore leave, crucial for sailors’ morale on long deployments, was reduced to restricted port visits, mostly confined to the ship or small isolated sections on the jetty.From February to April, the ship journeyed through the Indo-Pacific on Op Projection, making restricted port visits in Hawaii, Guam, Brunei, Vietnam, and Singapore. During this time, the ship conducted cooperative deployments with the Bruneian Navy, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Royal Australian Navy, and the United States Navy, and transited through Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Op Artemis began in late April in the Arabian Sea under the Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150, who are under the 34-nation Combined Maritime Forces. The ship was more successful in the counter-terrorism mission than any other ship in the operation’s history. Ships on the operation perform maritime interdictions, stopping smugglers of illicit cargo that is intended to fund regional crime and terror. For Calgary, this involved using their embarked Cyclone helicopter air detachment and other assets to survey waters for suspicious fishing-type vessels, known as dhows,...

[caption id="attachment_26747" align="alignnone" width="591"] Cadets in Victoria learned about the challenges of injured Canadian Armed Forces members by participating in some Invictus Games paralympic sports. Photo by Capt Tim Townley[/caption] Capt Melodie Fallah and Capt Tim Townley Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific)__Resilience is all about adapting to changing circumstances and that’s exactly what the Cadet Program did this summer in the delivery of its summer training. All across B.C. cadets gathered at Cadet Activity Programs (CAP) site locations to experience in-person training, many for the first time since the pandemic began last year. Usually cadets in B.C. attend summer training at one of our four Cadet Training Centres in Vernon, Albert Head, Comox, and HMCS Quadra. With health restrictions in place over the past two summers, the Cadet Program adapted first to a virtual training program and then to CAP, maximizing the use of DND and community facilities across the province. Offering a variety of activities close to home meant more cadets could participate overall, and more staff were able to support the program. Senior cadets had the added benefit of leadership opportunities without giving up weekend jobs or other summer activities. CAP offered a one-week basic course in the form of day-camps, as well as junior and senior levels of marksmanship, fitness and sports, and drill and leadership. Courses were one to two weeks long and each CAP site operated for one to six weeks depending on the population density at each location. Cadets were able to participate in more than one course, or both levels of a program. Over 820 cadets, 112 staff cadets, and 68 adult staff across British Columbia had the opportunity to return to in-person training. For some cadets this was their first time experiencing in-person training and some of the unique aspects of the program such...

[caption id="attachment_26741" align="alignnone" width="591"] Carol Stapleton’s Grade 5 class at Fish Creek School in Calgary pose for a photo after receiving hats from HMCS Calgary’s Petty Officer Second Class Joseph Chisling, who did regular video conferencing calls with the class while deployed in 2021. Image supplied.[/caption] Capt Jeff KlassenHMCS Calgary__In the middle of the night during their deployment, in the midst of a counter-terrorism mission in the Arabian Sea, sailors on board HMCS Calgary took a pause from their work, or got out of their racks mid sleep, to video conference grade school classrooms back in Canada.The video chats were part of the Ship to Shore program, established to connect the warship with school children in their namesake city. “Essentially, we got up in the middle of the night while deployed to do video conferencing calls with students in Grades four to six from four different public schools around the City of Calgary,” explained Sailor Second Class (S2) Audrina N’Guessan. “We also talked to them by email and they sent us questions and we answered them on the call. We sent them imagery and videos of the ship; it was just a way for the children to learn about what their navy does.” S2 N’Guessan, 26, a boatswain by trade, was one of 20 sailors that participated this year.The program started in the 2019-2020 school year as a collaboration between the Royal Canadian Navy, the Calgary Board of Education, and other stakeholders, with the intention of giving children a unique opportunity to learn about what their navy does. A success in its first year, the program continued into 2020-2021, and satellite internet on ship permitted them to continue while on deployment.“Trying to find the perfect time to do the phone calls was the biggest challenge,” said S2 Patrick Pilon, a Marine...