News

[caption id="attachment_22558" align="alignnone" width="591"] Comedian and entertainer Jessica Holmes filled the room in Tribute Tower as she mixed in plenty of comedy while sharing her story of struggling with depression. Photo by Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~Jessica Holmes says she’s always wanted to perform her brand of high-energy comedy in front of a Canadian Armed Forces audience.When she finally got that chance on Jan. 29, she was able to bring not just her comedic talents, but also a story of mental health struggles.Holmes, known best for her five-year run on the CBC sketch show Royal Canadian Air Farce, visited CFB Halifax on Bell Let’s Talk Day, as one of the celebrity ambassadors tied to the annual day. It focuses on raising money for mental health initiatives and reducing societal stigmas that surround mental health problems and diagnoses.She spoke to a packed room of Defence Team members at Mr. Mac’s in Tribute Tower, where she opened with musical numbers and a medley of her well-known characters and impersonations from TV, before diving into her years-long battle with depression.“I felt like I was buried in cement, like a cartoon elephant was standing on my chest and wouldn’t get off. That’s how debilitating it was for a time, when I wasn’t able to get out of bed,” Holmes said.Her struggles began with postpartum depression after the birth of her two children, and though she recovered with help from her doctor, she described a dark cloud that came back over her years later.Her second bout with depression lasted more than two years, impacted her ability to work, and put a strain on her marriage, she said.It took help from medical professionals, trying multiple different strategies, and getting support from her family to eventually break through. Now that she is in remission, she’s...

[caption id="attachment_22554" align="alignnone" width="591"] Battle Buddy coin along with Dog Tags created by Leading Seaman (Retired) Debbi Ferguson, owner of Delta Fox Trot Designs.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff WriterA military veteran has created a collectable coin for the ill and injured to let them know they are not alone.The Battle Buddy Challenge Coin, says creator Leading Seaman (Retired) Debbi Ferguson, is a symbol of hope and support. Those who purchase them for themselves become part of the Battle Buddy family. Those who buy them as a gift become a Battle Buddy, demonstrating that no one gets left behind. That idea is echoed in the design, with a soldier carrying an injured comrade to safety. On the flip side, two hands interlock in a firm grip, symbolic of reaching out for help, with a maple leaf in the background. The coin has a silver antique finish and comes with a registered number and certificate with the name of the recipient. Ferguson has also turned the design into a Battle Buddy dog tag, as some people prefer to wear the art rather than carry a coin.“The purchaser of the coin is saying to the recipient, I have your back and I am there for you in the darkest hour, and will be there to pick you up in your time of need. I will always have your six.”Ferguson created the coin and dog tag as part of her company Delta Fox Trot Designs, which she opened after leaving the military in 2008. She served for 14 years before a medical release. She says the concept for the coin and terminology was drawn from Second World War infantry, with each soldier on the battlefield assigned a battle buddy or foxhole buddy. This life-or-death pact required one soldier to keep an eye out for threats while their...

[caption id="attachment_22547" align="alignnone" width="591"] Author Helen Edwards poses with a copy of her book Dutchy’s Diaries. The book focuses on the life and times of her father-in-law Commodore John Crispo Inglis Edwards of the Royal Canadian Navy and his travels from 1916 to 1929. Edwards will hold her book launch at the Wardroom on Feb. 18.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff WriterHelen Edwards has transformed the contents of a family member’s long-forgotten storage box of navy mementos into a newly released book.Extensive journals and hundreds of photographs were amassed by the Victoria resident’s father in-law, Royal Canadian Navy Commodore John Crispo Inglis Edwards between 1916 and 1929. The treasure trove of historical items remained inside the plain wooden box for decades. She knew the box resided in the family’s basement but had no idea what was inside.Seven years ago, she cracked it open.“My jaw dropped when I realized the contents inside,” said Edwards. Below the jumbled clutter of paper clips, magazines and stationery, she found a large photo album containing over 100 carefully labelled photos mounted on black paper. Most important to the find were four diaries with extensive hand-written entries from his travels around the world. The diaries were all different in size and colour, which leads Edwards to believe they were not navy issued stationery. “The ink on the written passages was very well preserved and while some of the photos and the handwriting on them was a little faded, overall they are in good shape considering they are a century old,” said Edwards. Born in Londonderry, N.S., Edwards was the sixth child of Major Joseph Plimsoll Edwards, a noted Canadian historian, and Emily Susan Crispo.  After attending the Royal Naval College of Canada in 1911, he graduated as part of the school’s second class before embarking on a 39-year career in...

[caption id="attachment_22543" align="alignnone" width="591"] Players from CFB Edmonton Warriors celebrate the taste of victory and bite down on their gold medals after their 4-2 win over CFB Esquimalt Tritons in the championship game of the CAF Canada West Women’s Regional Hockey Championship at Wurtele Arena on Feb. 7. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~CFB Edmonton Warriors captured the CAF Canada West Women’s Regional Hockey title with a late comeback win over the Esquimalt Tritons on Feb. 7 at Wurtele Arena.Tournament host Tritons had built a 2-0 lead early in the third period of the gold medal game, backed by the solid goaltending of Cpl Katie Sawatzky who thwarted two Edmonton breakaways in the second period to preserve the lead for the hosts. But the visitors roared back with four unanswered goals in the final 13 minutes of the third period for a 4-2 victory over their familiar rivals.This year’s victory erases bad memories of defeats to the Tritons in previous tournaments, said Sgt Isabelle Langevin, CFB Edmonton Warrior’s centre. She earned the Valuable Player Award after helping lead the comeback charge scoring the Warriors opening goal and then an empty netter in the final seconds of play. “They are our rivals; the past two years we played Esquimalt in the [Canada West] final and they beat us both times in overtime, so this win was true redemption for us,” she added. “This win was even sweeter because we came back from a two-goal deficit to do it.”Major Anne Gray, a guest player from CFB Comox, opened the scoring for Esquimalt when she banged in a rebound from her own centering pass with 4:50 remaining in the first period. Capt Amanda Lauder gave Esquimalt a two-goal lead just 42 seconds into the third period after tipping a hard slap...

[caption id="attachment_22538" align="alignnone" width="591"] HMCS Fredericton sails away from the Jetty in Halifax along with its embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter. Photo by Mona Ghiz, MARLANT PA[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~The next chapter in the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) ongoing commitment to Operation Reassurance got started Jan. 20 with HMCS Fredericton departing Halifax for a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean.Fredericton’s deployment marks the 13th time a Canadian vessel has sailed to the region since the RCN began supporting the mission in 2014. The ship and its crew will join Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), which is in place to reinforce NATO’s collective defence and assure Central and Eastern European allies of their security and stability in the face of Russian aggression and other regional threats.Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at Jetty NB in the morning to say goodbye to crew and see the ship off, with dignitaries including local MPs and The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Her Honour Patsy LeBlanc.Cmdre Richard Feltham, Commander of Canadian Fleet Atlantic, expressed pride in both the ship’s crew, who have had a long road of training and readiness work-ups to prepare for the deployment, as well as military and civilian shore staff who supported them along the way.“Fleet Maintenance Facility, as always, has performed miracles in getting the ship set and ready on time, and the Sea Training Group has done their part getting the best out of this crew, who have all performed admirably through the process,” he said.The large departure and homecoming ceremonies held for these extended deployments tend to focus on family, who often provide crucial support to deployed sailors, taking on extra burdens to allow them to focus on the tasks at sea rather than worrying about day-to-day troubles back home.“The love and support of...

[caption id="attachment_22533" align="alignnone" width="591"] 2020 Canada West Men’s Basketball champions, CFB Esquimalt Men’s Tritons following the championship game Jan. 31 at 17 Wing in Winnipeg, MB. Photo by MCpl Justin Ancelin, 17 OSS Imaging, Winnipeg[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A five-game unbeaten run propelled the CFB Esquimalt Mens Tritons to a gold medal victory at the Canada West Regional basketball tournament in Shilo, MB. After a 68-56 tournament-opening round robin win against tournament host Shilo Stags on Jan. 27, the Tritons then scored a 28-point victory in their rematch five days later in the tournament championship game. Esquimalt was paced by 18 points from centre Master Seaman Simon Dakin in their game win. MS Dakin earned overall tournament Most Valuable Player honours for his stellar play while also drawing praise from his teammates. Those include Tritons guard and team manager Lieutenant (Navy) Kevin Chung who noted that MS Dakin, a student with Naval Fleet School (Pacific),  recorded multiple 20-point games along with at least two double-doubles (when a player records more than 10 in two of five statistical categories: points, assists, rebounds, assists, steals or blocked shots). “Simon is a talented and hard-working force on the court and excels in both basketball and volleyball at the national level in the CAF,” said Lt(N) Chung. “He also brings veteran expertise and energy to the team whenever he suits up for us.”The Tritons were also propelled by some long-distance sharpshooting, including seven three-pointers in the gold medal game. Forward Lt(N) James Byun from HMCS Winnipeg recorded six three-pointers and 20 points in the semi-final victory. Lt(N) Chung noted that Esquimalt was also buoyed by the backcourt presence of veteran guard Brigadier General David Awalt of 3rd Canadian Division HQ. “This year we were fortunate to have a well-rounded team with a great bench that allowed...

Outgoing Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa, Commander Alex Barlow is joined by Commodore Angus Topshee, Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, and incoming Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa, Cdr Sam Patchell during the command handover ceremony Jan. 24.

[caption id="attachment_22492" align="alignnone" width="591"] Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Vice President, MCpl (Retired) John Scott[/caption] Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Royal Canadian Legion is encouraging eligible current-serving Canadian Armed Forces members to take advantage of a free membership for 2020.The free membership dues are part of the Legion’s Veteran’s Welcome Program and all Canadian Armed Forces personnel are eligible, provided they are becoming first-time members. The Welcome Program waives the annual $50 membership dues. The new promotion is also open to employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Vice President, Master Corporal (Retired) John Scott says the best time for potential new members to join is “right now” so they can reap the biggest rewards from the promotion: a full year of comradery, community leadership and volunteer opportunities, access to member benefits, and a one-year subscription to Legion Magazine.Scott, who served 18 years in the Canadian Army, is the BC/Yukon Legion’s Membership Committee Chair. He says the free membership promotion is part of the Legion’s efforts to reverse declining membership and the closures of Legion branches across the country. In recent years, Canada’s non-profit, ex-service organization has seen its membership drop considerably. A 2018 story by The Globe and Mail reported that membership numbers had fallen from 604,000 members in 1984 to 275,000 members. To combat the decline, the Legion has taken a new approach to its membership criteria. Until recently, membership was restricted to those who served and their immediate families, and graduated cadets. Today, members of the general public are also eligible to become members, advocate for veterans, and find meaningful community leadership and volunteer opportunities Scott says stronger membership numbers gives the organization a stronger voice in Ottawa when advocating for veteran’s issues with organizations such as Veteran’s Affairs Canada. “We advocate for improvement for veterans and...

[caption id="attachment_22486" align="alignnone" width="591"] PO2 Kanwar Nijjer is greeted by his wife Gurdeep Nijjer and his daughter Sadbd Nijjer after returning from Operation Impact in Baghdad. Photo courtesy PO2 Kanwar Nijjer.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A human resources supervisor from Naval Fleet School Pacific has returned home after a six-and-half-month deployment in Baghdad.Petty Officer Second Class Kanwar Nijjer was greeted at Victoria Airport Jan. 27 with cheers, tears of joy, and a warm embrace from his wife Gurdeep and their 12-year-old daughter Sadbd. Three members from his former unit, 11 Field Ambulance (Victoria), were also there to greet him. “It was the first lengthy deployment during my 25-year marriage, so it was a great feeling after being away from home for so long to finally be with my wife and daughter again, and to see members from my old unit greeting me,” said PO2 Nijjer. He was deployed with the Canadian Army as part of Operation Impact. He and other Canadian Armed Forces were stationed at the United States military’s Union III Base in Baghdad. He says the base was close to the U.S. Embassy which was the target of an Iranian rocket strike, a retaliatory response from Iran following the death of Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who was killed by a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3. PO2 Nijjer adds many Canadian military members missed the strike as they were moved to Kuwait earlier that day.Late night rocket and mortar attacks have now become commonplace in Baghdad’s green zone with the embassy being struck by three mortar shells on Jan. 27. The 53-year-old father of three worked as a human resources supervisor during his deployment. He previously sailed aboard HMCS Restigouche, HMCS Kootenay, HMCS Mackenzie and HMCS Vancouver during his 25-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy....

[caption id="attachment_22482" align="alignnone" width="591"] The restored slabs are now in front of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A piece of HMC Dockyard’s rich ship repair past has been preserved on a feature wall within Dockyard’s Ship Repair Zone.Large historic concrete slabs engraved with the word “ORDNANCE”, once part of the façade of long-demolished building D192, have been incorporated into the landscape design delivered by the Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton shop consolidation project. They are now displayed as a centre piece of a south-facing parkette located on Hospital Road. D192, built in 1940, was the administrative headquarters for FMF’s predecessor, the Ship Repair Unit (Pacific). The large concrete slabs were part of that building’s front entrance motif.Project Director for the ongoing consolidation project Clive Orford, of NDHQ’s Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment) organization, says incorporating the slabs as part of the revamped ship repair complex celebrates CFB Esquimalt’s rich ship building and repair past. “There always is a lot of history and commemoration about ships and sailors who wore the uniform, but very little in the way of a nod to the thousands of workers who have worn overalls and carried tool boxes, and performed the fundamental task of making sure our ships were seaworthy and ready for deployment,” said Orford.At the start of demolition for D192 in 2001, he asked that the slabs be retained and ultimately repatriated to the site. “The intention was to create a little enclave or intersection to provide a spot within Dockyard adjacent to the huge FMF complex, to commemorate this historical legacy,” said Orford.The Shop Consolidation Project began in 1988 and is nearing completion with the fifth and final phase expected to be completed later this year.

 Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Information technology executive Patrick Shaw says he has a solution for his industry’s workforce shortfall: teach and then hire more Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans.The Toronto-based tech industry consultant is turning his attention to the education sector to create this army of highly skilled IT and cyber security experts from veterans and transitioning members of the military. “We envision developing their software skills through training in IT [Information Technology] and cyber security; it will have tremendous value for our industry and for Canada as a country,” says Shaw. With that in mind, he and his business partner Jeff Musson founder of tech networking group Northof41, launched a fast-track distance education learning program called Coding for Veterans. The program runs in partnership with Ontario’s Durham College and the University of Ottawa. Students can attend similar classes in person elsewhere, but the course is entirely geared towards attending classes from locations across Canada through the computer application Moodle.It’s all about supply and demand. The information communication and technology sector needs approximately 182,000 staff by the end of the year to fill new cyber security analyst, software programmer, and data analyst jobs. “We decided we could do something about this,” says Shaw, noting the untapped market of the retiring military members. In the last 15 years, approximately 140,000 military personnel have been discharged and transitioned to civilian life with another 25,000 more expected over the next five years. The seed for the Coding For Veterans educational program was planted two years ago following a conversation Shaw and Musson had with a representative from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). The CSIS employee commented that transitioning forces members and veterans were “very well positioned” to support the IT field in the private sector. Fast-forward to late 2019 and the program was ready to...

A combined team from the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Navies have united to fundraise for the Red Cross Disaster Appeal in Australia.

Ceremonial puck drop transforms into an unexpected centre ice promotion for Chief Petty Officer Second Class Joel Tilson, HMCS Chicoutimi submariner.

[caption id="attachment_22445" align="alignnone" width="592"] HMCS Regina’s Naval Tactical Operations Group prepares to board a Dhow during Operation Artemis in the Pacific Ocean on April 18. Photo by Corporal Stuart Evans, Borden Imaging Services[/caption]LCdr Mike Erwin, NFS(P) ~A change took place in the delivery of Naval Boarding Party (NBP) training in October when Naval Fleet School (Pacific) turned over responsibility to the Naval Tactical Operations Group.The turnover was part of an overarching direction that would see all matters concerned with naval boarding fall increasingly under Naval Tactical Operations Group’s purview. As the cutlass was passed from one organization to the other, it marked the end of a decades-long era in which the Fleet School, first as Canadian Forces Fleet School (Esquimalt) and then as Naval Fleet School (Pacific), trained individuals and ship’s teams in the conduct of boardings at sea in support of maritime interdiction operations.About Naval BoardingsThe requirement to board ships is as old as navies themselves. Whether it was to inspect a vessel in support of a naval blockade or to overpower an enemy ship and take it as a prize, warships have always needed to insert teams of personnel into other ships. Literature and film are rife with images of ships bearing down upon one another, as boarding parties swarm over the side and through the rigging to the stirring cry of “Out cutlasses and board!”The Royal Canadian Navy is no exception. One of Canada’s most famous boardings took place in the Caribbean during the Second World War. German U-Boat U-94 had been damaged by United States Navy aircraft, as well as depth charges and gunfire from the Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville. As the commanding office of Oakville brought his ship alongside the stricken enemy, only SLt Hal Lawrence and PO Art Powell were able to leap onto the...

[caption id="attachment_22434" align="alignnone" width="593"] Firefighters from CFB Esquimalt Fire and Rescue practice their ladder bails during an International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Fire Ground Survival Program. The program is designed to help firefighters across North America escape dangerous life-threatening situations during emergency calls. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Normally when entering a burning building the focus is on saving the lives but now firefighters at CFB Esquimalt are also learning how to save themselves.   During the month of January all 60 firefighters at the base, civilian employees of the Port Operations and Emergency Services Branch (POESB), have been enrolled in the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Fire Ground Survival Program. The intensive training course is designed to help firefighters across North America gain all the necessary skills for survival in such an emergency, offering training to help them prevent a mayday situation and also effectively manage a mayday call from one of their coworkers. “This is extremely beneficial safety training for the department and a first for us,” said CFB Esquimalt Fire and Rescue Chief Geordie Douglas. “We hope our firefighters never get into a situation like this but if they do, they now have the tools in their toolbox to get themselves out of a burning building or other structure safely.”The BC Chapter of the union representing full-time firefighters in the United States and Canada and is providing the training kit which is all packed up neatly in a 30-foot storage trailer that is parked in their station house on Esquimalt Rd. Until the end of the month the firefighters will be practising the necessary techniques of how to safely exit a burning building when fire, smoke or poisonous fumes make it too dangerous for them to remain.Captain Jim Grant of CFB Esquimalt Fire and Rescue...

[caption id="attachment_22431" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo by Ashley Evans[/caption]Ashley Evans, FMF ~An Electronics Technician employed at Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton in the Electronics Shop is making exciting connections through his work on printed circuit boards (PCBs). Dax Ryn, a BCIT graduate in both Electronic Engineering Technology and Biomedical Engineering Technology, worked in private industry for 14-years prior to coming to FMF Cape Breton in 2018. One of his first major projects has been to create a printed circuit board for use on an HF Transmitter, while identifying a capability within FMF to not only serve the Fleet but other shops within FMF. “I enjoy seeing problems and solving them. It feels rewarding to fix something that is broken,” said Ryn. He has not only been creating custom circuit boards for the RCN, but has been teaching apprentices how to do the same. “They [PCBs] are very useful if you want to diagnose problems in a system,” he said. “These boards can be made as smaller pieces to add as a replacement part or as an add-on – with an improved design or update of programing that may no longer be obtainable in the outside market. Extender cards can also be made to extend out as part of the system which can be used to test and measure a current system.”In the fall of 2019, Ryn created a PCB which was installed on an HF Transmitter aboard HMCS Chicoutimi. The challenge of accessing the previous board and the need to be able to test it while in operation is what motivated the creation of this custom circuit board. The PCB allowed the RCN the flexibility to probe either between the transmitter boards or on the PCB extender. Printed circuit boards are a valuable resource when testing a system that is difficult...

[caption id="attachment_22428" align="alignnone" width="593"] Major (Ret’d) Murray Edwards blows out the candles on his birthday cake. Edwards, a veteran of the Second World War and Korea recently celebrated his 100th birthday with a large group of family and friends by his side. Photo credit: Brian Owens[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A veteran of Victoria’s Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry (PPCLI) celebrated his 100th birthday in style. A large cheer echoed through the conference room of a Saanich hotel on Jan. 18 as centenarian Major (ret’d) Murray Edwards raised a toast and then blew out all the candles on his birthday cake. Edwards, a resident of Veterans Memorial Lodge, served as a combat instructor in the Second World War for Canada and then on the battlefield in Korea with Princess Patricia’s (PPCLI) at the famous Battle of Kapyong. “The first hundred years were the best,” joked Edwards before making a wish and blowing out the candles on a large birthday cake.The crowd of approximately 40 well-wishers included friends, family, members of the PPCLI Association, Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Association, while Member of Parliament for Saanich Gulf Islands Elizabeth May also joined in the celebration. During the party a congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth was read aloud while Senator Yonah Martin of British Columbia sent Edwards a video birthday greeting. Edwards served Canada unconditionally from the start of the Second World War until his eventual retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1969. He was also part of Canada’s Peace Keeping mission in Cyprus and the Third Arab–Israeli War. He once remarked during a previous interview that he is old enough to have attended a Civil War Veterans’ parade in New Jersey, as a young boy. That happened in the late 1920s, in the years after his family had immigrated to New Jersey from...

[caption id="attachment_22425" align="alignnone" width="593"] LS (Ret’d) Roderick Finley displays a photographic collection featuring his late friend and former shipmate CPO2 Fred Watson. Finley was aboard South Korean vessel ROKS Munmu the Great during a Port visit to Esquimalt in December. He accepted a South Korean Ambassador for Peace medal on behalf of Watson during a ceremony that also honoured nine other Korean War veterans.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A close friend and former shipmate of a Korean War veteran was recently overcome by tears while posthumously accepting an Ambassador For Peace medal on his behalf.They were tears of joy but also remorse says Leading Seaman (ret’d) Roderick Finley. That’s mostly because his good friend Chief Petty Officer Second Class (ret’d) Fred Watson wasn’t around to enjoy the outpouring of gratitude by representatives of the Republic of  Korea navy and government.“I’m not sure if it’s such a great sight to see a grown man cry but there were certainly some tears on that day,” said Leading Seaman (ret’d) Roderick Finley. On Dec. 19 the 81-year-old Victoria resident was aboard Republic of Korea (ROKS) Munmu the Great for a medal presentation ceremony and reception on the destroyer’s flight deck. Watson was one of ten medal recipients honoured on Munmu the Great that day. The awards were presented to veterans of the Korean War by South Korea’s Navy Cruise Training Task Group Commander RDML Minsoo Yang and Defence Attaché Colonel Keunsik Moon during the ship’s four-day port visit to Esquimalt. “The Republic of Korea will always remember the Korean War Veterans, and their courageous actions during the Korean War,” said Colonel Moon. “We are forever thankful and we will continue our efforts to remember and commemorate their sacrifices.”Four of the ten medal recipients honoured are no longer living. “He would have loved the moment and...

[caption id="attachment_22421" align="alignnone" width="593"] Robert Minnick receives a Commander Royal Canadian Navy Commendation presented by Commander Maritime Forces Pacific Rear-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie. The citation reads: On 28 November 2018, Mister Minnick was on the beach on the island of Maui, Hawaii when he noticed a person being dragged to shore and moved to assist. After bringing the unconscious man to shore, he took control of the scene and began administering first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation until first responders arrived. These actions saved the life of the drowning victim. He brought great credit to himself and to the Royal Canadian Navy. Photo by LS Valerie LeClair, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A firefighter from the base has received official recognition for saving the life of a surfer while on a recent vacation in Hawaii. On Jan. 24 Rob Minnick of CFB Fire and Rescue was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, Rear-Admiral Rob Auchterlonie, in a ceremony at the Chief and Petty Officers Mess.The 48-year-old father of two was enjoying a quiet afternoon on scenic Ka’anapali Beach in Maui on the afternoon of Nov. 28 with his wife and two friends from Victoria. He decided to go for a walk along the beach with his wife Tara when they both noticed a commotion on a stretch of nearby beach. A crowd of people was gathered around an unconscious adult male snorkeler in his early 20s, who was in medical distress. Minnick and his wife rushed to the scene to help. Two snorkelers had found the victim face-down in the water several metres offshore before pulling him to the beach. After checking his vital signs Minnick began administering life-saving CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). “Matthew had no pulse, he wasn’t breathing and his heart was stopped which essentially means...

[caption id="attachment_22396" align="alignnone" width="592"] Major Philip Dawe (left) and Dr. Ross Brown (right)[/caption]Carrie Stefanson ~Canada doesn’t have military hospitals, so it’s important for military doctors to see injuries typical of the battlefield. The Canadian Forces Trauma training program began about 20 years ago, and is instrumental in keeping Canada’s military medical personnel trained in advanced trauma care so they can deploy when needed. Major Philip Dawe heads up Canadian Forces Trauma Training Centre West in Vancouver. He’s a trauma and acute care surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital and comes from a family with a long history of military service. His father and three brothers served in the Canadian Forces and his youngest brother Matthew, died in a roadside bombing in 2007. “If I could save one military person’s life overseas, then my career will be worthwhile,” says Maj Dawe. “Preventable deaths occur in deployed operations and if I could prevent one of those it would be a good day.” Maj Dawe is the third military surgeon to head up Canadian Forces Trauma Training Centre West. The centre’s mandate is to facilitate trauma training for Canadian Forces physicians, physician assistants and nursing officers. Many of Canada’s military medical personnel have trained at centres in Vancouver and Montreal prior to their deployments. “As care for the wounded continues to gain more importance in both public opinion and policy, the mutual benefits of a robust civilian-military relationship have become increasingly evident,” says Maj Dawe. “On one hand, lessons learned from our overseas experiences are being delivered to our colleagues at home to enhance patient outcomes. On the other, our colleagues at home have helped us to get ready for those deployments by affording us cross-training and refresher opportunities to ensure we’re providing best-possible care to our troops in our limited-resource deployed environments.”Dr. Ross Brown, trauma/general surgeon and Senior Medical Director with Vancouver Coastal Health/Coastal Community of Care now working at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, was the first embedded military trauma surgeon in...

[caption id="attachment_22393" align="alignnone" width="593"] A computer rendering by Will Krzymowski of the proposed schooner Leonora. Ship design led by Stephen Duff. The Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS) have announced plans for construction of a third tall ship for its fleet of vessels that teach youth from across Canada sailing skills.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~In an effort to bolster the reach of its youth sail training vessels, the Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS) plans to add a new schooner to its fleet. The Victoria-based charity recently named its planned third vessel ‘Leonora’ and intends the new ship to join its existing tall ships, Pacific Grace and Pacific Swift. Each year SALTS sail training programs reach approximately 1700 young people between the ages of 13 and 25, including Royal Canadian Sea Cadets from across Canada, providing them with the opportunity to develop their sailing skills aboard a tall ship. SALTS Executive Director Loren Hagerty says that he is hopeful construction on Leonora can begin this year. The addition of Leonora will allow the society to provide another 850 spaces for its programs each year. Hagerty says a builder of the ship has yet to be determined but anticipates bid requests will be sent to shipyards later this year.“We are seeing real momentum in the fundraising for this project, which is a very large undertaking for a smaller charity like SALTS. We are optimistic that in years to come we can get more young people out to sea in our transformational programs,” said Hagerty.The ultimate goal of SALTS, says Hagerty, is to provide an ideal platform for youth mentorship at sea along with providing them with a confidence boost and sense of wellbeing while developing “relational and teamwork skills.”The most recent cost estimate for the project is $5.5 million, but the budget will...

[caption id="attachment_22390" align="alignnone" width="593"] FS Courbet’s boarding party with some of the 3.5 metric tonnes of hashish seized from a dhow in the Gulf of Oman on 13 December, 2019. The estimated regional wholesale value of this bust is $1.8 million U.S. dollars.[/caption]Lt(N) Tony Wright, CTF 150 Public Affairs Officer ~In a little over a week, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), led by Australia with a staff of Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders, have conducted a pair of successful boardings netting almost 3.6 metric tonnes of narcotics whose proceeds would have otherwise made their way into the hands of terrorist organizations. CTF 150’s mission is to disrupt terrorist organisations and their related illegal activities by restricting their freedom of manoeuvre in the maritime domain. The activities of CTF 150 are a critical part of global counter-terrorism efforts, as terrorist organizations are denied a risk-free method of conducting operations or moving personnel, weapons or income-generating narcotics and charcoal.The Australian-led team’s success began with some bad luck for the smugglers on Friday the 13th of December. French Ship (FS) Courbet, a frigate of the Marine Nationale operating in the Gulf of Oman in direct support of CTF 150, seized 3.5 metric tonnes of hashish from a vessel they had been tracking. This haul had an estimated regional wholesale value of $1.8 million U.S. dollars.Less than a week later on December 19, Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Defender, a United Kingdom Royal Navy destroyer working in direct support of CTF 150 made another bust.A suspicious vessel was first detected using Defender’s shipborne helicopter. Defender then closed in on the dhow and a team of Royal Marine Commandos secured the vessel and its crew. It was then searched by a Royal Navy boarding team who found 131 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated regional...

[caption id="attachment_22387" align="alignnone" width="592"] Commodore Ed Ahlgren, Royal Navy (Left) relinquishes command of Combined Task Force 150 to Commodore Ray Leggatt, Royal Australian Navy (right) during a ceremony at Combined Maritime Forces Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. The change of command was presided over by Commander Combined Maritime Forces Vice Admiral James Malloy (centre).[/caption]Lt(N) Tony Wright, CTF 150 Public Affairs Officer ~In December, Commodore (CDRE) Ray Leggatt assumed command of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) in a ceremony held at Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. CDRE Leggatt’s team, comprised of members of the Royal Australian (RAN), Royal Canadian (RCN), and Royal New Zealand (RNZN) navies, came together as strangers in late September. After six weeks of preparation and Mission Readiness Evaluations in Sydney and two weeks of handover with the outgoing UK/French contingent in Bahrain, the team is now tightly knit and ready to assume the duties of CTF 150. “I am truly honoured to be taking this command; the 8th time that Australia has led CTF 150,” said CDRE Leggatt on assuming command.  “We are fortunate to have an Australian, Canadian and New Zealand staff composition, which I believe will bring valuable diversity in thinking and experience, providing us with agility and unity of effort in prosecuting our mission to disrupt terrorist organizations by restricting their freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”CTF 150, headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is one of three combined task forces within the CMF.The 33 member nations of CMF work together to strengthen maritime security in the Middle East Region, conducting maritime security operations, capacity building activities, and regional engagement.“It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point and we’ve put in a lot of miles,” said CTF 150 Deputy Commander CAPT Sean Stewart, RNZN. “We are excited to...

[caption id="attachment_22384" align="alignnone" width="593"] Captain (N) (Ret’d) Kevin Greenwood, Naval Instructor at Naval Training Development Centre (Pacific) presents Tunisian naval officer Lt(N) Khayri Bouzaiene with his Command Development Course certificate at the Collier Building at Work Point. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A naval officer from Tunisia recently became the first international participant to enrol and graduate from Naval Fleet School Pacific’s Command Development Course (CDC). Just ahead of the holiday break course instructor Captain (ret’d) Kevin Greenwood of the Naval Training Development Centre (NTDC) (Pacific) presented Tunisian naval officer Lieutenant (Navy) Khayri Bouzaiene with his course certificate at the Collier building. It brought to a conclusion the 32-year-old’s first-ever visit to Canada and also his first-ever experience commanding a vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Lt(N) Bouzaiene who mostly speaks Arabic and some French gave a highly positive review of his experience prior to his departure on Dec. 14 while also stating his unfamiliarity with English wasn’t a deterrent to his learning. “I really liked my experience here in Victoria and the Royal Canadian Navy was an impressive organization to learn from,” said Lt(N) Bouzaiene. “The people were wonderful and very helpful and when I didn’t understand something and the communication gap got in the way they were there to help.”The aim of the ten-week program says Greenwood is to develop senior RCN lieutenants the Command-level knowledge, leadership, appreciation, critical analysis and decision-making skills necessary to successfully command HMC Ships. Components of the course include leadership skills such as command and control and decision making, collision avoidance, bridge resource management, seamanship and ship handling, maritime law, use of force, damage control, logistics, administration, engineering and maintenance. The program culminates in a two-week at-sea phase aboard Orca-class training vessels. Lt(N) Bouzaiene, has enjoyed a 14-year career in...

[caption id="attachment_22379" align="alignnone" width="592"] Dan Bourgoin of Personnel Support Services (PSP) is the man in charge of the new regional office for Soldier On which opened at Nelles Block recently. The fitness trainer and instructor says he is looking to hear from potential participants in the program about what sports and activities they enjoy. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~If you are an injured veteran or military member looking to improve your level of physical fitness and activity, the director of the new Soldier On regional office wants to hear from you. The mandate of the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) program is to provide resources and opportunities for veterans and current-serving members across Canada with a mind to helping them “adapt and overcome” both physical and mental health injuries through participation in sports and physical fitness activities. Dan Bourgoin, a Personnel Support Services (PSP) employee with over 22 years of experience as a fitness trainer and instructor is the man in charge of the Soldier On Regional Office which recently opened its doors here at the base. Located on the ground floor of Nelles Block the office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is one of ten new regional to open across the country. Bourgoin says his first order of business is setting up a dialogue with the military community whether its in-person, over the phone or through Soldier On’s social media platforms. His intention is to gauge people’s interest levels and also find out about the types of activities, sporting goods equipment and support they are looking for Soldier On to deliver.“My doors are open and I would like to hear from people,” said Bourgoin. “We don’t create events for the sake of creating events, we create opportunities for people who...

[caption id="attachment_22376" align="alignnone" width="593"] On January 16, 2020, representatives from the Government of Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy, many of Seaspan Shipyards more than 2,800 employees and other guests gathered for a ceremonial keel laying event. Photo credit: Seaspan Shipyards[/caption]A/SLt Michelle Scott ~January 16, 2020 was a momentous day for the Royal Canadian Navy when a keel-laying ceremony was held for the future HMCS Protecteur, the first of two Joint Support Ships (JSS) being built at Vancouver shipyards.A keel laying event represents a significant milestone in the construction of a ship as it marks the birth of the vessel. As part of the ceremonial event, a newly minted coin is laid near the keel where it remains for the life of the vessel and is thought to bring the ship and crew good luck.The ceremony was presided over by Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, on behalf of Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan, and CEO of Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Mark Lamarre.The lucky coin, which was laid by long-time Seaspan employee Jeff Smith, was jointly designed by the RCN and Seaspan and features the badge of the future HMCS Protecteur above a rendering of the new ship. Mr. Smith placed the coin near the centre section of the ship as the design of the JSS does not have a traditional keel.“Today’s ceremony marks another critical milestone in the renewal of the RCN Fleet via Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy,” explained VAdm McDonald during the ceremony. “Once delivered, these warships will be strategic assets that will once again afford Canada the sovereign capacity to deliver – even in harm’s way an enduring at-sea replenishment…as well as significant Humanitarian and Assistance and Disaster Relief capacity.”The future HMCS Protecteur is one...

[caption id="attachment_22347" align="alignnone" width="593"] MS Firat Ataman, Forward Fire Control Supervisor, mentors OS Walker Grant as he becomes familiar with the Forward Fire Control Radar Console onboard HMCS Ottawa during Operation Projection. Photo by LS Victoria Ioganov[/caption]Captain Jenn Jackson, HMCS Ottawa PAO ~Located two decks below the bridge of HMCS Ottawa, in a room with restricted access to maintain security of the information contained within, is the Operations Room – the central hub of the ship. Due to the need to maintain operational security, the Operations Room (Ops Room) is cloaked in mystery for the uninitiated, as access is on an as needed basis. Contained within are dedicated sailors who maintain a 24/7 watch at sea ensuring the ship is ready to fight.“When you think of a ship, the bridge is the eyes, the Machinery Control Room is the heart and the Operations Room is the brain,” explains Lieutenant Commander Will Chong, HMCS Ottawa Operations Officer. “All data from our sensors and communications flows to the Operations Room where it is analysed so decisions can be made determining the best course of action to support the current tactical situation.”Divided into two sides based on function, the starboard side focuses on underwater warfare while the port side is configured to support above-water warfare. In the centre of the room is the Operations Room Officer (ORO) who has overall responsibility for running the Ops Room, working in parallel with the Officer of the Watch to maintain the operational tempo.“The ORO is in the middle of the action, taking reports from three directors, the Ops Room Supervisor, the Officer of the Watch, and other outstations, while assessing the information, liaising with command, and then driving a plan,” says Lieutenant(N) Eric Dignard, Ottawa’s Tactics Officer and an ORO. “You have a team around you that...

Lt(N) Stephen Oxley, HMCS Whitehorse ~A few weeks before Christmas, HMCS Whitehorse sent a contingent from the ship’s company, including the command team, to the City of Whitehorse for a namesake city visit. Their objective was to let the people of Whitehorse know what activities “their” ship had participated in and what the ship’s company had accomplished over the year since their last visit. They also wanted to educate the community on what the Royal Canadian Navy does for both Canada and the international community, and to let people know what employment opportunities exist within the navy. Lastly, they wanted to establish ties with the newly-formed “Friends of HMCS Whitehorse” committee set-up by the ship’s sponsor Ione Christensen (otherwise known as “Mom”).  The “Friends of HMCS Whitehorse” committee has been tasked with taking over many of “Mom’s” activities on behalf of the ship as this former city mayor, Commissioner of Yukon, and Canadian senator begins to free up her incredibly active schedule and enjoy a slower pace of life.  The visit included:a meeting with the city’s Deputy-Mayor and select councillors;a meet-and-greet with the “Friends of HMCS Whitehorse” Committee;  attending the commemoration service for the 30th anniversary of the École Polytechnique tragedy; meeting with the Speaker of the House of the Yukon Legislative Assembly and  touring the assembly hall; meeting with the Commanding Officer of the local RCMP Detachment; a meeting with the local Joint Task Force North (JTFN) detachment OIC; liaising with the President and Board of the local Legion; and,the presentation of a cheque to the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre. The Faulkner Women’s Centre is a safe and respectful space where all self-identified women can connect with one another, access support and services, and work together to create positive change for women and the community. They are committed to promoting women’s...

[caption id="attachment_22341" align="alignnone" width="593"] Lt(N) Stephen Tomlinson with his wife Stephanie, daughter Sophia, and son Seth during a family outing in Victoria. Photo credit: Tiffany Champagne[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A training officer at Naval Fleet School (Pacific) who defied the odds and beat cancer is sharing his inspirational story with a new self-published book. Onward is Lieutenant (Navy) Stephen Tomlinson’s blow-by-blow account of his full-scale, life-or-death war against cancer, now available through online publisher inkshares.com. Lt(N) Tomlinson traces his “agonizing” battle against testicular cancer, recalling how the disease aggressively spread throughout his body to his lymph nodes, lungs and brain after his initial diagnosis in July 2017. His fight included 350 hours of chemotherapy, 11 radiation treatments, a seizure, and five surgeries that produced multiple low points where he says he almost gave up all hope of survival.The Naval Warfare Officer sailed aboard HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Calgary before his cancer diagnosis and faced multiple battles with the disease. Just prior to his final and ultimately successful surgery in November 2018 to remove a plum-sized tumour from his brain, an exhausted and withered Lt(N) Tomlinson admits he was a shadow of his former self. His physician had given him low odds of survival and suggested he start making funeral arrangements with his wife. “I had almost come to the point of accepting that life was going south on me and I was given a one-in-ten shot by my doctor that I would live to Christmas,” says Tomlinson. “I did the final surgery and as soon as they pulled that tumour out of my brain it was like I became a new person.”Fast-forward to July 8, 2019, two years after his initial cancer diagnosis, and his saga would reach a joyous conclusion. That’s when he returned to work after his doctor called him into her office and told him he was 100 per cent cancer free. “Thankfully my story has a happy ending and today I’m at Venture and working my way back...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A 19th Century spyglass once owned by an officer of the Royal Navy is the latest notable historical artifact found during ongoing remedial dredging operations in Esquimalt Harbour. The small telescope had been preserved in the cold water and sediment for over 137 years before the bucket of a large crane barge plucked the item from the seabed of Constance Cove on Dec. 10. Archaeological monitors aboard a neighboring floating processing plant discovered the telescope as they sorted through the large barge load of sediment. An inscription on the spyglass revealed it was owned by Sub-Lieutenant Midshipman Bertram Chambers. Spyglasses were an essential maritime tool of naval officers and captains of the 17th, 18th, and 19th century and were used to see land and other ships, and to prepare for attacks by pirates or enemy vessels. It’s not the first historical artifact found during remediation work, but is one of the most exciting says Esquimalt Harbour Remediation Officer Michael Bodman from Formation Safety Environment.“It is not often that we find a personal item belonging to someone who has a certain level of fame and an influential role in the Royal Navy (RN),” he said. “Now the head scratches at the question of how it ended up on the floor of Esquimalt Harbour and more importantly what other vessels and sights did he see through the spyglass as he traversed the globe?” During his time in Esquimalt, Chambers served aboard HMS Satellite, a Corvette that operated from the Royal Navy’s Pacific Station - the forerunner of CFB Esquimalt - from 1883 to 1886. Chambers also served the RN at their base in Halifax and Australia and would eventually retire in 1926 with the rank of Admiral. A team of conservationists at the Royal B.C. Museum are currently attempting to confirm...