Latest News

Ordinary Seaman Frank Grant observes USS John C Stennis from the starboard bridge wing of HMCS Regina during Operation Artemis.

Commanding Officer of HMCS Regina, Commander Jason Boyd, salutes HMS Diamond during Operation Artemis.

Petty Officer First Class Chris Ferguson, onboard HMCS Regina, writes on an incident board during a training exercise while deployed on Operation Artemis.

[caption id="attachment_2945" align="alignnone" width="300"] Airwoman E.F. Nightingale, served as a Canadian military photographer during the Second World War.[/caption] More than 70 years ago, during the height of the Second World War, Canadian military photographers were silent witnesses to a nation at war, all with the aim of capturing the moment on film, however grim.But many of the pictures of Canadian military personnel from the Second World War were staged for the media to use back home, shot by former press photographers who signed up to chronicle Canada’s involvement in the conflict.According to Collections Canada, late in 1939, Frank Badgley, commissioner of the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, prepared a report recommending the Canadian Army organize a special film and photographic unit.The purposes of this unit, he wrote, would be:“… to record in motion pictures and photographs the day by day activities and achievements of…those units actively engaged in the combat zones, not only to provide an historical record, but to provide informational and inspirational material for…the maintenance of public morale and the stimulation of recruiting… [and]…to provide material for world wide distribution through the newsreels, news photo organizations, the press and other outlets… that will serve to keep Canada’s war efforts vividly before not only our own people but the rest of the world.”In 1940, a public relations photographic section was formed at Canadian Military Headquarters in London, England. It was the forerunner of the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit set up in September 1941. Back in Canada, the photographic section of the Army’s Directorate of Public Relations was organized at Ottawa in 1942.In March 1940, Flying Officer Fergus Grant, the air press liaison officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), asked that the RCAF’s Photographic Establishment to create a “Press Photographic Section” for the purposes of “securing...

[caption id="attachment_2942" align="alignnone" width="300"] Anna Maria Alberts-Zeeman wrote a book called “The Peace Rose,” which is her memoirs about the Second World War in Amsterdam, including the liberation of Holland by Canadian soldiers.[/caption] Anna Maria Alberts-Zeeman has been a Canadian citizen for more than 50 years, but each spring she glances out her window in Sidney to see the Peace roses in bloom, and her thoughts turn to memories of Holland.These large vibrant pink and yellow roses take the 84-year-old Amsterdam native back to her teenage years – a time of fear, oppression and poverty in a war-torn country.Like many Dutch teenagers at the time, she spent her childhood in fear, wondering if her family would starve to death like so many compatriots had. Now in her twilight years, she decided to pen her memoirs. The Peace Rose is her book that chronicles her childhood in Holland, the liberation of Holland by Canadian soldiers, her immigration to Canada, and an inspirational journey through her life.Last year, she met with a group of soldiers from CFB Esquimalt about to attend the annual Nijmegen march in Holland.“I told those soldiers they reminded me of the young soldiers from so many years ago during the liberation, smiling and sharing chocolate bars with us. The Dutch will never forget what Canadians did for us. It is our life and our history. We cherish it,” she said. Amsterdam was one of the last places in Holland to be liberated after the war. Alberts-Zeeman was 12 when the war started and 17 when it ended. “I lost a big portion of my teenage years. By the last year it was just survival, as Holland was downhill already economically,” she said. “We lived in darkness when the war was on because we had to put black paper...

[caption id="attachment_2939" align="alignnone" width="300"] Leading Chef Brock West was rewarded with a trip to Canada after being honoured as New Zealand’s Sailor of the Year.[/caption] Recognition for a good deed has sent one New Zealand sailor to Canada. Leading Chef (LCH) Brock West of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) is in town to visit the Royal Canadian Navy on the Pacific Coast as part of his commendation.The 24-year-old was honoured this year as the RNZN’s Sailor of the Year for heroic actions he took when troubles arose during a salvage operation.LCH West and HNZS Rotoiti were aiding a salvage vessel with the break down of a grounded cargo ship when the seas got rough. “We were approaching in our little inflatable boat and we saw a man fall from the ladder,” says LCH West.The man fell five metres and landed on another person. It was then that the medically trained LCH West knew he had to do something.“Instinct took over, and I jumped from my boat to theirs,” he says. “The man who’d fallen was okay, but the one he’d landed on was a banged up. I administered first aid and we got them back to our ship.”Luckily both men came away with only bumps and a bruised vertebra.LCH West admits he was just doing what he thought was right, but the recognition still feels good.“If it was me I’d have wanted someone to do the same thing,” he says.While at CFB Esquimalt he toured the base museum, took in naval life on the West Coast, and had coffee with the RAdm Bill Truelove.“The Admiral is a great guy. We talked about the issues facing our two countries and the future of the navy,” he says. The actions he took are nothing short of what would be expected of...

Canadian Forces soldiers from 5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5CMBG) participate in an attack scenario during Exercise Maple Resolve on October 24, 2012 in Wainwright, Alberta.

Petty Officer 2nd Class, Keri Vincent (left), Master Seaman Jeremiah Morley and Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Sullivan (right) perform some maintenance on one of the engines onboard HMCS Regina while deployed on Operation ARTEMIS, in the Arabian Sea on November 03, 2012.

Master Corporal Paul Lacroix secures a SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from United States Ship (USS) John C Stennis onto the flight deck of HMCS Regina in the Arabian Sea during Operation ARTEMIS on November 15, 2012.

HMCS Regina fires her 57mm gun during a training exercise while in the Arabian Sea for Operation ARTEMIS on November 7, 2012.

Ship's divers from HMCS Regina prepare to conduct a dive while deployed on Operation ARTEMIS in the Arabian Sea on November 1, 2012.  Petty Officer Second Class Chris Johnson (left) assists Petty Officer First Class Kevin Jones.

The Navy Lighting Contest for 2012 at CFB Esquimalt has been postponed primarily due to extensive ongoing construction at Her Majesty’s Canadian (HMC) Dockyard. “I fully recognize the Navy Lighting event has become a tradition for many of us, including our neighbors in the community,” said Capt(N) Bob Auchterlonie, Base Commander of CFB Esquimalt. “My decision is based on a number of factors including the ongoing construction and renewal in HMC Dockyard, the ability for personnel to safely decorate buildings near the work being done, as well as the unavailability of ships due to operational and maintenance requirements.” Millions of dollars in construction work is being carried out in a variety of locations on the base. As well, a number of Pacific Fleet ships are either deployed or undergoing extensive maintenance work that precludes their availability to support the Navy Lighting Contest this year.   The annual Navy Lighting Contest has been a unique holiday tradition for a number of years. Last year, nearly 5,800 visitors toured HMC Dockyard by bus via a pre-determined route, viewing the decorated ships and buildings, and voting for their favorite.

More than 190 women and men from HMCS Vancouver formed up in the Naden Drill Shed Nov. 16 to receive the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Service (Libya Medal). The drill shed was filled with nervous excitement as the sailors, soldiers and air personnel – formed up in three large platoons - awaited their turn to receive the medal. With the military band playing in the background, friends, family and distinguished guests watched as RAdm Bill Truelove, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific; Cmdre Scott Bishop, Commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific; and Capt(N) Bob Auchterlonie, Base Commander of CFB Esquimalt; presented the medals. “In 20 years when I look back at my Libya Medal, I will feel a huge sense of pride” said LS Stephanie Masciotra, “We worked hard while we sailed in pitch darkness, and were always at the ready at everything we did.” The Libya Medal was awarded for Vancouver`s participation in Operation Mobile, the Canadian contribution to the NATO Operation Unified Protector. Vancouver was deployed to the Mediterranean region during Operation Mobile from July 10, 2011, to Feb. 19, 2012. “I’m so absolutely proud of every single one of them, of the things that they accomplished, not only for themselves but for the navy and Canada,” said Cdr Bradley Peats, Commanding Officer of Venture, and Vancouver’s Commanding Officer during Operation Mobile. Canada played a leading role in the UN-mandated operations with 630 CF members deployed to create a Libyan no-fly zone and prevent attacks on civilians by the government forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Other Canadian assets with Operation Mobile included CF-188 Hornet fighters, CC-150 Polaris in-flight refuelling tankers, CC-130 Hercules tankers, CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft as well as Canada’s massive C-177 Globemaster III aircraft. A/SLt MacDougall, BPAO Trainee

[caption id="attachment_2903" align="alignnone" width="300"] Leading Seaman, Graham Williams secures a hose from Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Wave Ruler, a British tanker, during a refueling at sea while deployed in the Arabian Sea for Operation ARTEMIS on November 16, 2012.[/caption] As you’re driving down the road, across town or even across the country, do you wonder when you will next get a chance to buy gas, and maybe a snack? Count yourself lucky you’re in a car. If you were driving a warship, you would face that problem on a much grander scale. Ships that have to stay at sea for extended periods must find a way to restock everything ship and crew consume — from peanut butter to engine parts to fuel. It’s called “replenishment at sea” — abbreviated RAS (pronounced “razz”) — and the commodity most often replenished this way is fuel. When a ship such as HMCS Regina refuels at sea, the crew aligns it beside a replenishment ship (called a tanker). As the two ships keep station, cruising along side by side, the two crews rig a span wire to connect them.Then the tanker crew uses the span wire to send a fuel hose fitted with the right kind of nozzle to the receiving ship. The crew of the receiving ship catch the nozzle of the fuel hose and attach it to their inlet pipe. When everything is firmly connected, the fuel starts to flow. Imagine trying to fill up your car from a tanker truck while both you and the truck driver keep going down the highway, side by side. Since leaving Esquimalt July 3, 2012, Regina has replenished at sea more than a dozen times, taking fuel from American and British naval tankers. From initial planning to completion, each RAS requires a high degree of...

On November 11th, more than eighty members of the Royal Canadian Navy participated in the parade on Saltspring Island.

Parade Commander, Major Stephen Carius, leads the Vice Regal Salute upon the arrival of Her Honour, The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia to B.C. Legislature Cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Lieutenant Navy Heroux with the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt marching contingent at Memorial Park in Esquimalt for the 2012 Remembrance Day service.

On a crisp November 11th morning, members from the RCMP, Coast Guard, Fire Department and Royal Canadian Legion were all present to pay honor to those that had fallen in the name of freedom.

Veterans formed up on parade at Memorial Park in Esquimalt for the 2012 Remembrance Day service.

Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance in front of the B.C. Legislature.

[caption id="attachment_2840" align="alignnone" width="300"] MCpl Shannon Thibodeau has created the Canadian version of the American G.I. Joes action figure.[/caption] The American G.I. Joe series now has a Canadian counterpart: Heroes Force™ - Canadian Forces Action Figures. Three soldiers – two in CADPAT and one in Arctic Camo, plus one navy figurine, each sold in their own box with viewing pane, were conceptualized and created by MCpl Shannon Thibodeau.    A desire to honour his brothers and sisters-at-arms evolved from three tours – two in Afghanistan and one in Europe, and one long ride home from Afghanistan in 2004 accompanying two fallen brothers. These figures are not just a toy, he says. “They are my gift for remembrance of all present and past military members.” The idea of a Canadian military toy took hold when his son asked him why G.I. Joes don’t look like him. He turned to friend and graphic designer John Sperry to develop illustrations of himself, which the action figures are modeled after. Product development company Think Drink Inc. embraced the idea. Owner Scott Watson comes from a long line of military members and liked the idea of honouring Canadian Forces members. “Scott ambitiously set the wheels in motion in both North America and in China to bring the product to market,” says MCpl Thibodeau. After many modifications, a year of work, and countless pre-production samples, Heroes Force™  was ready to go to production in 2011. The first production run was limited to 6,000 pieces. “When my first edition arrived last November, I received an email from a nine-year-old boy. He asked me how he can get three army figures for himself and two of his little brothers. He said, ‘My father was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 and we are having a birthday party for him...

[caption id="attachment_2836" align="alignnone" width="300"] Blake C. Goldring, Chairman of Canada Company and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AGF Management Limited (back row, centre) was joined by The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, Councillor Michael Thompson, City of Toronto, and Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin, Commander of the Canadian Army, to present eight children of Canadian military personnel who perished while serving their country with post-secondary education scholarships from Canada Company at the fifth annual awards ceremony Friday at Historic Fort York in Toronto.[/caption] When members of the Canadian Forces are killed in the line of duty, the surviving loved ones may worry about how they will continue to provide for the fallen member’s children, especially when it comes to financing their post-secondary education. Thanks to a scholarship specifically for children of fallen CF members, called the Canada Company Scholarship Fund, attaining a post-secondary education is within reach. The Canada Company scholarship provides $4,000 per year, for up to four years, to support the post-secondary education for children who qualify. Children of Canadian Forces members who have died on duty while serving in an active role on a Canadian Forces mission, whether a member of the Regular Force or Reserve Force, since January 2002 are eligible to apply. The Canada Company Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship grants to children dating back to Jan. 1, 2002. Managing director Peter Hart says the scholarship is open to children of all Canadian Forces members. “Everything we do is targeted at Canadian Forces members across the country, be they army, navy, or air force,” says Hart. “In recent years, many of the scholarships have been awarded to children of army members because that is where most of the losses have occurred; however, we want people to know the scholarship is open to children of all...

This past Remembrance Day, a ceremony was held at the Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich commemorating a little known holder of the Victoria Cross (VC), the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and the French Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur - Commander Rowland R.L. Bourke. Amidst the cold, windy, wet morning, military members, Bourke family members, and local media watched as a contingent from HMCS Malahat placed a Naval Reserve memorial wreath on Cdr Bourke’s small grave marker. Local historian MWO (Retired) Bart Armstrong addressed the crowd, explaining that the cemetery is planning on erecting a larger, more appropriate marker for Victoria’s sole VC holder. They hope to reveal the new marker on May 10, 2013, the same day a newly refurbished monument in the city of Ostend, Belgium, will be unveiled to mark the 95th anniversary of the battle at that seaport. Cdr Bourke received his medals for saving the lives of 41 servicemen during the 1918 spring raid on the Belgium port of Ostend, a key German U-boat base. In April 1918, the Royal Navy initiated a bold raid on the Belgian ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend, which were both heavily defended German U-boat pens. During the first raid on Ostend on April 23, 1918, Bourke volunteered his Motor Launch (ML); he then rescued 38 sailors while towing another crippled ML behind him. For these valiant actions, he received the DSO. During a second raid on May 9-10, because of Bourke’s relentless persistence, he managed to refit his vessel and find a new crew to again head into battle. While engaging the enemy’s machine guns on both piers with Lewis guns, he searched for survivors, initially finding none, but then heard cries in the water. He re-entered the harbour, and saved Lieutenant Sir John Alleyne and two ratings...

Cdr Jason Boyd (centre), Commanding Officer of HMCS Regina, accompanied by Padre Lt(N) Nigel Tully (left) and OS Mathieu Gigault, prepare to lay a wreath during the Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11.

The crew of HMCS Regina observes a moment of silence during their Remembrance Day Ceremony while on Operation Artemis in the Arabian Sea on November 11.

The Ceremonial Guard of Honour from forms in front of the B.C, Legislature Building as Steven L. Point hands over the position of Lieutenant Governor to Judith Guichon.

LCdr Lefresne, Commander of the Ceremonial Guard of Honour from CFB Esquimalt reports to the new Lieutenant Governor of B.C., Judith Guichon, at the Legislature Building.

Chris Kane, an Instrument Repairman with Fleet Maintenance Facility shows high school students some of the optical equipment used on Royal Canadian Navy ships during the 2012 Marine Industry Expo.

During the 2012 Marine Industry Expo, Cadet Warrant Officer Nathan Deringer from the Royal Canadian Army Cadets talks with local area high school students about the different activities and opportunities within cadets.

[caption id="attachment_2796" align="alignnone" width="300"] Artist Eva Campbell’s paintings that feature Canadian Forces members are on display at Xchanges Gallery on Government Street. Read the full story on page 2.[/caption] Eva Campbell says her first brush with the military was as a child while living in Jamaica, when she inelegantly painted toy soldiers with her brother. Through the tutorage of African and Caribbean artists, and four years at the University of Victoria, the fledging artist’s skill eventually turned from clumsy to masterful. While her canvas is usually reserved to tell the stories of women with her cultural background, she recently used her talent to create portraits of Canadian service men and women.The two-year journey to produce the 18 paintings, dubbed Reflections on Service, began after meeting her Uncle, a police officer in Barbados. She asked him to sit for her, and her first “service” painting was born.  “When I returned to Victoria after that trip I decided I wanted to paint military personnel in Canada,” she says.  She began her series of paintings in 2009 with Cpl William Salikin, an infantryman who had served in Afghanistan and came to Victoria to collect his sacrifice medal. “I saw a picture of him in the newspaper and I asked the reporter to connect us so I could ask if could paint him,” she says.He agreed, and the project began in her Fairfield studio. “The colour of the uniform helps me determine the colour of the background. Then it’s all about detail and going back and forth with my brush. I think of the light source, shadows and details.” Pilot Capt Jameel Janjua was painted next and Campbell decided for the rest of the paintings she would paint two pieces of each member – one of the individual, and one with them showing the...