Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper After battling years of life-threatening infections, Royal Canadian Dragoons member Blair Edwards received a life-saving stem cell transplant from an anonymous donor. The Edwards’ story highlights the vital role of Canadian Blood Services and encourages all Canadians to donate blood, plasma, or stem cells. - When Leah Edwards’ youngest son Blair was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening infection, her family’s understanding of service and sacrifice took on a new meaning. Blair Edwards, a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) based in Petawawa, has served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) since 2018. His older brother, Kyle, joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2017 and is currently standing sentry for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a deployment aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa. Their grandfather, a retired Chief Warrant Officer, also served in the Air Force. For the Edwards family, service has always run deep — but nothing could prepare them for Blair’s medical battle. In 2018, just three days into his military journey, Blair was hospitalized with the first of many Staphylococci infections. He successfully completed his soldier qualifications (SQ) while battling both pneumonia and an active infection. After undergoing an incredibly difficult 2023 surgery to remove two spleens (only one of which was natural) and narrowly surviving post-surgery septic shock, the only potential path to cure Blair was a complete stem cell replacement. “It felt like he was just a sliver of who he had been and was all but disappearing into the bed. The barest spark of who he was remained,” said Leah. On April 30, 2024, Blair received a life-saving stem cell transplant thanks to an anonymous donor. “Slowly, hour by hour, day by day, he came back to us.” To the Edwards family, blood and stem...

A/SLt Kim Wachockier, MARPAC Public Affairs Twelve students from Camosun College’s Enhanced Bridge Watch Rating Program toured HMCS Vancouver on Sept 17 to explore life aboard a Halifax-class ship. The visit gave students firsthand insight into naval operations, seamanship, and technical systems aboard a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigate. The partnership fostered learning, inclusion, and awareness of marine and defence career opportunities for women and Indigenous Peoples. - Twelve students from Camosun College’s Enhanced Bridge Watch Rating Program stepped aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver on Sept 17 for a guided tour of life on a Halifax-class vessel. Intended to prepare participants for a career in the marine sector, the Camosun Enhanced Bridge Watch Rating Program is a fully funded training opportunity for women and Indigenous Peoples that teaches seamanship and navigation skills. It also allows them to earn Transport Canada recognized certifications throughout the program. By opening Vancouver’s doors and hatches to students, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) fostered awareness, interest, and respect for naval service while simultaneously building relationships with the next generation of marine professionals. Once onboard for the guided tour, students were eager to experience the naval environment studied in the classroom, explore living quarters, and learn how an RCN frigate operates. The visit began inside the ship’s hangar, where Lieutenant(Navy) Joey Dooley welcomed the group of students, explaining the use of embarked helicopters during deployments. Lt(Navy) Dooley then brought students onto the deck to showcase equipment specific to Halifax-class frigates. These included Vancouver’s missile systems, Bofors 57mm rapid-fire gun, and its ammunition. Here, students also received the opportunity to handle a non-live round. Once within the vessel, Lt(Navy) Dooley gave students a look into Vancouver’s living quarters, showcasing bunks and other spaces where RCN sailors spend months at sea. The tour then shifted to...

Lt(Navy) Michael Cormie, FDU(Pacific) Fleet Diving Unit(Pacific) hosted a two-week sea training aboard YDT Sooke to help junior Naval Warfare Officers complete bridge watch hours. The voyage offered hands-on ship-handling experience, teamwork with the Canadian Coast Guard, and exposure to naval operations. - Fleet Diving Unit(Pacific) (FDU[P]) is dedicated to supporting the Canadian fleet, but from Sept 22 to Oct 3, the team took that mission to a new level. Sailing aboard Yard Dive Tender (YDT) Sooke, members of FDU(P) provided junior Naval Warfare Officers (NWOs) currently working towards completing their 600 bridge watch hours with hands-on experience with atypical fleet platforms. While on watch, the junior NWOs strengthened their bridge watchkeeping abilities, gaining confidence as professional mariners at sea. First built in 1990 to support range operations in Nanoose, Sooke was modified in the late 1990s to better support diving missions. Typically used by clearance divers, the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) experts in route clearing and mine countermeasures, Sooke usually carries a crew of 12. For this sail, capacity increased to 18 with aid from FDU(P)’s engineering department and Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton members. To achieve this, a repurposed sea container, or an ‘accommodation pod,’ was installed on the deck space normally utilized for the Containerized Diving System recompression chamber. Six newly promoted SubLieutenants (SLts) joined Sooke for the two-week sail, developing navigation, seamanship, and ship-handling skills. This included a rare chance for the SLts to manually steer the vessel during both departures and drills. “This was a great event, with fantastic training quality. It allowed us to build skills and work towards our NWO 600 hours,” said SLt Conal Evans, originally from Vernon, British Columbia (B.C.). “It was an excellent opportunity to consolidate the skills I’ve learned and to develop myself as a bridge watchkeeper.” The...

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum unveils a permanent display honouring the late Commander (Ret’d) Peter Godwin Chance. The exhibit features his medals, uniform, and artifacts, celebrating a career that spanned from the - Battle of the Atlantic to the Korean War. The ceremonial paddle passed to his grandson Damon symbolizes remembrance, legacy, and family pride through generations. - We remember Commander (Cdr) (retired) Peter Godwin Chance. The life, legacy, and service of the late Cdr Chance now have a permanent home at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. On Oct 15, family members, friends, Defence team members and representative of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Naval Association of Vancouver Island (NAVI) gathered at the museum for the unveiling of a new, permanent display dedicated to the celebrated naval officer that includes Cdr Chance’s medals, uniform, and other personal effects. The artifacts have now been added to the Peter Godwin Chance Gallery, first named in his honour on his 101st birthday in 2021. Cdr Chance, who passed away at the age of 103 on April 9, 2024, was one of the last surviving Canadian officers to have served in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest campaign of the Second World War. He took part in the Dunkirk evacuations, D-Day landings, and the evacuation of Singapore, serving aboard 13 ships over the course of his naval military career. Cdr Chance also survived the 1944 sinking of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Skeena in the North Atlantic and combat during the Korean War aboard HMCS Cayuga. Born in Ottawa, he served from 1938 to his retirement in 1969, when his sense of duty shifted into public life. After his retirement, Cdr Chance volunteered with the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Society, Saanich Peninsula...