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...
[caption id="attachment_2793" align="alignleft" width="300"] HMCS Regina’s Air Detachment enjoys a cup of coffee while gathered on the flight deck with their Sea King helicopter behind them.[/caption] When the pilots of HMCS Regina’s air detachment from 443 Maritime Helicopter (MH) Squadron left Victoria for Operation Artemis, they brought some special cargo with them. Amidst the uniforms, tools, spare parts of other equipment required to operate a CH-124 Sea King helicopter, they brought 10 pounds of Salt Spring Island Coffee, donated by Toast Café in Sidney, B.C.Lisa, Amy, and Kayla Gray, three sisters and owners of Toast Café enjoy a long-standing relationship with members of 443 Squadron, as many of the aircrew stop in for their morning coffee en route to the squadron co-located at the Victoria International Airport.“The Peninsula offers many nice cafés to choose from, but Toast is a favourite. They know us by name, brew great coffee, and serve up all kinds of in house made goodies,” said Captain Daniel “Booya” Baouya.Knowing that everyone likes to bring a piece of home with them when they sail, Captain Baouya wanted to bring a touch of Toast to share with the Air Detachment to boost morale. “It’s a bit of a joke within the department that I’m the self-appointed Morale Officer, but I take my job seriously. Every time we leave a new port, we gather on the flight deck, brew up some coffee, and settle back into ‘sea life’. As a token of our appreciation, we take a picture with our “I love Toast Sidney” sticker to send back to them,” he says. According to the Air Detachment Commander, Maj Steve Donaldson, “Port visits are very hectic. The demands of bringing on supplies and spare parts combined with the desire to get a few hours of rest and relaxation away...
[caption id="attachment_2789" align="alignleft" width="300"] Base Commander Capt(N) Bob Achterlonie, Derek Knudsen, Maj Jim Smith, LCol Matt Johnsen, Tracey Hamm, Cdr Lori McAllister, CPO1 Mike McCallum, and Peter Sinstadt hold up certificates of achievement for the second round of the six-week Operation Conservation campaign.[/caption] Rising energy prices, growing financial and energy volatility, and concerns over climate change and its negative impacts have inspired base personnel to participate in the second round of Operation Conservation that began Sept. 5.This campaign is the second iteration in a series of campaigns to target building occupant habits and awareness, including a focus on reducing vampire power, which is defined as the energy use that occurs during equipment standby mode. This campaign further develops sustainable behaviour, which is a key element of the MARPAC Sustainable Energy Management Plan and necessary for reducing the $9 million associated with base-wide energy costs.During the six weeks, participating personnel from BCEO, TEME, and CF Fleet School competed to reduce discretionary energy consumption within their respective units. The units were chosen because the occupied buildings had a similar blend of office/classroom and industrial functions. While all participants achieved the objectives of the campaign, the CF Fleet School under the coordination of Tracey Hamm, UGSEO, emerged victorious. Fleet School’s level of engagement and awareness were unparalleled by competing departments and serves as a great example of sustainable behaviour.Tracey Hamm attributed the Fleet School’s success in this campaign largely to simple measures such as turning off lights and equipment when not in use, especially at the end of the day. She is encouraged to see these energy-conscious behaviours continue at CFFSE, even though the campaign has ended. The challenge is now to sustain these efforts beyond the campaign and hopefully introduce more units in the future to Operation Conservation as well as applying...
Canadian Scottish celebrate centennial from Lookout on Vimeo.
Battle of Atlantic Museum from Lookout on Vimeo.
Tell Canadian military members overseas that you appreciate the sacrifices they make. http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun/message/index-eng.asp
When war was declared in 1939, Frank Bookham was almost 17 and May Magee was just 19. They did not know it at the time, but the war was going to bring them together. Full story on page 19
With great detail Pte (Ret’d) Bob Stirling remembers storming the beaches at Normandy with 30,000 allied troops on what is known as D-Day. Full story on page 20
This unique exhibit features work from the Canadian Forces Artists Program and honours contributions and sacrifices made by generations of Canadian Forces members past and present.
This November marks the first Remember the Power of Giving Campaign, a blood drive aimed at honouring the Canadian Forces.
Self-mail thank you letters to veterans are available at Thrifty Foods locations in Victoria for a small donation.
Talk to any member of HMCS Calgary’s crew and they know the name Paris Sahlen. He’s the ship’s biggest fan. The Calgary native has been involved with the ship since its commissioning in 1995. “Some people collect stamps or coins,” says Sahlen. “I do this for a hobby. I find it very rewarding and it is a big honour to do anything I can for the ship and its namesake city.” This year he received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian award for years of selfless work contributing to the ship and the morale of the crew. “We have many amazing friends in our namesake city, but none better than Paris,” says Calgary’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Paul Francoeur. “His tireless efforts in support of our annual ‘Cowboy Up’ have helped Calgary raise over $50,000 for the Foothills Hospital Burn Unit. “Every ship deserves a Paris Sahlen. I wish the stores system stocked them and I could order a couple more. You won’t meet a sailor who has served in Calgary that doesn’t know Paris and hold him in the highest regard.” The union of ship and supporter began in 1995. Sahlen, a former weapons technician in HMC ships Margaree and Antigonish, took part in Calgary’s commissioning. “There were over 10,000 people there and it was the biggest commissioning of any ship in the Canadian Navy,” recalls Sahlen. “The Calgary Stampede, the police band and the people of Calgary all took part in it. It was a grand event.” Ever since, he has had a hand in making things happen and gaining support for the ship and crew from local businesses. “Paris is what I would call the ship’s City of Calgary Liaison,” says CPO1 (Ret’d) Darren Macdonald, who nominated the senior for the Caring Canadian award. “He is one of the...
Eighty-nine-year-old Second World War veteran Gilbert Davis was not only the stoker mechanic on board HMC Ships Merrittonia and Bellechasse, he was also an inadvertent photojournalist. During his six years of service escorting merchant navy ships across the Atlantic, and minesweeping in the Pacific, he took hundreds of photos. “One of the first things I owned was a camera; it was nothing like the fancy cameras they have now. I bought it for about a dollar fifty,” he recalls from his home off Gorge Road in Victoria. Cameras on ships were a rarity, and Davis was one of maybe two sailors on board fortunate to have one. “The navy didn’t like the idea of cameras because the photographs might fall into enemy hands, and if there were photos of sensitive things, it may give the enemy an advantage. I never developed any of the photographs until after the war when I was back in Moose Jaw,” he says. He’d keep the rolls of film from his Kodak 127 Baby Brownie box camera in his footlocker. Each roll took 12 photos. His photos ranged from posing with shipmates on Douglas Street in Victoria, to the hard reality of a sailor’s life at sea. His favourite photo was taken when HMCS Merrittonia was being fuelled at sea by an oiler. “I took those photos back then for my own keeping. My photos reflect day-to-day life in the Royal Canadian Navy aboard a convoy escort ship, whereas the embedded reporters of today are more often trying to get the spectacular photos of combat,” he says. One photo he took of a sailor being rescued from a torpedoed ship showed up in a special edition of Reader’s Digest Canadians at War years after the war ended. “I was very surprised to find my photo...
Four years ago, Cpl Jason Villeneuve became a veteran of war. In 2008, he made the long journey from Canada to Afghanistan. It was his first deployment to the war-torn country. As a member of Force Protection, he was tasked with the defence of Kandahar Air Field (KAF), protection of vehicle convoys, and the security of military personnel. The human aspect of the mission was slim to none, as he had minimal contact with Afghans. “I was used to jumping out of armoured vehicles loaded down with gear, and pushing people away from the convoys. I barely knew the people we were supposed to be protecting,” says the Light Armoured Reconnaissance crewman. But that changed one day when a small hand reached for his. He was assigned to guard duty at the KAF hospital, protecting Afghan police officers, military members and even insurgents receiving care in the event of an attack on the building. During one 12-hour shift, he sat at the bedside of an 11-year-old girl recovering from shrapnel wounds – an innocent child caught in the crossfire of a grown-up war. He watched as she drifted in and out of consciousness, her tiny body writhing from the pain. “About four hours into my shift she grabbed my hand. I didn’t want to move and wake her. I held her hand for eight hours.” At that moment, his impersonal mission became personal. He understood the gravity of the war; that unarmed villagers were dying from bombs and bullets, and that the child before him was one of hundreds that would bare the scars. At shift change he left her bedside, hoping to see her again, awake and pain free. But the reunion he was hoping for didn’t happen. A few days later he saw her being whisked into a...
OS April Perkins serves as a lookout on the starboard bridge wing of HMCS Regina during Operation ARTEMIS in the Arabian Sea in October 2012.
