A/SLt Kim Wachockier
MARPAC Public Affairs

  • HMCS Nanaimo visited its namesake city for Canada Day, offering public ship tours and participating in local celebrations. 
  • The event marked the vessel’s final stop in Nanaimo before transferring to the East Coast. 
  • Sailors connected with the community through ceremonies, speeches, and shared stories of service aboard the ship. 

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His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Nanaimo spent the Canada Day long weekend alongside in the city of Nanaimo, offering public tours and participating in community events. Notably, the visit marked the ship’s last port call to its namesake city before an upcoming transfer to Canada’s East Coast. It also represented an opportunity for the RCN to strengthen community ties, share stories, and honour a longstanding connection between ship and city.

The visit officially began with a private ship tour for the Nanaimo Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), the Honourable Sheila Malcolmson. Public tours took place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., during which Nanaimo’s senior leadership took part in the City of Nanaimo’s Canada Day ceremony at Maffeo Sutton Park. The event featured a blessing by a Snuneymuxw Nation Elder, local performances, and cultural showcases. Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Tyson Babcock, the vessel’s Commanding Officer (CO) also gave a brief address on stage, inviting members of the public to tour the ship and celebrate with its crew.

The July 1 program concluded with a reception for the Friends of Nanaimo, a civic group with longstanding ties to the ship. The reception featured Canadian cuisine, an informal awards presentation, and speeches from LCdr Babcock, Member of Parliament (MP) Tamara Kronis, and Mayor Leonard Krog.

The public tours welcomed curious visitors. For many visitors, it was their first time stepping aboard a Canadian warship. Children climbed ladders, asked questions about naval equipment, and posed for photos. Sailors also guided guests through the vessel’s decks, shared stories of service, and answered questions about life at sea. To visitor Robert Anton, the tour was eye-opening, “You hear about the Navy, but you don’t really understand it until you actually step aboard,” he shared. The ship’s crew also made time to meaningfully engage with the community during the visit.

Notably, Sailor 1st Class Trey Pennington, a ship’s cook from Nanaimo, took part in a local interview where he shared what it meant to return home in uniform. The visit offered a final opportunity for locals to come aboard, meet crew, and celebrate the kind of connection that defines a ship’s bond with its namesake city.

Although the ship’s next chapter will take it to a new coast, its name and the bond remain firmly rooted in the West Coast.