Read how CFMETR and Fisheries and Oceans Canada rescued a distressed humpback whale entangled in lines in the Strait of Georgia on Aug 27.

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper Contributions by Gerald Pash and the Naval Association of Canada, Vancouver Island Branch HMCS Robert Hampton Gray is the sixth and final Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel. Named after Lt Robert Hampton Gray, the last Canadian awarded the Victoria Cross.  Simultaneous ceremonies were held in Halifax, Victoria, and Japan, on Aug 9.  Commissioning will take place in 2026 at CFB Esquimalt, when the vessel joins the Pacific Fleet.  - On Aug 21, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) officially accepted His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray. The vessel is the sixth and final in a new fleet of Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV). Built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Robert Hampton Gray will safeguard Canadian waters, strengthen Arctic sovereignty, and deploy abroad. Notably, the AOPV is capable of operating in first-year ice of 120-centimetre thickness, allowing the RCN unescorted access to previously inaccessible areas of the Arctic. However, Robert Hampton Gray’s acceptance carries weight far beyond steel and ceremony — its name is an act of remembrance for Lieutenant (Lt) Robert Hampton Gray, the last Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross. On Aug 9, 1945, Lt Gray climbed into the cockpit of his Corsair fighter from the aircraft carrier His Majesty’s Ship Formidable, leading an attack on Japanese ships in Onagawa Bay. Despite flying straight into concentrated anti-aircraft fire and taking a hit, he continued with his attack by releasing a bomb on the destroyer Amakusa while flying very low to ensure a successful hit. Struck by his bomb, the vessel capsized and sank. Lt Gray’s flaming aircraft then crashed into the sea. Only 27 years old when he passed, Lt Gray’s body was never recovered. Exactly 80 years after his passing, on Aug 9, 2025, HMCS Robert Hampton...

Archana Cini Lookout Newspaper The Raven Program returned to CFB Esquimalt this summer, blending Indigenous cultural teachings with naval-focused Basic Military Qualification (BMQ)M training.  Highlights included a Confidence Course at Camp Albert Head, a live-fire range day in Nanaimo, and a formal graduation ceremony at HMCS Venture.  Beyond skills, Raven fostered lasting meaning, offering participants cultural enrichment and graduates with potential pathways to CAF careers.  - The Raven Program is one of five Indigenous summer programs offered annually by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). A six-week summer Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) course designed specifically for Indigenous participants from across Canada, Raven blends Indigenous cultural teachings with naval-focused military training. The 2025 iteration of the Raven Indigenous Summer Program included a Confidence Course. Held at Camp Albert Head, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt on July 31, the outdoor course challenged program participants to successfully scale walls, navigate rope bridges, complete net climbs, and more. Notably, Raven is not designated as a youth program — rather, it is open to Indigenous people of all ages eligible to join the CAF (16- 57). This year, Raven saw participants learning and connecting with traditional Indigenous values and teachings; learning defence skills during the BMQ course; and spending a day aboard a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) vessel to boost military knowledge and experience life at sea. Students were also taught weapons handling, navigation, first-aid, flood containment, firefighting, and more. To Master Sailor (MS) Henry McDavid, Naval Combat Information Operator and Raven instructor, the program also provides participants with a wealth of valuable insights beyond military skills. “Everyone has that little voice in the back of their head filled with fears of ‘what if,’” said McDavid. “But you will learn on this course that your fear of failure is stopping you before you even begin, and...

Archana Cini Lookout Newspaper Formation Fun Day returns to CFB Esquimalt on Sept 6, offering a free afternoon of food, entertainment, games, and family activities. New attractions debut this year, including a toddler-friendly soft play zone. The event fosters connection and belonging within the Defence Community by welcoming both newcomers and longtime residents. Thank you to our event sponsors, Seaspan, Babcock, the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (EMFRC), the Bank of Montreal (BMO), and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Base Fund. - The countdown is officially on for one of the most anticipated Defence community events of the year: Formation Fun Day. On Saturday, Sept 6 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Formation Fun Day will take over the Naden Athletic Centre at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. The event will unite military members, veterans, base employees, and their families for a free fair-style afternoon of food, entertainment, games, activities, and more. This year’s event promises to be a little different — in the best way. For Leah Pokocky, Personnel Support Programs (PSP) Special Event Coordinator, creating the 2025 Formation Fun Day experience meant listening first. “When in the initial planning stages, it was really important to me to reach out to our local Defence community to see what was enjoyed in the past, what might have been missing, and what they would be sad to not see again,” she says. As a result, the 2025 event is set to include new activities for the youngest children, along with more opportunities for older attendees to build meaningful community memories. Families with toddlers will find plenty to love this year, with Tiny Toes Soft Play Rentals introducing a fenced, concierge-supervised play space designed for children five and under. As Pokocky, a mother of an active two-year-old herself, puts it: “To find someone that safely...