HMCS Vancouver namesake city visit

Members of the Vancouver Police Department’s Marine Unit pose for a group photo with the crew of HMCS Vancouver. Photo by LS Brendan Gibson, MARPAC Imaging Services

SLt Jacob Tamman, HMCS Vancouver ~

The crew of HMCS Vancouver were in her namesake city last week to celebrate their 25th anniversary of commissioning, and to conduct community outreach activities.

At the Honour House Society, the charity that HMCS Vancouver officially supports, the crew helped out with various maintenance activities – from mowing the lawn and digging a trench, to painting the fences and fixing a fountain. While present at the Honour House, the crew was introduced to a veteran who was a crew member aboard the Vancouver the day she was commissioned.

Several members had the chance to see the operations of the Vancouver Police Department and the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. Needless to say, these sailors came away from their rides with a newfound respect for the work that these two services conduct on a daily basis. To put their teamwork and skills to the test, the sailors from HMCS Vancouver challenged the Vancouver Fire Rescue Service to a softball game at Strathcona Park, which was an excellent opportunity to interact with and learn about the members of the Fire Rescue Service.

Eight crew members from the ship were at Vancouver City Hall on Friday, May 31 at 2:30 pm to replace the bell rope and shine the bell that hangs over the entrance to the Council Chamber. Their visit to City Hall was meant to further the long history the city shares with the Royal Canadian Navy. The bell was gifted to the City of Vancouver by HMCS Vancouver K240 in 1946 as a token of friendship and the ship’s appreciation to the city.

At times the RCN is called to provide support in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Pacific Ocean. To see the other side of the coin, several crew members were given a tour of the facilities and a helicopter flight at North Shore Rescue Services, which is a volunteer community-based search and rescue team that conducts approximately 130 SAR operations annually.

Several of the crew members were given an open invitation to visit the Vancouver Ship Yard and tour the building of the Joint Service Support ships that are to replace the old Protecteur Class replenishment ships. They were given a look at how far along the ships currently are, 4 blocks have already passed through the paint shop and are ready to be assembled.

The final event was a zodiac boat race at Kitsilano Beach between the sailors of HMCS Vancouver, and members of the local units including: The Seaforth Highlanders, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 39th Brigade Headquarters, and the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. The winners this year was the crew from the Seaforth Highlanders.