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[caption id="attachment_11861" align="alignnone" width="300"] Help continues for homeless Veterans[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff writer ~Front line volunteers working to get Victoria’s homeless veterans off the streets are applauding a recent policy switch by the new federal government.Along with plans by the Liberal government to reopen nine Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) regional offices, hire 400 additional staff, and create two centres of excellence, including one specializing in mental health, PTSD, and related issues, there is also a pledge by the VAC’s new minister Kent Hehr to tackle the “unacceptable” problem of homelessness amongst veterans.“We are developing a homelessness strategy in collaboration with partners and stakeholders that will identify gaps in existing policies and programs, and will propose evidence-based mechanisms that will focus on the elimination of veteran homelessness,” Hehr said in a statement. “Area offices are strengthening partnerships with community organizations across the country and coordinating efforts to identify homeless veterans, and use the community housing and support services to help them.”Employment and Social Development Canada recently released a report that paints a picture of the state of homelessness among veterans. It states that 2,250 former CAF personnel account for 2.7 per cent of nation’s homeless population of 150,000.  The study surveyed occupants at 60 homeless shelters across Canada and found that 16 per cent of female veterans reported being homeless on more than one occasion, and the average age for homeless veterans staying at shelters is 52, compared with an overall average of age of 37.Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Jonathan Vance, was equally concerned with the report’s findings, stating, “It’s shocking in Canada that we would have a veteran who is homeless, but it is a sad reality.”Angus Stanfield is the Royal Canadian Legion’s Yukon/B.C. Command president and founding director of Cockrell House, a group that helps homeless veterans.He says...

[caption id="attachment_11857" align="alignnone" width="300"] In the final stages of its disposal process, the former HMCS Protecteur in Dockyard’s C Jetty, Feb. 3.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~ The former HMCS Protecteur is entering the final stages of the disposal process when it leaves Esquimalt Harbour in the next few weeks.The disposal process, at large, involves removing all electronics, communications, weaponry and other equipment onboard the vessel in accordance with the Surplus Crown Assets Act and the Treasury Board Directive on Disposal of Surplus Material.Plans are underway to have the ship leave in February to be towed to Nova Scotia for final disposal.  The 171.9-metre long vessel is undergoing preparations in Dockyard’s C Jetty before it begins the 7,600 nautical mile journey down the Pacific coast, through the Panama Canal and then onwards to Atlantic Canada.“These preparations also include removing large quantities of liquids, ensuring the platform stability is correct, handling security concerns and reviewing contractual remits,” said Lindsay Tessier, from ADM (PA).Protecteur’s final destination is R.J. MacIsaac Construction Limited’s (RJMI) facilities in Port Mersey (Liverpool), Nova Scotia. RJMI won the $39-million scrapping contract for Protecteur and Algonquin.Algonquin, an Iroquois-class destroyer, was paid off June 11, 2015, and is currently undergoing a similar disposal process with an expected departure date targeted for April 2016.

DND ~Understanding the need to fully and properly recognize serving and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and their families, the CAF will transition from the record of service card (NDI75) to the CFOne Card as the recognition card of choice.As part of this transition, the CAF will cease processing of the NDI 75 effective Feb. 1.The CFOne Card will be available to all serving and former members of the CAF and their families. Veterans of the CAF will receive a specially designed card that rightfully distinguishes them as a veteran of the CAF. Details for how to obtain a CFOne Card are available through CFMWS and at the website located at www.cf1fc.caWhile the NDI 75 card will no longer be in production, the certificate of service documentation (DND 2279 or CF 707 and CF 54) will continue to be provided to all retiring and transitioning members of the CAF as they finalize their administrative requirements prior to departing the CAF.Respective URS will continue to provide the DND 2279 and CF 707 documents for members with less than 10 years of service and DMCA will continue to provide CF 54 for members with more than 10 years of service. For more details please refer to Commander MPC web page of the military human resources records procedures publication (MHRRP) http://upkprod.desc.mil.ca/hrmsp/eng/data/toc.htmlRequests for information regarding the new CFOne Card will be redirected to CFMWS who will provide more details within the coming weeks.

The contest runs the duration of Security Awareness Week, from Feb. 8 to 12In support of Security Awareness Week, Robert Whitwall, N61-2 Headquarters Security Officer, has set up a fake single person cubicle on the third floor of D100 with an array of physical and IT security infractions for D100 personnel and visitors to discover.Physical security infractions can include leaving protected documents on an unattended desk, or not properly securing sensitive documents and passwords. IT security infractions include using unauthorized drives in workplace computers and leaving computers logged on while unattended.“Security is everybody’s business, not just people in the security world,” says Whitwall. “We should all be aware of our surroundings and if we see something that is out of place or looks wrong, it should be mentioned. The more people are aware of their security environments, the safer our work environments will be.”Whoever spots the highest number of infractions will receive a prize.  The contest runs the duration of Security Awareness Week, from Feb. 8 to 12. Anyone interested in participating can stop by the cubicle and fill out a form provided citing the infractions they notice.On the Naden side, Base Administration Branch personnel can review a mock workstation in N30 Base Orderly Room, and list all security infractions. There is also a security quiz located in the lobbies of the Wardroom, Nelles, and the Naden gym. Please note restricted areas require you to ensure all personnel are escorted accordingly.  If successful in any of the above exercises, you could be the winner of some cool prizes.

[caption id="attachment_11875" align="alignnone" width="300"] The Men’s Senior Tritons hockey team.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Men’s Senior Tritons hockey team are putting on hold any grandiose dreams of national home-ice hockey glory, at least for now.In order to qualify for the Canadian Armed Forces Oldtimers Hockey Championship, to be held at CFB Esquimalt March 6 to 10, the Tritons will first need to defeat up-island rivals the Comox Flyers this week in a best-of-three regional championship series at the Wurtele Arena.The official puck drop for game one on Tuesday, Feb. 9 is at 9 a.m., with game two at 7:30 p.m., and if necessary a game three tie-breaker Feb. 10 at 2:30 p.m. The players and coaching staff hope hockey fans at the base lend their support at both games.“It would be terrific to get some support and get the fans out to Naden and behind us for the regional championships,” said MS Andrew Johnston, assistant coach.“We know it’s really tough for people to get away from work during the day, but the amount of fan support can really make a big difference for us.”The winner of this week’s series advances to represent the Pacific region in the Canadian Armed Forces Oldtimers Hockey Championship, competing against Quebec, Prairie, Ontario and Atlantic region teams.CFB Valcartier won last year’s five-team national finals held at CFB Borden in Angus, Ont. while the Tritons placed fifth.Top players on this year’s Esquimalt squad include winger LCdr Bill Ansell, Capt(N) Jason Boyd who plays centre, and play-making winger RAdm Gilles Couturier.“We have many senior officers on our team, but as far as hockey is concerned, as soon as a player enters our dressing room everyone’s an equal member of the team,” said MS Johnston. “That’s why being part of this team is all about the hockey experience,...

[caption id="attachment_11833" align="alignnone" width="300"] Brigadier-General Nicolas Eldaoud and Colonel Dan Harris present the Military Family Coin to Scott Murray during the launch of the Calian Military Family Doctor Network at Toronto’s Military Family Resource Centre Jan. 20.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~Calian Health, a national healthcare services company and Canadian military healthcare provider for over 10 years under the HSSC contract, announced the launch of its Military Family Doctor Network Jan. 20.The company collaborated with Military Family Services to develop the program, which aims to improve access to family physicians for families of serving Canadian Armed Forces members.“A healthy family means a healthy serving member, which means a healthy and strong Canadian Armed Forces,” says Scott Murray, Vice President of Health Services at Calian.While military members are provided health services in the military healthcare system, military family members must rely on provincial healthcare systems. As a result, military family members have difficulty finding family physicians following postings.“An estimated four million Canadians still do not have a family doctor, so it’s not an entirely unique problem for the military, but it is compounded by the fact that military families move around so much,” says Murray.Murray says Calian considered how they could improve this situation for military family members.“We have a network of 145 clinics that we manage on behalf of Loblaw at store locations across Canada, including No Frills and Real Canadian Superstores. As a result, we have pre-existing relationships with the roughly 400 family physicians practicing at these clinics; so we asked our network of physicians to consider opening spots at their practice to military families.”To make use of the program, military family members need only visit their local Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC), where they fill out a form requesting information about their healthcare needs. Calian then reaches into its...

[caption id="attachment_11823" align="alignnone" width="211"] Family members of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel and veterans can now make use of DFIT.ca For Families.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~ Family members of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel and veterans can now make use of DFIT.ca For Families.It is a newly opened portal on the DFIT website that provides access to fitness and health programming previously only available to serving members.“Supporting the culture of fitness in the CAF has meant providing military members with the tools and resources they need to be fit and fight,” says Daryl Allard, Director of Fitness, Sport, and Health Promotion at CF Morale and Welfare Services in Ottawa. “But if we really want to impact the culture of fitness, we have to support family members of those serving.”The DFIT website was launched October 2012 in an effort to broaden the reach of fitness programming to military members, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces health and physical fitness strategy.“The DFIT website generated quite a bit of momentum initially,” says Allard, who adds that within the first six months of the launch about 10,000 people had registered with the site, eventually increasing to 28,000 registered users. “But momentum has slowed down, so we wanted to move beyond Regular Force members and cater to the community that is one million strong, including family members and veterans.”Allard and his team partnered with the programming company Kinduct Technologies to re-develop the original DFIT site, making it more mobile-friendly, quicker to load, and easier to manoeuver, meaning users can access the site to follow workouts on their phone while at the gym.New upgrades include a specialized fitness program generator that allows a member preparing for deployment to enter his or her health and fitness information into a system to produce an individualized fitness program.“You can enter the number of weeks you have until deployment, how many weeks you’d like to work out, whether or not you have access to fitness equipment, and your level...

[caption id="attachment_11820" align="alignnone" width="300"] A/SLt Song has developed a logo and podcast website, and has recorded 15 podcasts to be uploaded on her website[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~Four weeks ago, a close friend of Acting Sub-Lieutenant Melinda Song, 27, encouraged the podcast-lover to go on air.Fast forward to now, that idea has turned into a reality.A/SLt Song has developed a logo and podcast website, and has recorded 15 podcasts to be uploaded on her website, iTunes, and other Android podcast apps, such as Pocket Casts, Podcast Republic, and PodOmatic for her “Mission: Possible. A Podcast of Young People, By Young People, For Young People.”Podcasts are short, episodic recordings of interviews, talk shows, and other forms of digital media that can be downloaded for free on the Internet. Users can subscribe to hundreds or even thousands of podcasts depending on their personal interests, and can upload them to devices such as the laptop or cellphone.The benefit of podcasts, says A/SLt Song, is that a user can listen to them while doing most daily activities, spicing up chores, a long drive, or a workout.Each of A/SLt Song’s bi-weekly podcasts feature an interview with a different inspirational guest speaker. The overall goal, says A/SLt Song, is to bring together stories and conversations about what life is like for curious millennials in a world full of possibility and change.“When I stepped into the real world after university, there was a phase where I was lost and confused and not sure what I wanted to do,” she says. “I realized it wasn’t an issue that only I had, but that it is a prevalent problem many people face.”After using her Facebook connections to find podcast guests, A/SLt Song has interviewed inspiring and adventurous young people such as local musician Jesse Roper, Miss British Columbia Globe...

[caption id="attachment_12036" align="alignnone" width="300"] MARPAC’s Health and Wellness Strategy Team[/caption]Joanne Baxter, Health Promotion ~To kick off Nutrition Month on March 1, MARPAC’s Health and Wellness Strategy Team will be handing out fruit at the Naden and Dockyard gates.The yummy treat is a reminder to all members of the defence team that they need seven servings of fruit and vegetables each day.It’s also one of the initiatives the base will be taking throughout March to encourage everyone to eat a little healthier.The Wardroom, Venture and Nelles Block will be promoting healthy choices by offering a healthy side salad to cash paying customers:Week 1 - Spinach Mandarin saladWeek 2 - Garden Tossed saladWeek 3 – Fruit Salad  Week 4 – Marinated VegetablesThe message is that small and consistent changes can lead to better choices. It’s part of the Dietitians of Canada 2016 campaign, “Take the 100 Meal Journey: Make small changes one meal at a time.”To help Canadians enact this change, the campaign features a five-week action plan:Week 1: Get ready. Visit the website (www.dietitians.ca), make the pledge, set small goals.Week 2: Quality counts. Cook more meals, focus on nutrient rich ingredients.Week 3: Prioritize portion size. Strategies for realistic portions.Week 4: Try something new. Tasty new flavors make choices easy.Week 5: Make it stick. Doable strategies for inevitable detours.Week 1: Getting ReadySelf-monitoring - Tracking your eating habits builds awareness about food intake and eating patterns. It helps identify areas where you can make change and helps you stay on track.Stimulus Control - Many messages within our environments signal for us to eat. Examine your own personal environment and find ways to make choosing the healthier options easier.Goal Setting - Make your goals SMART: Specific, Measureable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time-Framed.Planning - Plan ahead to help set yourself up for mealtime success.Visit www.dietitians.ca/gettheapps, to download three apps designed to help you along the way:Cookspiration: find dietician approved recipes.eaTipster: Get a dietician approved nutrition tip every day.eaTracker: Consumers can enter foods and activities, set goals...

[caption id="attachment_11817" align="alignnone" width="200"] Transition out of the military may be challenging for some families in a way people might not have anticipated.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~Military members who are medically releasing, and in need of support for themselves and their families in the transition to civilian life, can now turn to the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) for assistance.The recently launched Veterans Family Program is a four-year pilot project that extends the services of the MFRC to meet the needs of veterans and their family members.Any medically releasing military member or medically released veteran can use services at the MFRC for two years post-release, says Colleen Cahoon, Family Navigator Program Coordinator and Veteran Family Coordinator at the Esquimalt MFRC.  Once a member contacts their local MFRC, staff will work the family to assess their needs, provide assistance, and help direct the family to any appropriate community agencies.The Veterans Family Program might provide counselling or emergency respite child care to one participant, or help another search for a family doctor. The program will also connect veterans with resources or other community programs, such as Living Life to the Full, a resiliency based program that helps people deal with everyday life challenges by learning better self-management skills.“That transition (out of the military) may be challenging for some families and sometimes it’s challenging in a way people might not have anticipated,” says Cahoon. “This big life change adds a whole level of complexity to the lives of members and their families. By helping ease the member’s transition, we can help both them and their family feel assisted throughout the journey.”  A newly released member can make use of the program for a maximum of two years. Anyone who has released since Nov. 30,  2014, onwards is eligible.The four-year project is currently being...

[caption id="attachment_11814" align="alignnone" width="300"] Hudson Mack, best known as the face of TV news on Vancouver Island, has released his autobiography Unsinkable Anchor.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Hudson Mack, best known as the face of TV news on Vancouver Island, has released his autobiography Unsinkable Anchor.The new book fills the void for those missing the news anchor on the nightly news cast.Released Oct. 3, 2015, by Harbour Publishing, Unsinkable Anchor traces the steps of the award-winning journalist from his early life in Calgary to his 34-year career in broadcasting, which saw stops in Kamloops, and Prince George  before a 19-year run in Victoria with CHEK and A-Channel News (CTV).Mack offers a nostalgic insider’s view of small-town Canadian broadcasting from the 1960s and 70s to present day.  He is able to keep the reader’s attention by not focusing too much on the journalism and his personal life, but instead recounts the more hilarious, embarrassing and monumental moments of his career.One  moment being Prince Philips’s “awkward” interaction with Mack’s wife Patty during Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Victoria in 2002, part of the monarch’s Golden Jubilee Tour of Canada.Mack writes how meeting the Queen and emceeing a luncheon for Her Majesty  and Prince Philip at the Fairmont Empress Hotel was one of the “biggest thrills” of his life. However, he still chuckles at what followed during a ceremony at the B.C. legislature, an incident he dubs the “Philip gaffe.”There were other interesting encounters with heads of state and world leaders including meeting former United States President George W. Bush at the White House in 2005, and emceeing a home-town event with former president Bill Clinton in attendance the following year.Mack also confesses to some hard lessons learned such as his on-air slip-up on CHEK in 1985. He proclaimed during a newscast that the best thing about his former hometown of Prince George was Highway 97 south.The comments did not sit well with Prince George councillor Monica Becott.While many quirky anecdotes made the final edit,...

[caption id="attachment_11804" align="alignnone" width="600"] Base Commander, Captain (N) Steve Waddell tries the new debit and credit card payment options at Nelles with the assistance of Food Service Attendant Leah Stewart. CPO1 Gino Spinelli, Base Chief Petty Officer, stands next in line.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~ By the end of February, galleys at Nelles, the Wardroom, Venture, and at the Damage Control School will offer a full range of payment options including cash, reloadable   pay-as-you-go cards, and at last - debit and credit cards.This latest customer service improvement at Base Food Services offers the convenience of electronic payments for those who rarely carry cash or pay-as-you-go cards.“As we’ve evolved, we’ve had a lot of customers from different organizations on base visit the galleys, resulting in more requests for debit and credit use,” says Petty Officer First Class Bill Cameron, Base Food Services.  The new debit and credit card systems have been on trial at Nelles Block since Jan. 20, as Base Food Services continues to develop standard operating procedures for the additional work required to process the new transactions.The Base Foods team are programming new terminals to accommodate credit and debit cards in the galleys, and are training galley staff on their use.He still encourages military members and civilians to use the pay-as-you-go card, which can be loaded up with a chosen amount of funds and used at any of the galleys. The cards can be loaded at the Base Foods Administration Cell, Room 129 in Nelles Block, through Petty Officer Second Class Jason Auer.PO1 Cameron would like to extend special thanks to Karen Kang, Base Accommodations Finance Clerk, and Master Corporal Vincenzo Agius-Mantello, who both helped to implement the new systems.

[caption id="attachment_11799" align="alignnone" width="600"] Six Second World War veterans were awarded one of France’s highest awards – the French Legion of Honour on Jan. 21. At the Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead Jack Porter, 92, Bill Capek, 93, Ken Parton, 93, Geoff Lesueur, 92, Philip Jeffrey, 94, and the oldest of the six Earl Clark, 99 were presented their medals by Cmdre Marla Mulkins, Commander Naval Reserves, and CPO1 Mike Feltham, Formation Chief.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Six Second World War veterans were awarded one of France’s highest awards – the French Legion of Honour on Jan. 21.At the Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead, in a standing room only gathering, Jack Porter, 92, Bill Capek, 93, Ken Parton, 93, Geoff Lesueur, 92, Philip Jeffrey, 94, and the oldest of the six Earl Clark, 99, listened as O Canada and La Marseilles, the national anthem of France, played.Then the four residents from the lodge and two (clients) from Veterans Health Centre were presented their medals by Cmdre Marla Mulkins, Commander Naval Reserves, and CPO1 Mike Feltham, Formation Chief.“By order of the President of the Republic of France you have been awarded the rank of Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour,” proclaimed Cmdre Mulkins on behalf of the French government. “This distinction, which is the highest national order of France, illustrates the profound gratitude that France would like to express, and is awarded in recognition of your personal involvement in the liberation of France during World War Two.”In 2014, French president Francois Hollande, on the 70th anniversary of D-Day, pledged that all servicemen who fought alongside France would receive the nation’s highest honour.It was well worth the wait says 92-year-old recipient Jack Porter, a member of the South Alberta Reserve Regiment who landed on the beaches of Normandy...

[caption id="attachment_11783" align="alignnone" width="600"] Crew members from HMCS OTTAWA, Able Seaman Marotte (left), Ordinary Seaman Moore (center), and Ordinary Seaman Thompson (right) prepare to hoist flags on the ship's Flag Deck during preparations to depart Esquimalt Harbour for the first time following the frigate’s Halifax Class Modernization Project refit.[/caption]SLt Michael Donder, HMCS Ottawa – Last month, HMCS Ottawa achieved another significant milestone by breaking free of Esquimalt harbour, and setting sail after 25 months alongside undergoing its Halifax-class Modernization / Frigate Life Extension upgrade.The ship has gone through an extensive refit program placing it amongst the most capable modern warships in the world.The ship came out of dry dock May 15, 2015, and in the months that followed, the crew worked tirelessly towards getting it back to sea.From the onset, and having only cleared Scroggs Rocks, the team was put to the test.In the ship’s first week back at sea, the crew enlisted the help of Sea Training Pacific to facilitate the Restricted Readiness Inspections (RRIs), and certify the ship and crew safe at sea.Sea Training staff tested and strengthened the crew’s teamwork, fighting spirit and resolve.As OS Halliwell, Hull Technician, put it, “We do all the training alongside, going to Damage Control School, but the best learning experience is to do it at sea on a ship.”The ship’s company pulled through five long days of multiple and daily emergencies, and damage control exercises testing the various organizations, and learning to work as a team in the process.  The crew also learned the value of building trust, which is a vital part of being an effective fighting force.Following RRIs, Ottawa and crew took the Sea Acceptance Trials (SATs) head on, where all the ship’s mechanical and combat systems are put through their paces to ensure their functionality and operation within...

[caption id="attachment_11780" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cdr Pascal Belhumeur, the out-going Commanding Officer of HMCS Winnipeg, bids farewell to the ship’s company as they man the ship’s side following a Change of Command ceremony in Penang, Malaysia.[/caption]SLt Jamie Tobin, HMCS Winnipeg – After more than two and half years at the helm of one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s forward deployed ships, Commander Pascal Belhumeur turned over command of HMCS Winnipeg to Cdr J. Jeffrey Hutchinson on Jan. 18.The ceremony took place on the ship’s flight deck under the hot Penang, Malaysia, sun and was presided over by Commodore J.B. Zwick, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific.The ship’s company stood on parade to bid farewell to Cdr Belhumeur, who was joined by his wife Karen and two children for his final day in command. “This is a great crew and I owe my success to them,” said Cdr Belhumeur. “We brought this ship from its mid-life refit and took it on the journey to high-readiness before embarking on a successful operational deployment. This would not have been possible without the support of this incredible team.”Cdr Belhumeur assumed command of Winnipeg July 2, 2013, and led the crew through modernized Halifax-class frigate training and the tiered readiness program before deploying on Operation Reassurance June 15, 2015.Cdr Hutchinson was joined by his wife Jin for his first day in command of Winnipeg, and as he took the watch the in-coming Commanding Officer made his intentions very clear.“Our mission is to get Winnipeg safely back to Esquimalt so that we can reunite the crew with their families. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters have been waiting for the ship’s return for more than seven months and it is time to go home,” said Cdr Hutchinson.Following the service, the crew bid farewell to Cdr Belhumeur by manning...

[caption id="attachment_11766" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cadet Kieran Waterous from 204 Black Maria Air Cadet Squadron in Kamloops starts his race in the Cadet Male Youth division during the 2016 Zone 3 Biathlon Championship held at Sovereign Lake in Vernon Jan. 16. Cadets completed a two kilometre ski loop and shoot course for the opportunity to participate in the Provincial Cadet Biathlon Championship at Mt Washington in February.[/caption]Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific) - Cadets from 204 Black Maria Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron (RCACS) took several gold medals in the cadet zone biathlon competition held at Sovereign Lake in Vernon Jan.16.  The Cadets encountered tough weather conditions as they completed the ski loop and shoot competition. The event proved to be a test of physical strength, concentration, and perseverance as the cadets battled the elements and competed against their peers.  Cadets competed in three divisions based on age: Cadet Junior (ages 12-13), Cadet Senior (ages 14-16) and Cadet Youth (ages 17-18). The following cadets from 204 RCACS earned Gold medals:Cadet Kieran WaterousMale YouthCadet Chase JervisMale SeniorCadet Preston Bodo Male JuniorCadet Halo Cui Female JuniorOnce results from competitions around the province are published, the Cadets will learn who will attend the Provincial Biathlon Competition to be held at Mount Washington in February.  The cadet biathlon program is a recreational activity that has produced Olympians such as Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, and World Cup competitors such as B.C.’s Emma Lunder.

[caption id="attachment_11763" align="alignnone" width="298"] Looking for a fun and productive way to get outside? Interested in growing your own food? Try the Work Point Garden Club.[/caption]Sadie Quintal, Contributor - Looking for a fun and productive way to get outside? Interested in growing your own food? Try the Work Point Garden Club.Vancouver Island is blessed with a climate that permits gardening year-round. Mild winters let us keep vegetables such a kale, cabbage, broccoli, and even root crops such as carrots and beets in the ground right through until spring. However, our mild coastal summers make growing heat-loving vegetables such a peppers a challenge, unless located in a warm backyard or under a season extender such as a mini hoop-house.Growing your own food is a rewarding activity in more ways than one. Gardening gives us the opportunity to grow nutrient-dense fresh vegetables and live an active, healthy lifestyle.Gardening reduces our carbon footprint by providing vegetables close to home, and can also save money on the grocery bill after a small initial investment. Kids love being outdoors and a garden is a great opportunity for exploration and learning.Work Point Garden Club welcomes both experienced gardeners and beginners. You can contact the club at workpointgardenclub@gmail.com Resources for Gardner'sVictoria Compost Education Centre:Offers workshops for both adults and kids on a variety of topics including composting, gardening, and rainwater harvesting. Sells some composting products, locally sourced seeds, and has a great plant sale every spring. http://compost.bc.ca/West Coast Seeds:Online seed store based out of the lower mainland with very valuable “How to Grow” information for all types of vegetables. https://www.westcoastseeds.com/Salt Spring Seeds: Local seed company that sources all seeds from Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands. http://www.saltspringseeds.com/Full Circle Seeds: Local seed company that grows almost all of their seeds right in Sooke.  http://www.fullcircleseeds.com/

[caption id="attachment_11759" align="alignnone" width="288"] LCdr (Ret’d) Margaret Brooke passed away peacefully on Jan. 9, 2016, at the age of 100, surrounded by loved ones in Victoria.[/caption]DND - Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, issued the following statement on the passing of naval hero Lieutenant Commander (Ret’d) Margaret Brooke, MBE, PhD:“On behalf of the entire Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Armed Forces, my deepest condolences are extended to the family and friends of LCdr (Ret’d) Margaret Brooke, who passed away peacefully on Jan. 9, 2016, at the age of 100, surrounded by loved ones in Victoria, British Columbia.“LCdr Brooke was a true Canadian naval hero. A Royal Canadian Navy Nursing Sister during the Second World War, then-Sub-Lieutenant Brooke was named a Member (Military Division) of the Order of the British Empire for her valiant actions following the torpedoing and subsequent sinking of the ferry SS Caribou on October 14, 1942, in the Cabot Strait off Newfoundland. Fighting for her own survival, she attempted to save the life of her colleague and friend, Nursing Sister Sub-Lieutenant Agnes Wilkie, by holding on to her with one arm, while clinging to ropes on a capsized lifeboat. Despite LCdr Brooke’s heroic efforts, her friend succumbed to the frigid water. LCdr Brooke continued to serve in the RCN until her retirement in 1962, at which point she went on to a successful civilian career in academia, achieving her PhD in paleontology.“The Royal Canadian Navy was extremely pleased to acknowledge Margaret Brooke’s great legacy with the announcement in April 2015 that one of the upcoming Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships would be named Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Margaret Brooke in her honour. Members of the RCN had the great fortune to visit LCdr Brooke and her family at the time of the announcement, which was also on the occasion of her 100th birthday. It was a wonderful opportunity to thank LCdr Brooke for her 20 years of military service to Canada, and...

[caption id="attachment_11753" align="alignnone" width="300"] Members of HMCS Winnipeg present clothing donations collected by the ship during its Holiday Clothing Drive to the Joe Nafuma Refugee Centre in Rome, Italy.[/caption]SLt Jamie Tobin, HMCS Winnipeg -Despite being deployed over the holiday season, the more than 250 sailors, soldiers and air force personnel on board HMCS Winnipeg spread holiday cheer to those less fortunate with some very successful community outreach endeavours.The most successful of the campaigns was the ship’s holiday toy drive where members of the crew purchased toys that were donated to a worthy cause in the ship’s holiday port of call of Rome.“It is incredibly overwhelming to see the ship’s company collaborate together and purchase a variety of children’s toys and donate clothing for those in need,” said Master Seaman Joan Emode, a reserve force Resource Management Support Clerk serving in Winnipeg. “I am also proud to be a member of the Master Seaman and Below mess that contributed so much of their time and effort to support this important cause.”Two days before Christmas representatives from the ship visited the Joe Nafuma Refugee Centre in Rome to drop off clothing and hygiene products donations that had been collected by the crew. The facility provides meals and daytime services to refugees living in the vicinity of Rome, and the team from the ship had a brief opportunity to meet with some of the centre’s staff and clientele to learn about the support programs and employment opportunities they provide.On Christmas Eve, a large group from the ship’s company visited the Community of Sant’Egidio School of Peace in Rome with toy donations that had been collected during the campaign. The donations consisted of store bought toys and games, as well as handcrafted wooden boats that were constructed by the ship’s hull technician section.The Community...

The B.C. Government, ICBC, and DND are supporting transitioning military personnel and retired veterans by transferring their truck driving credentials to commercial licences,  and by removing any requirement for additional testing.This will provide transitioning military personnel and recently retired veterans with a marketable qualification and new career opportunities in the commercial trucking industry.“Military members transitioning out of the Canadian Armed Forces into civilian life can face many challenges as they seek out new employment. The announcement by the B.C. government and ICBC eliminates one of those key hurdles for many of our current and former serving members,” said Rear Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific. “I thank the Province of British Columbia, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, and Helmets to Hardhats for working so closely with us to support the men and women who serve, by recognizing military driver’s license as a valid professional qualification in the province.”This agreement allows retired and active members with a DND driver’s licence to obtain an equivalent B.C. commercial licence (class 1, 2, 3 or 4). The streamlined approach allows applicants with prior DND credentials to drive semi-tractors, large trucks, buses and limousines. To further support military driver transition, B.C. will also issue class 5 or 7 passenger vehicle licences without additional testing to drivers with equivalent DND credentials.The newly signed agreement by the B.C. government, ICBC, and DND goes into effect Jan. 25.Removing this hurdle for military personnel and veterans in B.C. is part of an initiative spearheaded by the national non-profit group, Helmets to Hardhats Canada.Helmets to Hardhats Canada is focused on providing members of the Canadian Armed Forces with opportunities for apprenticeship training and/or careers, with good wages and benefits in Canada’s unionized building, construction and maintenance industries.“We are happy to help current and retired Canadian Forces members...

[caption id="attachment_11745" align="alignnone" width="300"] Rear Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, presents Master Seaman Brandon McLeod with the NATO Article 5 medal for his contribution to NATO Operation Active Endeavour.[/caption]SLt Jamie Tobin, HMCS Winnipeg - The ship’s company of HMCS Winnipeg received the NATO Article 5 medal on Jan. 9 for their service in support of Operation Reassurance, Canada’s contribution to NATO assurance measures in Central and Eastern Europe.For approximately three months of the deployment Winnipeg’s service with the Standing NATO Maritime Group was in support of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO’s mission to build maritime situational awareness in order to detect, deter and disrupt terrorism in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship served on the operation with the German-led Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) this past July and August, and again with the Portuguese-led SNMG1 in November and December.The ship held the medal presentation ceremony on the flight deck during an operational port of call in Goa, India. The event was presided over by Rear Admiral Gilles Couturier, the Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, and Chief Petty Officer First Class Michael Feltham, Formation Chief Petty Officer.  “It was great to get out and visit the crew of HMCS Winnipeg and it was an honour to present them with their medals,” said RAdm Couturier. “Winnipeg has been doing the business of the Royal Canadian Navy throughout their deployment and they serve as an example of excellence at sea.”Winnipeg and crew deployed from Esquimalt June 15, 2015, and have  been conducting operations and participating in multi-national exercises with the SNMGs since mid-July. The crew received their medals shortly before the seven month milestone of the deployment.“It was a momentous occasion for all of us,” said Commander Pascal Belhumeur, Commanding Officer of HMCS Winnipeg. “This is the best crew of sailors...

[caption id="attachment_11741" align="alignnone" width="300"] FDU divers PO1 Giles Pease (top) and LS Ryan Burrell (bottom) dive in the Pacific Canada Pavillion at the Vancouver Aquarium. PO1 Pease is diving with CABA (SCUBA) dive gear and LS Burrell is diving the CCDA rebreather.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz , Staff Writer -Five clearance divers plunged beneath the surface in an unusual environment a week ago.The members from Fleet Diving Unit Pacific (FDU(P)) donned wet suits and rebreathers over the Jan. 16 weekend and slipped into the Pacific Canada Pavilion tank at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.Surrounded by halibut and sturgeon, and under the watch of visitors, the divers carried out demonstrations to showcase their navy work. Interactive displays were also set up inside the aquarium.“People don’t know what we do, typically,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Greg Oickle, FDU (P) Executive Officer. “So there was a lot of contact with the public and it gave us the opportunity to talk to others about our jobs doing clearance diving or port inspections.”Lt(N) Oickle and PO1 Giles Pease teamed up to give a special presentation on diving opportunities within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) on Saturday afternoon. More than 30 people listened raptly as they discussed training, career paths in military diving, and basic diving tasks.“They send divers down to diffuse explosives, risking their lives, and the extent of what they do is amazing,” said Nerina Black, a seminar audience member. “I had no idea they do so much. They truly save lives.”The Aquarian’s annual Divers’ Weekend, now in its 17th year, focused on the Arctic, with seminar topics ranging from the impacts of climate change to exploring shipwrecks in the waters off Cambridge Bay, NU.During the clearance diver presentation, Lt(N) Oickle talked about diving under the Arctic ice last spring following the discovery of the HMS Erebus...

[caption id="attachment_11724" align="alignnone" width="199"] Commander Pascal Belhumeur, Commanding Officer of HMCS Winnipeg, participates in the ship’s Spin-a-Thon fitness challenge during Operation Reassurance in the Mediterranean Sea.[/caption]HMCS Winnipeg -While physical fitness is a component of operational success, it can be difficult for sailors to maintain when at sea on deployment. However, on board HMCS Winnipeg the command team is setting the example of what is achievable.To keep fit, Commander Pascal Belhumeur, the ship’s Commanding Officer, has equipped his cabin with a stationary bicycle trainer and a heavy bag set-up.“Being fit keeps us in control of our physical and mental well-being,” says Cdr Belhumeur.The command team has also brought on board a fitness specialist from Personnel Support Programs.“Canadian Armed Forces members are fortunate to have the support of Personnel Support Programs and the personal trainer has been a great asset to the crew,” says Lieutenant-Commander Kevin Whiteside, the ship’s Executive Officer.Sylvain Verrier holds four fitness classes per day while at sea and provides the crew with daily workout programs and nutrition advice. LCdr Whiteside remains fit by faithfully attending the 6 a.m. class and frequenting the 4 p.m. class.“I am proud to be a part of a command team that is so focused on fitness,” says Chief Petty Officer First Class Michel Vincelette, Winnipeg’s Coxswain. “The crew sees it and is inspired; we have the most actively fit crew that I have ever seen.”With Verrier’s assistance, the Coxswain has been doing a cardio and weight intensive program that is tailored to help his golf game; his handicap, however, remains a mystery.Not only does Verrier have an effect on life at sea, but also alongside by organizing multi-national sporting events with our NATO allies, and the monthly five kilometre fleet runs in port at which the ship’s company continues to clock some amazing...

[caption id="attachment_11721" align="alignnone" width="300"] Team CFB Esquimalt Tritions[/caption]Peter Mallett , Staff Writer - The CFB Esquimalt Tritons have advanced to the CAF Men’s National Hockey Championship following a 2-0 series sweep over the CFB Comox Flyers at Wurtele Arena on Jan. 13.Capt Aaron Lee scored a goal and tallied two assists as the Tritons defeated the Flyers 5-1 in the Pacific Regionals best-of-three series opening game last Wednesday morning. Capt Lee, a forward who works for the dental unit, was named Player of the Game following game one, and Tournament MVP of the series.Tritons goaltender PO2 Randy Collens of CF Fleet School was named Player of the Game following game 2 after turning aside 30 shots in his team’s 6-2 victory. The result cemented the CFB Esquimalt Tritons in place to represent the Pacific Region at the CAF National Hockey Championships, which takes place at CFB Borden, March 5 to 10.The Tritons are now looking to improve on their 5th place finish last year at the annual championship tournament as they face their opponents from Quebec, Prairie, Ontario, and Atlantic Regions.

[caption id="attachment_11718" align="alignnone" width="300"] Cadets from 5 Rainbow Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, along with their coach Paul Hillsden and the North Vancouver Island Area Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer, LCdr Don Irwin, show off the ceremonial paddle they created, and trophy they won at the Zone Inter-Divisional Seamanship Competition held in Comox Jan. 9-10.[/caption]Cadets from 5 Rainbow Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) in Victoria will be competing this spring in the Regional Interdivisional Seamanship Competition after winning the zone competition held Jan.  9 and 10 at HMCS Quadra in Comox.The 10-person team, along with 109 other cadets from Vancouver Island competed in a variety of seamanship skills: coiling and heaving heavy lines at targets, navigation, semaphore (communication with flags), whipping and splicing rope, knot work, naval trivia, creating a ceremonial paddle with decorative knot work and constructing sheer legs (a mechanical boom to lift a load onto a ship’s deck).The aim of the event is to encourage cadets to increase their knowledge of seamanship and to provide friendly competition.The 5 Rainbow RCSCC team was led by team captain CPO2 Alex Hillsden. The winning team was presented with a championship trophy.They practiced between two and four hours each week to prepare for the event, and plan to continue meeting each week until the regional competition in March.5 Rainbow RCSCC recently moved from Esquimalt to the James Bay area at HMCS Malahat.Also participating were Cadets from 54 Admiral DeWolf RCSCC in Campbell River, 64 Malaspina RCSCC in Powell River, 100 Admiral Mainguy RCSCC in Duncan, 109 Alberni RCSCC in Port Alberni, 136 Amphion RCSCC in Nanaimo, 189 Port Augusta RCSCC in Comox, 220 Admiral Budge RCSCC in Sidney, 263 Beacon Hill RCSCC in Langford, 296 Esquimalt RCSCC in Parksville, and 325 Admiral Waller RCSCC in Sooke.

[caption id="attachment_11714" align="alignnone" width="300"] Image from the DFIT website[/caption]Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services -New changes to the DFIT.ca website have greatly improved usability and broadened who can use the website.This unique fitness planning and training tool launched by Personnel Support Programs (PSP) in 2012 is now more responsive to mobile devices. Plus it has a more intuitive website design that ensures faster response times.Military families can take advantage of the online tool used by military members.With the aim of expanding its audience of users beyond serving military personnel, DFIT.ca for Families is a new online resource featuring general fitness and a more family-friendly, total lifestyle approach to active living.Special features include parenting tips focused on active living, online personal trainers, program discounts and coupons, diet and weight loss guides, and much more.The DFIT.ca mobile web platform now offers customizable fitness training plans, video demonstrations of hundreds of exercises, tips for injury prevention, nutritional information, and online training journals.DFIT.ca also features an online forum moderated by PSP fitness professionals who can provide helpful training advice and feedback.Using their CFOne card number, military family members, veterans and their families can access the DFIT.ca module available for free until January 2017. Access to DFIT.ca is also available to all other categories of CFOne members, such as NPF employees, DND public servants, RCMP officers, pensioners, and their families, on a paid subscription basis.

[caption id="attachment_11706" align="alignnone" width="600"] PO2 Bertrand Larocque and his daughters Casandra and Milla show off a Cantharellus cibarius, commonly known as the chanterelle, that they picked during a recent trip to a forest near Port Renfrew.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff writerNot long after the first rainy days at the end of summer, a vast cornucopia of colorful mushrooms pop up at the base of trees and the duff of forest floors of the Pacific Northwest. Along with them comes an army of mushroom pickers.One-by-one, armed with specially designed harvesting knives, they hike into the lush forests of Vancouver Island in search of the fruits of fungus.For outdoor enthusiasts, mushroom picking not only provides a healthy outdoor activity, but also brings a greater understanding of the Island’s diverse and sensitive ecosystem. With the right safety precautions, their harvest also provides them an unparalleled culinary delight.“After a day of hiking and bushwhacking you begin to get the aroma of those Chanterelle mushrooms on your fingers,” says CPO2 Yvan Vallières an instructor at Fleet School. “There is nothing like it, being outdoors and cooking a fresh batch of Chanterelle mushrooms that you have just picked.”The mushroom season is a short-lived one and typically runs from late August until mid to late November when the first hard frost arrives.CPO2 Vallières and other mushroom seekers use specially designed Opinel mushroom knives and other similar blades to carefully separate the mushrooms from their stems in order to harvest their crops. A life-long outdoor enthusiast originally from Gatineau, Que., CPO2 Vallières began mushroom picking 10 years ago and says he was “instantly hooked.”On fall weekends, he and his girlfriend Claudette Poirier hop in their camper van and “get away from it all.”  The pair travel to remote locations on Vancouver Island, set up camp, and spend their weekend hiking...

Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is resolving an issue with quality assurance measures of a small portion of welds performed in its West Coast surface and sub-surface fleet.In the fall of 2014, during a routine quality control inspection carried out by contractor Victoria Shipyards, an anomaly was identified in a small number of welds in Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa.After identifying that the issue was a quality assurance matter, Victoria Shipyards articulated their findings to Babcock Canada Inc., since they were completing HMCS Chicoutimi’s Extended Docking Work Period during the same period, and alerted the RCN to their findings.A collective investigation by the RCN, Babcock Canada Inc. and Victoria Shipyards ensued to determine whether or not the weld quality assurance issues were isolated to HMCS Ottawa.“As the senior engineer of the Formation, I was notified, and immediately began working in partnership with the other organizations to determine the extent of the problem,” said Captain (Navy) Christopher Earl, Assistant Chief of Staff for Naval Engineering and Maintenance. “Given the importance of the safety and security of our sailors, and any potential impact on operations, concerns such as these are taken very seriously and always investigated.”The review and subsequent investigations identified that the quality assurance checks conducted on welds inside frigates, and on the air and hydraulic pipes in submarines did not meet the high integrity standards of the RCN. Findings ultimately revealed that the welding quality assurance issues also affected HMC Ships Vancouver and Winnipeg, as well as Maritime Forces Pacific’s two submarines, Chicoutimi and Victoria.A total of 684 welds were re-examined in the three frigates; as a result, 16 welds (2% of the total) were identified as requiring repairs.The number of welds requiring re-inspection is relatively small in comparison to the total number of welds present...

[caption id="attachment_11709" align="alignnone" width="300"] Military Family Resource Centre Instructor Tracy Beck looks on as her students (left) Avery, 7, Jordyn, 5, Sarah, 6, and Conrad, 5, hold up pictures of themselves during a deployment workshop at the Colwood Pacific Activity Centre.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff WriterDiscovering they’re not the only ones missing a parent on the home front is a giant step forward for young children coping with the deployment of a mother or father.“Realizing this is half the battle for my students, especially the younger ones,” says Tracy Beck, Children’s Deployment Workshops Facilitator with the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). Through shared experiences and a number of interactive activities, Beck says how students attending the weekly workshops at the Colwood Pacific Activity Centre are able to “relate” and thereby “validate” their wide-ranging emotions and feelings when their parents leave home.“When they go to school the children quickly realize most of their classmates moms and dads aren’t away from home, but theirs are,” says Beck. “But when they come in here and see eight others in the same situation they quickly realize these feelings are a shared experience.”Several of those attending the current workshops are children of parents deployed in Operation Reassurance aboard HMCS Winnipeg. On June 15, 2015, children and families of the crew gave their heart-felt, teary farewells to the crew before they headed to the Mediterranean for an eight-month, NATO-led mission.Erin Goetz’s husband MS Jeffrey Snook is an engineer aboard Winnipeg. Her three daughters, Hayley, 3, Jordyn, 5, and Avery, 7, started attending the sessions last June. She says that although they miss activities such as camping and bike riding with their father, the workshops allow them to still feel connected.“My youngest daughter Hayley initially felt anxious about participating in social activities while Jeffrey was away, but now she...

[caption id="attachment_11685" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photos from the June 2014, Help Fill A Dream Foundation contribution. Matteo Salehi, whose father is in the Canadian Navy, went for a trip to Mexico with his family.[/caption]Rachel Lallouz, Staff WriterHelp Fill A Dream Foundation, a Vancouver Island charity that makes the dreams of sick children come true, is mid-way through their seasonal fundraising campaign and is looking for community assistance.“We are an immediate responsive charity that steps in to provide resources and financial support to families who have a child with a life-threatening illness,” says Craig Smith, Executive Director.Established in 1986, Help Fill A Dream has been supporting civilian and military families on the Island for the past 30 years by offering three types of programming to families in need: the Dreams Program, Family Assistance Program, and Quality of Life Program.Their most publicized program, explains Smith, is the Dreams Program, which fulfills a single dream of a child, no matter how wildly imaginative the dream is.“The idea is that when a child is sick, or when they are in their recovery period, they can look forward to their dream coming true,” says Smith. “Having that one thing to look forward to is very powerful incentive to get better, and having hope and happiness is so beneficial in the healing process.”  For this particular program, someone who knows the ill child, be it a medical practitioner, family member, or neighbour, fills out an online application on behalf of the child. The child must meet the organization’s requirements, meaning they must reside on the island or on the Gulf Islands, be under 19 years of age, and have a life threatening condition.Once approved by the organization’s board, Smith and his team work on making the dream come true.“We’ve done everything from having families meet celebrities such...