A/SLt Andrew Dagg
HMCS Calgary

  • HMCS Calgary marked 30 years of service with a weekend of events, including golf, base tours, and a community celebration at the Dockyard. 
  • Highlights included a White Hat Ceremony, Stampede-style pancake breakfast, and RHIB rides in Victoria Harbour. 
  • The festivities honoured the ship’s legacy and strengthened bonds between the Royal Canadian Navy, crew families, and the ship’s namesake city. 

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Celebrating 30 years of service is no small feat for a vessel. As such, the crew of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Calgary hosted a series of events to unite local communities.

This year has been monumental for HMCS Calgary, with its return from refit at the end of May and its 30th anniversary festivities in June. Calgary and its crew celebrated the ship’s history, strengthened community relationships in Esquimalt, and acknowledged their own hard work in supporting the ship’s return from refit. To begin the exciting weekend was the Paris Sahlen Memorial Golf Tournament, in honour of Paris Sahlen as the Honourary Coxswain of HMCS Calgary for the relationship he was able to both build and foster between the ship and its namesake city. Members of Sahlen’s family attended and participated in the tournament, alongside members of the ship’s crew, City of Calgary delegates, and community members.

Following the tournament was a tour of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt’s Dockyard for guests and volunteers. This tour showcased HMCS Max Bernays, Patrol Craft Training Unit (Pacfic) training vessels, Fleet Maintenance Facility (Cape Breton), and the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. Through their time at Dockyard, guests gained a greater appreciation for the employment and training opportunities available to the Pacific Team members. They also experienced the hard work of those in engineering, maintenance, and other supporting roles. Additionally, the tour at the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum provided time for guests and volunteers to appreciate RCN history while also contextualizing the significance of HMCS Calgary’s 30 years of service.

Hosted at the Gunroom, the Saturday Barn Burner event featured food, drink, and various activities including live music, family-friendly activities, and even a surprise White Hat Ceremony where special guests and City of Calgary delegates presented classic Smithbilt White Hats to some of the ship’s crew. Sunday brought a traditional Stampede-style pancake breakfast at Ogden Point that drew the attention of hundreds of community members.

Tours of HMCS Vancouver allowed visitors to experience what it is like for the sailors in their community to live, work, and sleep aboard a Canadian warship. Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) rides were also available and a big attraction for visitors, who loved exploring Victoria Harbour with a unique perspective of the city. Younger visitors were also engaged with face painting, bouncy castles, and popular fire truck tours provided by CFB Esquimalt Fire Rescue.

Following the weekend, HMCS Vancouver continued their support of Calgary’s anniversary with a day sail for guests. Importantly, the exemplary support from the Vancouver and its crew highlighted the strong community of the West Coast Fleet and the RCN. Heartfelt thanks to all those that participated or supported the successful celebratory weekend of Calgary’s 30th anniversary. Onward!