News

[caption id="attachment_17537" align="alignnone" width="450"] Leading Seaman Glen Straarup, Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific), tries out the Standby Diver Over Garment during a recertification course. Photo by Master Seaman Sara MacAleese[/caption]DND ~The standby diver is an essential member of dive teams in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). This individual must be fully dressed and ready to enter the water at immediate notice to assist, rescue, or recover a stricken diver.It’s imperative the standby diver remain ready, focused and cognizant of the task at hand throughout the dive. Burdened by wearing a diving ensemble that is heavy and awkward when sitting on the surface, this diver waits virtually motionless, often in cold severe weather, sometimes for several hours.The Standby Diver Over Garment provides environmental protection to the standby diver during CAF diving operations, whether they are on shore or afloat, improving their comfort, sustaining their focus, and maintaining a critical safety response.

[caption id="attachment_17534" align="alignnone" width="450"] West Coast Toastmasters members (left) Rob McDermot, Wendy Arthurs, Ian Dorge, Deidre Moran, Linda Quesnel, Acting Sub-Lieutenant Guillaume Lussier-Houle gather for their weekly meeting at Naval Fleet School Pacific. Photo by Peter Mallett[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~If you’ve ever become tongue-tied while speaking with a colleague, large audience or potential employer, the solution to your dilemma could be joining Toastmasters.The West Coast Toastmasters chapter can help you overcome those all too common stumbling speech blocks.The group meets every Thursday over the lunch hour in the Naval Fleet School Pacific Building N92 conference room.Central to the Toastmasters mandate is providing practice and training in communication skills. The benefits of membership extend past having confidence and poise while speaking, says Ian Dorge, West Coast Toastmasters Vice President of Education.“Toastmasters is really about the entire communications spectrum: listening, evaluating, impromptu speaking and presenting. If you join our group and become a member you will notice an improvement to many aspects of your communication skill set. If you are a better listener, you comprehend things better, you can answer more effectively and you can speak more effectively.”Dorge, who works as a Deputy Material Distribution Manager with Base Logistics, says the club is all about creating a warm and hospitable space where members can interact and learn as the international organization’s founder intended.Toastmasters was created in 1924 by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley in the basement of a YMCA in Santa Ana, California. Smedley’s overall vision was to offer practice and training in communication and leadership skills, including the art of public speaking, presiding over meetings and promoting sociability and fellowship.Today, the organization boasts approximately 352,000 members in 13,000 clubs located in 142 countries worldwide.West Coast Toastmasters was co-founded in 2013 by current club president Wendy Arthurs. The group has a wide-ranging...

[caption id="attachment_17530" align="alignnone" width="450"] Ice Breaker – Leading Seaman Rommel Billanes first-place entry was snapped from the shoreline of Iceland’s rugged coastline when the Marine Technician visited there in 2015. Photo by LS Rommel Billanes[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~An amateur photographer with a passion for capturing colourful underwater imagery has claimed two awards in the Canadian Armed Forces Imagery Contest.Master Warrant Officer Mario Robillard, who works as a Senior Financial Manager for FSA and Financial Policy, Procedure and Inspection at Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) headquarters, was pleasantly surprised to find out in email from the contest’s judges that his first-ever submissions won not one, but two prizes.He took second place and third place wins in the Novice Division in the CAF’s annual contest for photography and videography, noting his images were unique as they were not taken on dry land.He is an avid diver and member of Aquarius Dive Club and snapped the ­photos while below the surface of Brentwood Bay near Henderson Point. His photo of an illuminated white jelly fish entitled Over Easy Please captured Second Place in the Open category, and Dancing Nudibranch, a close-up image of a colourful sea slug, took third spot in the Macrophotography (close to the lens) category.Four years ago he bought a professional underwater camera to capture the beauty he saw beneath the waves.“It’s not as easy as a point and shoot,” he explains. “The settings and controls are much more complicated, so there was a learning curve.”The camera uses two powerful strobe lights, a focus light, and a floating arm for balance and buoyancy, and is vacuumed sealed to keep water out.MWO Robillard says it’s not only a case of having the right equipment to get a good image, but also having good buoyancy underwater to avoid touching the fragile sea...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A marine art exhibition underway at Victoria’s historic Union Club features the work of five B.C. artists and their coastal-themed paintings.The Maritime Museum of B.C. hosted its Gala Opening for the exhibition, entitled West Coast Perspective on Oct.14 at the club’s landmark building located on Gordon St. The exhibit will remain open for public viewing through the month of December.Contributing artists for the event are: Tofino-based award-winning painter Mark Hobson who is best known for his portrayals of landscapes of the Pacific Coast; John Horton, a naval and marine artist renowned for the historical detail of 18th-Century era paintings; multi-talented Gabriola Island painter and woodworker Tony Grove, Comox-based artist Esther Sample, known for her environmental and conservation art, and Anne Doyle who specializes in land and seascapes.“Preparing the RAS Deck“ is one of three paintings Horton has on display in the exhibition. It depicts former Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) supply ship HMCS Protecteur. His oil-based work features seven crewmembers organizing or ‘flaking out’ their lines. The Vancouver-based artist created his painting in 2004 when he was commissioned by the Government of Canada to capture life aboard the oiler during Rim of the Pacific, an international maritime warfare exercises.The Maritime Museum of B.C. and the Union Club have partnered in a number of initiatives in recent years with the most recent being the 2017 Victoria Day Block Party. Proceeds from the sale of artwork at West Coast Perspective will go towards supporting community programs and the club’s other charitable initiatives.The Union Club’s membership is made up of local business leaders, government officials, academics and professionals who work with a wide array community organizations in fundraising and other outreach initiatives. Its landmark building on Gordon St. was built in 1913 and was designated a National Historic Site earlier...

[caption id="attachment_17517" align="alignnone" width="450"] Battle of Hong Kong survivor Gerry Gerrard, 95, was the guest of honour during a plaque dedication ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #127 on the evening of Nov. 7. The Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association dedicated a plaque in honour of Gerrard’s service to the Legion and the people of Canada during the Second World War Battle of Hong Kong. Photo by John Yankoski[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Seventy-six Remembrance Days have passed since Signalman (retired) Horace ‘Gerry’ Gerrard fought for Canada in the Battle of Hong Kong. But the memories remain.Each year as the days of autumn grow shorter and Nov. 11 approaches, the 95-year-old recalls the Allies rapid capitulation to the Japanese, and the subsequent brutal treatment he and the other Canadian, Indian and British soldiers faced at the hands of their captors in Prisoner of War (POW) camps.“Remembrance Day brings it all back,” says Gerrard. “In the daytime I don’t think about it much, but nights are difficult, the memories are always with me.”The battle began Dec. 8, 1941, a day after Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan, which marked the start of war in the Pacific theatre. The fall of Hong Kong transpired in just 17 days, and during that time the Allies suffered heavy losses and turned down multiple requests by the Japanese to surrender. They finally did on Christmas Day, 1941.Approximately 1,976 Canadians were dispatched to Hong Kong in late 1941 and more than half of them, approximately 1,050, were either killed or wounded. Of the 554Canadians who lost their lives, 290 died during the infamous battle portion, while 264 died in its aftermath as POWs. Gerrard says the memories of the camps will remain etched in his mind until the day he dies.“When people say it’s amazing I...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~A military historian from Holland has launched an interactive website that provides visitors with instant information on Second World War Allied aircraft crashes.Jan Nieuwenhuis, 59, is an experienced stats and data man by trade who describes his devotion and love for aviation history as his hobby. Since 2006, he applied his intricate knowledge of databases and years of experience as a Data Manager for the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research to launch the project.The website incorporates data from the Aeronautical and War Museum on Texel Island, located in the Province of North Holland, where Nieuwenhuis has volunteered his time since 2004, along with information collected from other museums and historical accounts. His database contains detailed information about fallen airmen who died in the Netherlands and the entire North Sea in the war.During the fierce air war that raged between the Allies and Germany, Texel Island became a death trap for Allied planes and their crews who fell from the sky after being shot down by enemy anti-aircraft weaponry and warplanes. A cemetery on the island houses the graves of 167 Allied airmen who died there, including members from Canadian squadrons who were brought together as 6 Group within Britain’s Bomber Command.Users can employ a number of search criteria options on the site including aircraft make, bases, and crash-­specific details to extract information from the database. Nieuwenhaus says the quick access to information will be of great value to people doing aviation and military history research, and also for others who have more personal connections to the war.“The family members of these lost airmen also benefit because they can now find out information about their relatives and other facts that perhaps they never knew before,” says Nieuwenhaus. “I think that my site is somewhat unique as...

[caption id="attachment_17511" align="alignnone" width="450"] Marine Technicians Leading Seaman Nathan Gillis and Master Seaman Martin Couture describe the fire fighting equipment used on board HMCS Winnipeg to a delegate attending the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministers conference during their tour of the ship while alongside Canada Place, Vancouver. Photo by LS Ogle Henry, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Lt(N) Ellie Aminaie, HMCS Winnipeg ~Last week, HMCS Winnipeg was in Vancouver, B.C., in support of the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministers’ (UNPKDM) Conference.The conference was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre and had United Nations delegations from 80-plus countries and five international organizations in attendance, with gender initiatives as a focal point.It was a highly coordinated event organized by the Department of National Defence, with key representation from all Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) elements. The CAF element was led by Joint Task Force Pacific on behalf of Canadian Joint Operations Command.  Security was managed by the RCMP.The conference had many high profile Canadians in attendance including  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence; Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and la francophonie; and Madame Michaelle Jean, Secretary General of la francophonie.Also in attendance were General Jonathan Vance, Chief of Defence Staff, and LGen (Retired) Romeo Dallaire, who was there for a youth focused event.Actress Angelina Jolie, who is a Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, delivered the keynote address.During the welcome reception held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Winnipeg’s Guard of Honour was on parade, showcasing the Royal Canadian Navy.While alongside Canada Place, Winnipeg provided a hosting platform for various events throughout the conference. One notable one was a luncheon held on board, co-hosted by Minister Bibeau, and His Excellency Marc-Andre Blanchard, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN. Guests discussed various gender initiatives made in their respective nations and the event provided an opportunity for the exchange of ideas in furthering those initiatives.Lt(N) Calley Gray, Winnipeg’s Marine Systems Engineering Officer,...

[caption id="attachment_17498" align="alignnone" width="450"] From left: PO1 Doug Bacon, Whitehorse Coxswain; Betty Coleman, Brandon’s ship’s sponsor; The Honourable Ione Christensen, Whitehorse’s ship’s sponsor; and LCdr Collin Forsberg, Whitehorse Commanding Officer. Photo by MARPAC Imaging[/caption]Lt(N) Joseph Martin, HMCS Whitehorse ~Since their commissioning over 20 years ago, HMCS Brandon and HMCS Whitehorse have both been lucky to have extremely active ship’s sponsors. Both sponsors visited CFB Esquimalt in October to witness the hull transfer between the ships. Betty Coleman, Brandon’s sponsor, has a long history of community service volunteering in Brandon’s namesake city, and has taken an active interest in the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel since its keel was laid in 1997. Having moved to the James Bay area, “Bad Betty” – as she is affectionately known – has accompanied Brandon on numerous sails throughout her tenure.The Honourable Ione Christensen, Whitehorse’s sponsor and former Senator for Yukon, was the first woman to serve as Whitehorse’s mayor and as Commissioner of the Yukon. She has been an active part of Whitehorse’s history since 1996. Also in attendance, and representing the City of Whitehorse, was Deputy Mayor Dan Boyd, a long-serving city councillor with a previous career in the Yukon construction industry.All three attended a small ceremony and luncheon commemorating the hull transfer of Brandon’s crew into Whitehorse. Hull transfers are unique to the Kingston-class and normally coincide with Docking Work Periods. With a ship due to proceed to Point Hope Shipyards, its crew takes custody of the previous “down boat” and prepares it for future Force Employment.On Oct. 10, the crew of Brandon bid farewell to their former ship as Whitehorse’s Yeoman hoisted Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Collin Forsberg’s pennant. Both sponsors had the chance to speak and recall stories from their long association with the ships. The sponsors also spoke about how much being...

[caption id="attachment_17495" align="alignnone" width="450"] LS Corey Aube from HMCS Halifax talks about some of her firefighting gear with the visiting Girl Guides group. Photos by Ryan Melanson, Trident Staff[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~“We are Guides, all GuidesAnd in unexpected placesYou’ll meet our friendly facesAnd a ready hand beside…”Those were the words ringing out through HMC Dockyard in Halifax Oct.10 as a group of young guests marched and sang their way to HMCS Halifax for a visit. The group of 10- to 12-year-old girls were representatives of the 2nd Shoreview Guide Unit of Girl Guides of Canada. They came to the base, along with three leaders, to get an introduction to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and jobs available to young women who decide to pursue a naval career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).Kara Doucet, a student at Dalhousie University and a long-time Girl Guide turned volunteer with the organization, said her unit is trying to introduce the Guides to a range of traditionally male-dominated jobs and activities, and push the notion that girls can grow up to excel in any area with hard work and dedication. The idea to incorporate a navy visit came when a few girls asked their leaders if women were allowed to serve in the Canadian military.“I found it shocking that some of the girls didn’t know,” said Doucet, who grew up in a military family and has memories of visiting RCN ships as a child.“I always found it to be an exciting experience, so we decided to take them on a navy ship and show them that women can be successful members of the Canadian Armed Forces.”The young visitors were excited to enter a military base and see the inside of a warship for the first time, and with the navy celebrating the International Day of...

[caption id="attachment_17490" align="alignnone" width="450"] Ernie Pain, right, receives a certificate honouring his 95th birthday and war service from Chief Petty Officer First Class Dave Bisal.[/caption]Darlene Blakeley, RCN PA ~The naval veterans who served so valiantly during the Second World War have not been forgotten, and that includes 95-year-old retired Chief Petty Officer Ernie Pain.Pain was a crew member of HMCS Louisburg, a Flower-class corvette sunk by enemy aircraft on Feb. 6, 1943 while escorting a convoy from Gibraltar to Algeria. Thirty-eight members of the ship’s company were lost; 45 survived, including then Able Seaman Pain.The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was contacted by his granddaughter Jennifer Pain-Andrejin, who thought it would be a great idea if someone from the navy could attend his 95th birthday party at the Cornwall, ON, branch of the Royal Canadian Legion on Oct. 21.“I am hoping someone from the navy would be available to come and give Ernie their best wishes on this special day,” she wrote. “My Grampa is a character, to say the least, and I know he would love this more than anything. The party starts around 7 p.m., and I’m sure he will be hitting the dance floor shortly thereafter!”Chief Petty Officer First Class Dave Bisal of the Directorate of Naval Personnel and Training at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa was happy to attend the birthday party on behalf of the RCN.“I was honoured to represent the RCN at the 95th birthday of Ernie Pain,” says CPO1 Bisal. “When I arrived I had the pleasure of meeting Ernie and three generations of his family, as well as a great number of his friends.”He presented Pain with a certificate and coin from the Deputy Commander RCN, Rear-Admiral Gilles Couturier, recognizing his 95th birthday, as well as his courage, sacrifice and dedication to Canada as a...

[caption id="attachment_17487" align="alignnone" width="450"] Lt(N) Nico Lightbody at the finish line of the Ironman Miami 70.3 competition. Photos by FinisherPix[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Base triathlete Lt(N) Nico Lightbody overcame heat and strong winds in South Florida to qualify for next year’s Half Ironman World Championships in South Africa.The 26-year-old Naval Combat Systems Engineer from Base Information Services finished 26th overall in a field of approximately 2,300 competitors, and fifth in his age group at the Ironman Miami 70.3 competition on Oct. 22.He completed the gruelling multi-sport race course with a combined time of 4:28:50, which qualified him for next year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Sept 2, 2018, at Nelson Mandela Bay.The name of the 70.3 competitions refers to the total distance in miles of the event: in Canadian terms a 1.9 kilometre swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.1km run.The Miami 70.3 used a staggered start, meaning competitors all start and cross the race finish line at different times in an effort to accommodate the large number of participants.Due to the logistics of the race, Lt(N) Lightbody said he didn’t realize he had qualified for the worlds until more than an hour after he had finished the race.The result was even more satisfying for him since his strong finish involved overcoming hot daytime temperatures in Miami that topped out at 31 Celsius with higher humidex readings coupled with strong onshore winds.The choppy wave conditions during the swim didn’t seem to faze the officer, as he is an accomplished swimmer with five gold medals at this year’s CAF Swimming Nationals held in March. Despite the conditions, he finished the course in a relatively fast 26:32.The cycling component, which he completed in 2:26:45, and the final running portion of the event that he finished in 1:32:10 was also hampered by the strong...

[caption id="attachment_17484" align="alignnone" width="450"] Students from Rockheights Middle School attend Veterans Cemetery God’s Acre in Esquimalt to pay their respects to fallen military members. Photo by Maryanne Trofimuk[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~In what is becoming an annual tradition, students from Rockheights Middle School paid their respects to fallen military members by laying poppies at their graves.In the chilly morning of Nov. 3, approximately 200 students in Grade 6, 7, and 8 marched the short distance to Veterans Cemetery God’s Acre for the No Stone Left Alone ceremony.The Colville Road cemetery was originally built in 1858 as a place of rest for Royal Navy sailors, but has since expanded to encompass all members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).Students assembled at the cemetery’s cenotaph to sing O Canada and for territorial acknowledgement to First Nations communities. They then dispersed onto the grounds to honour the dead and place poppies at their headstones.“With the rustling trees heard overhead, our students stood in silence to honour our veterans,” said Rockheights Principal Maryanne Trofimuk.“It’s a meaningful experience for students with an element of poignancy that cannot be replicated in a school gym or assembly.”Rockheights was the first school in British Columbia to join the now international No Stone Left Alone campaign, which launched in Edmonton in 2011. It’s part of an effort by educators to help students understand the sacrifice of veterans on a personal level by placing poppies at their headstones each November.Carleni, a Grade 6 student, wrote in a post-ceremony writing assignment that the experience helped her draw a strong personal connection to the headstone of Harold Stant.“I started to imagine him and what he looked like and then I tried to imagine what his life was like,” she said.  “I felt very emotional and felt like crying, and just yelling his...

[caption id="attachment_17481" align="alignnone" width="450"] Members of HMCS Nanaimo rescue sea turtles entangled in a fishing buoy during Operation Caribbe. Photo by MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Executive Officer, HMCS Nanaimo ~What could have been a fatal day for three sea turtles off the coast of Mexico took a turn for the better thanks to the crew of HMCS Nanaimo.On Oct. 27, Nanaimo was patrolling off the coast of Mexico under Operation Caribbe, Canada’s support to the US-led counter-narcotics mission known as Operation Martillo. After days in 40-degree heat, Nanaimo had entered a monsoon trough that brought confused seas and heavy rains. Although the weather brought some relief with slightly cooler temperatures, it also brought limited visibility.One sailor framed the local weather best when he remarked, “Humidity you can cut with a knife or torrential rain. Take your pick. You’re going to get wet.”Late in the forenoon, the Chief Boatswain’s Mate and the Senior Electrician reported from the Sweep Deck a colourful marker floating in the water. Suspicious that it was a marker for packages of submerged drugs dumped or staged for later pick up, Nanaimo closed in for further inspection. The crew soon discovered it was not a marker for drugs but for fish, as it was attached to a trap of lashed-together plastic soda pop bottles with a net and fishhooks affixed to the bottom.It was clear from the bridge-wing of the ship there were three sea turtles caught in the net. The Commanding Officer ordered a boat and crew to be lowered, and within minutes it was alongside the entangled turtles.This task was more complex than one might think, as it was difficult to hold a rigid-hulled inflatable boat in position in a confused sea state. To make matters worse, the turtles were defensively attempting to bite hands and fingers that...

[caption id="attachment_17477" align="alignnone" width="450"] HMCS Nanaimo patrols the Caribbean Sea during Operation Caribbe. Photo by MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]DND ~HMCS Nanaimo helped the United States Coast Guard (USCG) seize 478 kilorgrams of cocaine on Oct. 31. These drugs were seized from a suspect vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean.After stopping the vessel, Nanaimo launched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat carrying a USCG law enforcement detachment (LEDET) to board the vessel. The LEDET then apprehended three suspected smugglers.The cocaine was packaged in small amounts and stored throughout the vessel. It was later transferred to a USCG cutter.The next day the suspected smugglers were transported to a USCG cutter on patrol in the region. Nanaimo then resumed operations.The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have conducted Operation Caribbe missions since November 2006, and remains committed to working with Western Hemisphere and European partners in successfully disrupting illicit trafficking operations in the region.To date, the CAF has directly contributed to the seizure and disruption of over 69 metric tonnes of illicit drugs over the 11 years it has been involved in this operation.

[caption id="attachment_17440" align="alignnone" width="450"] Corporal Alexandra Roy[/caption]Édouard Dufour, Adsum Newspaper ~Corporal Alexandra Roy’s career has taken a very unexpected turn. She once had her feet firmly planted on the ground as a combat engineer with 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, but now she operates C6 machine guns onboard CH-146 Griffon helicopters with 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, based in Valcartier, Quebec.“The last group of door gunners returned from Iraq, so they started planning for who would replace them,” said Corporal Roy, noting that tactical aviation door gunners are specialists drawn from combat arms occupations and may hold the job for no more than two years.“When the job was offered to me, I absolutely did not want to miss out on such a unique opportunity,” she said, adding that she would like to be deployed on a mission such as Operation Impact.A health test, many theoretical training sessions, and hours spent carrying out intensive flight exercises are necessary to fully master the skills of a door gunner. After seven months of continuous training, Cpl Roy has already banked over 140 flight hours.According to Corporal Roy, the skills needed to be a door gunner include the ability to “adapt quickly and demonstrate a desire to learn.”In a combat situation, door gunners are responsible for attacking the enemy, using their best judgement. To do that, they have a weapon able to hit a target up to 800 metres away.“There is a red round every four rounds so that we can see the trajectory of the projectiles,” explains Cpl Roy.Gunners always wear two layers of clothing to protect themselves from the fire. They also wear a helmet directly connected to the radios of the aircraft they are travelling in. A sturdy harness attaches them to the aircraft and prevents any deadly falls.In combatDoor gunners’ skills are mainly...

Rear-Admiral (Retired) Barry Keeler, Last Post Fund ~On a cold night in December 1908, an unconscious homeless man was taken by two police officers to the Montreal General Hospital. Allegedly inebriated, he was left in a room to sleep it off.A while later the Head Orderly Arthur Hair, a ­veteran of the South African War, noticed an envelope sticking out of the poor man’s coat pocket. It contained an honourable discharge certificate issued to Trooper James Daly by the Great Britain War Office. Daly had served for 21 years under the British flag and this document was his sole possession.Trooper Daly was not drunk but suffering from malnutrition and hypothermia. He died two days later at age 53. His unclaimed body would be turned over to medical researchers before disposal in a pauper’s field.Deeply shocked by the Empire’s disregard for its veterans, Hair raised money from friends and colleagues to give the soldier a dignified burial worthy of his many years of patriotic service.This was the catalyst for the creation of the Last Post Fund in 1909.The early work of the Last Post Fund was exclusively supported by private donations. Then in 1921, it was federally incorporated and began receiving regular financial support from the Canadian Government.Since its humble beginnings, the Last Post Fund has ensured that no eligible veteran is deprived of a dignified funeral, burial and headstone for lack of financial resources. Its primary mandate is to deliver the funeral and burial program on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada. To date, over 160,000 veterans from across Canada have received financial assistance under this Program.Eligible Veterans include:A former member of the Canadian Forces;A Canadian Merchant Navy Veteran; andAn Allied Veteran who meets certain conditions.In addition, the Last Post Fund owns and operates the National Field of Honour located in...

[caption id="attachment_17429" align="alignnone" width="450"] Canadian Pilgrims at the 59th International Military Pilgrimage at Lourdes, France, enjoyed friendly sports competition with other nations. Photo by Sgt George Jones, Army Public Affairs[/caption]DND ~The 60th International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France will be held May 18-20, 2018. Over 12,000 military members from over 40 countries will be represented. Canada has sent a delegation of pilgrims to this event for many years.The International Military Pilgrimage is an ecumenical and interfaith event. CAF members and veterans (Regular Force and Reservists) are welcome to attend whether healthy, wounded, ill or injured. Those who are motivated by a personal spirituality to participate are encouraged to apply.Funding is available from a variety of sources, including Support our Troops, to support serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and veterans to take part in this unique opportunity.ABOUT THE PILGRIMAGEAt the end of the Second World War, Lourdes was a place where French and German soldiers sought to physically and spiritually heal together. The first International Military Pilgrimage was held in 1958. Forty-two other nations have since joined in this act of healing and reconciliation.Lourdes is a very famous and frequently visited pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics and for people from many other faiths and spiritual experiences. It is visited by people seeking healing and renewal.Activities at the Pilgrimage include worship opportunities, a parade through the town of Lourdes culminating in a ceremony at the local war memorial, a candle light vigil, a visit to the baths for immersion in the healing waters of the Lourdes site and a sports afternoon involving a friendly competition among the different nations.In Esquimalt, you can access further info or an application form by contacting the Senior Fleet Chaplain, Padre Jeannine Friesen at Jeannine.Friesen2@forces.gc.ca or Padre Joachim Nnanna at Joachim.Nnanna@forces.gc.ca. Application deadline is Nov. 24.

[caption id="attachment_17414" align="alignnone" width="400"] Hockey rink at Kandahar Airfield, December 2016, before a few boards were brought to Canada. Photo credit: Greg Dempsey[/caption]Captain Nicola LaMarre, CJOC PA ~Sport has long been known as a vital contributor to fitness, morale and esprit de corps of troops during times of conflict. From the fabled football matches between the British and German armies on a Christmas Day during the First World War to Canadian soldiers carving a hockey rink on a frozen river in Korea.Fast forward to 2017.When the Canadian Armed Forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014, a well-used ball hockey rink built by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) engineers in 2006 at Kandahar Airfield was left behind.The wood of the hockey boards was rough, blemished with scuffs, scrapes and the tell-tale black marks left by countless jet black hockey pucks. The red paint on the Canadian Flag was barely visible in places, bleached by the relentless Afghanistan sun.Two sections of the Kandahar floor hockey rink boards were brought back to Canada with one section donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and the other to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa where it will become part of the permanent Afghanistan display.Before being turned into a permanent exhibit, the War Museum brought it to the Invictus Games Athletes’ Village at the Sheraton Hotel, in Toronto. Access to see the boards was restricted to the athletes, friends and family and team coaches and support staff.For Corporal Mimi Poulin of Team Canada, seeing the Kandahar hockey boards took her right back to Afghanistan.“All of those chips, the worn paint, it was us, we put them there. I remember each night we would all lean against those boards to watch the game.”For many men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces the rink provided a...

[caption id="attachment_17421" align="alignnone" width="450"] United States Coast Guard members were lowered to the deck of B.C. Ferries' Coastal Renaissance. Photo by Corporal Nathan Spence[/caption]Lt(N) Melissa J Kia, MARPAC/JTFP Public Affairs ~On the morning of Oct. 25, B.C. Ferries’ Coastal Renaissance was far outside its usual route as it sailed between Salt Spring and Galiano Islands.The diversion from its standard trek was part of a multi-agency emergency response training exercise that involved 14 agencies in the region including the Canadian Armed Forces.Shortly after 8 a.m., residents surrounding the Trincomali Channel could see the beginning of Exercise Salish Sea 17.The “Mayday” went out over marine traffic services and 97 actors from Joint Task Force (Pacific) (JTFP), representing the ferry’s guests and crew, began their evacuation as sirens blared on board, and a simulated fire erupted on the car decks below.As the Coastal Renaissance enacted a full passenger evacuation by deploying escape slides and life rafts, JTFP and Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) assets sprang into action by deploying over 15 vessels including the ready duty ship HMCS Regina and an Orca-class patrol training craft from CFB Esquimalt.Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria quickly called in air support from CFB Comox and 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, who launched helicopter and fixed wing aircraft to the aid of the stricken ferry, along with a crew of search and rescue technicians. Assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard came in the form of one of their ships and a Dolphin rescue helicopter to hoist passengers off the ferry’s upper decks. Once clear of the ferry, passengers were transported to a staging area on Salt Spring Island. British Columbia Emergency Health Services’ set to work helping the wounded. Teams of paramedics bent to the task of triaging and treating fictional injured, who sported life-like makeup simulating serious injuries and...

[caption id="attachment_17426" align="alignnone" width="450"] HMCS Venture graduate retired Capt(N) Wilf Lund displays the Venture Book of Remembrance in the Welland Room at Work Point. Photo by Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~An unpretentious black, hard-covered book resides in a glass display case in the Welland Room at the Naval Officer Training Centre’s Kingsmill Building.Etched in gold and white letters on the cover it reads: HMCS Venture, In Remembrance.The book has 13 pages, each bearing the name of a pilot lost in the line of duty. These are 12 Venture graduates and one staff officer.The original was a moldy, moth-eaten item forgotten and buried in storage after the closing of Venture decades ago. It contained only eight names and had not been updated since 1968 when the original HMCS Venture closed.Discovered by Retired Captain (Navy) Ken Scott, the Collier Simulator Manager, in 1999, it was eventually recreated and updated by Retired Captain (Navy) Wilf Lund, HMCS Venture Association historian.“Having a Remembrance Book that remembers our fallen brothers is very important to us,” says Lund. “There is a cost of serving, even in peacetime there is a cost of serving.”A year ahead of Venture’s 2009 class reunion, Lund began piecing together the book by reviewing official records and consulting classmates and other Venture pilots close to 13 fallen military members.His intent was to confirm the data on the original eight and to identity any other Venture graduates killed in the line of duty since 1968.The job of identifying the fallen and retrieving accurate information on the individual crashes was not an easy one. The task was complicated as naval pilots were dispersed throughout Air Command after integration. But he applied strict historical research procedures to sift the evidence and remained objective in his research. In many cases there was conflicting...

[caption id="attachment_17417" align="alignnone" width="450"] Seguna works inside his Oak Bay solarium on one of his latest projects.[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~When Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Paul Seguna sits in front of his easel, blank canvas before him, he draws on his 42-year military career as inspiration for his next piece of art.Four decades of service has brought him postings in 14 warships on both coasts, and deployments on Canadian Armed Forces operations in Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo.This is why much of his work pays homage to bygone eras of military activity, in peace and in war time, at sea and on land. “If you have an artistic bent and are creative, you apply your life experiences in the art you create,” he says.His artistry comes naturally, with no formal training, just a desire to release that burning idea onto the canvas. A set of pencils and sketchbook have never been far from him, even as a child growing up in Sydney, Australia.“I was continuously drawing everything and anything in my school note books,” he recalls. “It was a form of self-expression for me back then, and also today. People who have any kind of interest in art or music just seem to gravitate to expressing their creativity; it’s a natural process for me.”His paintings have been showcased in high-profile public art displays including the National Aviation Museum and National Archives of Canada.His preferred paints are acrylic and oil-based; his preferred canvas size 24” x 36”. Like other artists Seguna uses photographs as reference, but the end result is his vision.“Art can fill a role in visually telling the story; a role it shares with photography,” he says. “But art can also create those scenes that you might not get with a photograph. The power of the visual medium and the artist’s composition...

[caption id="attachment_17402" align="alignnone" width="450"] Master Corporal Phil Groleau, a fire fighter from HMCS Algonquin, works as FLYCO on board HMCS Winnipeg. Photo by Corporal Dave Payne[/caption]Major Jim Hutcheson, RCAF PA ~In January 2014, a joint Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) – Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) initiative was launched to transfer the vital role of helicopter crash rescue firefighting (HCRFF) on board RCN ships from fire fighters to hull technicians.The aim was to improve personnel efficiency, given Defence Renewal targets and the reduced crew space available on new ships.Since that time, Phase I of the transition has progressed smoothly and ahead of schedule. Hull technicians at the ordinary seaman/leading seaman levels have been fully trained and qualified to the required helicopter crash rescue firefighting standards, and they have now assumed this operational role on board all Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships.The initiative has recently entered Phase II, in which the sector commander (a master corporal) and flying coordinator (FLYCO) (a sergeant) leadership positions will be transitioned to the RCN. Adding to the complexity of the transition, the hull technician occupation is ending and personnel transferred to a new marine technician (MAR TECH) occupation that will incorporate the helicopter crash rescue firefighting skills and training. This will actually benefit the transition by providing a greater pool of candidates to assume these duties.“The RCN is committed to ensuring training requirements for HCRFF, sector commander and FLYCO are maintained during the transition to the MAR TECH occupation,” said Chief Petty Officer First Class Earl Weir, previously a marine technician occupation manager in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Chief Warrant Officer Gerard Slaunwhite, from the Office of the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal (CFFM), has been impressed by the progress of the transition.“The leading seaman crash rescue operations training and the petty officer 2nd class/master seaman FLYCO mentorship have both...

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The legacies of two First World War heroes from Victoria will be the focus during a presentation by military historian MWO (Retired) Bart Armstrong’s at the Centennial Library in Saanich, Nov 1 at 1 p.m.Armstrong, a former member of Victoria’s 11th Service Battalion, Toronto Scottish (then the Princess Louise Fusiliers at Halifax, will speak at the branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library located on Tillicum Rd.Armstrong has re­searched and written extensively about Canadians who have received the Medal of Honor in the United States along with Canadian military history. His appearance is part of the Saanich Remembers World War One historical project.During the one-hour address he will discuss the legacy of Victoria’s well-known war hero and Victoria Cross recipient Lieutenant Commander Rowland Bourque of Canada’s Naval Reserves, who saved the lives of 40 men from drowning in Belgium. He will also focus on the mostly unheralded and forgotten war hero, Private Robert Gilbert of the Canadian Mounted Riffles. Gilbert who was black and fought at Vimy was never properly acknowledged for his bravery by Canadian or British military authorities, Armstrong says.Saanich Remembers World War One historical project is focussed on commemorating residents of Saanich who served for Canada in the First World War.Free registration at gvpl.ca/events.For more information, visit their website here.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~The Victoria Royals are offering free tickets to Defence team personnel for their Nov. 10 regular season game against the Edmonton Oil Kings.An initial block of 290 tickets are being released to the Base Chief for distribution and will be divided up equally amongst units for the Royals’ annual National Defence Team Appreciation Night game.Defence team members have until Nov. 3 to claim tickets requested through their unit representatives. Unclaimed tickets will go back into the pool of available tickets for sale.If demand outstrips supply, the Western Hockey League club will make more tickets available. For those unable to get their hands on free tickets, discounted $15 seats will be available to all Department of National Defence employees.Opening puck drop at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre is 7:05 p.m. Multiple military units and civilian support organizations will have displays at the game including 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, Naval Reserves, N3 Chief of Staff Plans and Operations, Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific), Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific), Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton, 5th (BC) Field Artillery Regiment, Personnel Support Programs, and the Military Family Resource Centre.National Defence Appreciation Night with the Royals will also include a metal-hockey-stick giveaway by FMF and displays that include a Vindicator aerial drone and boat by N3, dive truck from FDU and a Howitzer from 5th Field regiment, plus a 50-50 draw conducted by the Military Family Resource Centre.

[caption id="attachment_17389" align="alignnone" width="450"] Soldiers take down potential insurgents during a road block scenario. Photos by LS David Gariepy, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Capt Jeff Manney, 39 Signal Regiment PAO ~A Reserve communications unit based in British Columbia has won Exercise Jimmy West 2017.The team from 39 Signal Regiment, with squadrons in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Nanaimo, emerged victorious – and drenched – following the Oct. 21 competition at CFB Esquimalt’s Albert Head and Heals Range facilities. Signallers from 38 Signal Regiment, including those from as far away as Thunder Bay, as well as troops from Edmonton-based 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG) also competed. Nearly 100 soldiers in all took part in the exercise.“It’s an amazing accomplishment for our Reservists,” says Maj John Perry, 39 Signal Regiment’s deputy commanding officer. “Despite competing against signallers who come to work every day, these Reservists, who train just one night per week, showed they can still compete at a high level. It’s proof we train – and can fight – to the very same standard.”The competition was built around six different events, testing basic soldiering skills and trade-specific competencies. Marksmanship, first aid, and the vehicle checkpoint stand – where signallers had to discern between locals and belligerents approaching a village – covered off skills any soldier must possess. Establishing a command post, running communication lines and rapidly setting up a mobile radio rebroadcast unit tested those skills at the core of the signaller’s function.The result, says Maj Perry, is a snapshot of the differing skill sets of signallers from across Western Canada.“Competitions like this provide commanders a better understanding of how their troops compare to others,” he says. “Sure, there’s bragging rights, but more importantly there are concrete examples of where units are strong or where more training is required.”There’s another benefit for the signallers...

[caption id="attachment_17386" align="alignnone" width="450"] Rosemary and Howard Shillingford, left, are greeted by GAC personnel and members of HMCS St. John’s Sea King detachment in Dominica to be airlifted to Douglas-Charles Airport on Sept. 24. Photo by HMCS St.John’s Air Detachment[/caption]Ryan Melanson, Trident Newspaper ~The Commanding Officer of HMCS St. John’s says his ship’s company was able to provide much-needed help, including the rescue of Canadians, while deployed to the Caribbean Islands ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria.The ship returned to Halifax Oct. 1 after about three weeks in the region on Operation Renaissance, which saw St. John’s sail first to South Caicos and then to the island nation of Dominica.“When we got to the island of Dominica, it was obvious we were in a life-saving situation. We needed to get in there and rescue people who had been trapped because of the storm in outlying communities, so that was an immediate task for us when we arrived,” says Cdr Gordon Noseworthy.He described the damage to the Island as catastrophic, with once vibrant communities littered with overturned cars, heavily damaged structures and blocked or flooded roadways, and rural areas stripped of their greenery and buried in downed trees, branches and other debris.Work parties from the ship quickly got to shore to assist with debris cleanup and clearing roads. Technicians were able to help restore power to numerous generators and running water in some areas, and on board St. John’s, the ship’s reverse osmosis machines were used to make more than 27,000 litres of clean water that was brought to shore via Sea King helicopter.“The water was very much needed in that area, and we had locals waiting on land to immediately get those big bottles and start distributing it to people who needed it,” Cdr Noseworthy says.A highlight of the mission...

Sixty-four sea cadets from Ontario, the Prairies and B.C. sailed through the Gulf Islands for seamanship deployments aboard the Orca Class Patrol Craft Training vessels Raven and Caribou Oct. 15-28.During each of the one-week deployments, cadets learned navigation, engineering, maintenance and emergency response, including fire and man-overboard drills.Seamanship deployments are offered to senior sea cadets who have demonstrated leadership and knowledge at their home corps. The deployment also offers cadets an opportunity to learn from and work alongside Canadian Armed Forces members, an experience they cannot get anywhere else.This once-in-a-lifetime experience is provided at no cost to the cadets. The Cadet Program is Canada’s largest government-funded youth program and aims to develop in youth ages 12-18 the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness and stimulate the interest of youth in sea, land and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.

[caption id="attachment_17377" align="alignnone" width="450"] Canadian Armed Forces members participate in a Cricket game during the National Sports Day on Oct 20. Photo by LS David Gariepy, MARPAC Imaging Services[/caption]Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~Fun was the true measure of victory as employees at the base ran, jumped, and volleyed their way into the win column during the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Sports Day tabloid on Oct. 20.The day’s activities for both military and civilian personnel kicked off with a five-kilometre CAF Sports Day Run.Despite the cool wet conditions, Leading Seaman Matt Walsh of Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) had a top run time of 17:55 on a race course that started at the Naden Drill Deck and wound through Dockyard and back.This was followed by a sports tabloid, which was a series of educational, fun drills for basketball, volleyball, squash, cricket, spin, swimming and rowing.Base Commander, Captain Jason Boyd, an avid sportsman and hockey player, took part in many of the day’s activities. He said everyone who participated in the event was a winner, while also noting it was plain to see everyone who came out for Sports Day thoroughly enjoyed themselves.“National Sports Day is the perfect reminder of how important sports and fitness are to all of us in the CAF. I was very proud to participate alongside so many fellow Defence team members in all the activities that were set up throughout the day. With all of the different sports available there really was something for everyone.”Approximately 350 participants turned out for the Personal Support Programs-led event.The weather and soggy sports field conditions put a stop to slo-pitch and seven-aside soccer tournaments.

[caption id="attachment_17348" align="alignnone" width="450"] Canadian Armed Forces CISM Men’s Epee Team, from left: Cpl Hugues Boisvert-Simard, SLt Kyle Deveau, and Cpl Clement Feminias-Metivet.[/caption] SLt Terence Kazimierczak, HMCS Vancouver Public Affairs Officer ~When SLt Kyle Deveau competed in last month’s CISM World Military Fencing Championships, it represented a means to honour not just the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) but also his father.In March, SLt Deveau’s father, MWO (Ret’d) Jackie Deveau, died in a hit and run. The elder Deveau played hockey throughout his 35-year career as an Avionics Technician in the Royal Canadian Air Force; he always said it was a great way to maintain friendships and strengthen the bonds within the military family.“After meeting many of the members my dad had played hockey with, it became clear to me how important the sport was to him and the people in his life,” said SLt Deveau. “I decided to rediscover a similar sense of purpose and the same sort or friendships that can only emerge as a result of sport.”Two weeks after his father’s funeral, SLt Deveau was fencing competitively again.Inspired by his father’s example, SLt Deveau set a goal: to get on the CAF CISM Fencing Team. After showcasing his talents at Provincials in Vancouver, B.C., he was accepted onto the team and began preparing for the 45th CISM World Military Fencing Championships in Acireale, Italy, held from Sept. 13-17.The CAF Fencing Team had no illusions about how challenging this event would be. Several athletes from other nations were Olympic medalists, and most of the Canadians had never competed at such a high level.“If it wasn’t for the CISM program, I would never have had the opportunity to represent my country on the international stage. I’ve watched these guys on YouTube, fencing at the Olympics and at World Cups. I...

Every year, as part of the National Veterans’ Week Speakers Program, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members give presentations at schools and other organizations across Canada.The key to the program’s success is the enthusiastic participation of Regular and Reserve Force members.The theme of this year’s program is “In Service to Canada.” By volunteering to be a speaker, you can share your story of service with Canadians of all ages.Anyone who would like to take part in the program can register at http://admpaapp.mil.ca/en/vet/speaker-form.asp.The site provides prepared presentations for various age groups, useful information on preparing your own speeches, and guidance on using social media.Last year, CAF members gave over 2,100 presentations, reaching more than 555,000 Canadians during Veterans’ Week.If you have any questions, contact René Coignaud, coordinator of the program, at 613-943-6145 or by email at rene.coignaud@forces.gc.ca or MARPAC OPI, Vicki Kellsey at 250-363-5566 / vicki.kellsey@forces.gc.ca.