Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper

Whether new to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) or the base, approachability is the first thing Master Sailor (MS) Heather Van Manen wants others to notice. 

“When someone meets me for the first time, I want them to feel that I’m approachable.”  

Now stepping into her new role as Formation Master Sailor of Maritime Forces Pacific/Joint Task Force Pacific (MARPAC/JTFP), MS Van Manen brings more than rank and experience to the position. She brings the willingness to listen, advocate, and represent junior sailors.  

MS Van Manen’s story begins in a small town in Ontario, surrounded by mud, books, and nature.  

“I was definitely a tomboy,” said MS Van Manen. “I was also very much that kid that got in trouble for staying up reading books under the covers with a flashlight.” 

With her mother working as a teacher, summers were often spent outdoors helping at her grandparents’ family camp until MS Van Manen’s teenage years, when her family moved north full time. Before joining the RCN, MS Van Manen also thrived in another demanding environment: the professional kitchen. For five years, she worked in the professional food industry as sous chef at a small bistro in southern Ontario. Eventually, while logging hours to challenge her Red Seal, MS Van Manen hit a turning point.  

“The pay, the hours, the lifestyle… it just didn’t feel very sustainable anymore,” shared MS Van Manen.  

Around the same time, MS Van Manen’s best friend had joined the naval reserves, insisting that MS Van Manen would also love it. Then, while on a short trip to Cuba for her mother’s birthday, MS Van Manen met someone attempting to join the French Foreign Legion — another unexpected nudge towards the military. 

After returning home, MS Van Manen applied to serve online. During the trade selection process, she chose one from each element and left it completely up to fate.  

MS Van Manen was sworn into service with the RCN on Oct 30, 2019. When asked how her family and friends felt at this career shift, MS Van Manen smiled and said simply, “They were very proud.”  

Despite the pace of training and the intensity of early postings, she said she never once questioned whether she belonged. 

“I felt it the whole time,” said MS Van Manen. “It just felt so right. The whole time.” 

Still, there was a moment at sea that made life in the RCN feel suddenly, unmistakably real. One day, while preparing for watch aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Whitehorse, MS Van Manen caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror while putting her hat on. 

“I was like… this is me!” recalled MS Van Manen. “I’m on a ship; I’m in the military; I have all of this training; this is my life.”  

Now, as the new Formation Master Sailor of MARPAC/JTFP, MS Van Manen steps into a role defined not by personal advancement, but by responsibility. MS Van Manen was direct about why she applied for the role. 

“In my opinion, Formation Master Sailor has nothing to do with me,” she said. “It’s only about them [junior sailors]. It’s about helping anywhere that I can, and if I can’t, being able to have the connections to find somebody that can help. It is my responsibility to ensure that our junior sailors understand command intent; to be a role model of CAF ethics and values; and to ensure that standards are enforced.”  

MS Van Manen was also quick to push back against one of the most common misconceptions about senior shore-based roles — that they exist as an escape from sailing. For her, the role of Formation Master Sailor is not a stepping-stone, a break from sea time, or a career shortcut. 

“I still get to sail,” she said, noting that she is also a Shipborne Air Controller who must maintain that qualification through yearly live control hours. “If I come out of this role having lost that qualification, I would be devastated.” 

When asked what leadership meant to her, MS Van Manen paused.  

“Leadership, to me, is about doing whatever someone can, every single day, for all those around them” she said. “I can’t do my job if I don’t know what’s going on. So please tell me everything that’s going on so I can take everything I should into consideration and provide an accurate representation of how we are doing.” 

It is a statement that captures the heart of MS Van Manen’s approach to this role: leadership built on listening, visibility, and trust. 

Looking ahead, Van Manen says one of the most important qualities she hopes to build within the junior ranks is self-sufficiency. “That’s not to say that you shouldn’t ask for help if you need it,” she added. “You absolutely should.”  

However, MS Van Manen notes that there is value in pausing first and thinking through what can be solved independently by knowing your own abilities and where resources are.  “Self-sufficiency builds a stronger, more operationally ready Defence team,” said MS Van Manen. “I hope we all put effort into holding ourselves, and each other, accountable.” 

If there’s one phrase that captures MS Van Manen’s approach to both service and this role, it might be the words she would offer to her own younger self:  

“Don’t overthink it.”  

Welcome, Formation Master Sailor MS Van Manen.