Veterans Corner

Consolidated with files by the CFB Esquimalt Naval Military Museum and Dignity Memorial  The Esquimalt and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) community mourns the loss of Vice-Admiral (VAdm) (ret’d) Nigel David Brodeur, a leader and lifelong advocate for Canada’s military whose legacy spans generations of service. He was a member of the Brodeur family, with a long and distinguished history that stretches back to the creation of the RCN itself.  Brodeur passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on March 30, 2026, with family by his side.  Nigel Brodeur was born in Victoria on June 18, 1932, to Victor Gabriel Brodeur (d. 1976) and Doris Brodeur (nee Fages) (d. 1936).  Both Nigel Brodeur’s grandfather, Louis Philippe Brodeur, and father, Victor Gabriel Brodeur, held long and respected ties to the RCN. Louis Philippe was quite literally the ‘Father of the RCN,’ well-known for his service as Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier’s first Minister of the Naval Service; Victor Gabriel was in the very first cadre of naval cadets to join the service in 1909, and then served at sea and ashore through the two World Wars, rising to become the first Franco-Canadian to make flag rank. Nigel’s own service spanned the entirety of the Cold War, in addition to his influence helping set up the Canadian Patrol Frigate project that remains the backbone of the Canadian fleet today.  Nigel’s father was serving as Commanding Officer of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Naden at the time of his birth. In 1950 Nigel entered the Canadian Services College Royal Roads, joining the RCN upon graduation as a midshipman in 1952. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Brodeur held a range of operational and leadership roles with the RCN, including service aboard HMCS Sussexvale, HMCS Beacon Hill, and as Weapons Officer aboard HMCS Kootenay during the Cuban Missile...

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper Three former Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) sailors who served together as teens during the Korean War reunited unexpectedly in their 90s at the Veterans' Lodge, a Broadmead Care home. The men shared memories of life aboard His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Athabaskan II, from demanding boiler room work to long months at sea. Their reunion offered a powerful reminder of service, sacrifice, and the lasting bonds formed at sea. - For Roy Mackay, Gil Russell, and Don Russell, life in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as teens meant hard work and discipline. Almost eight decades later, life would give them an unexpected gift — a sudden reunion of shipmates now in their nineties. Now 92, 95, and 94 respectively, (Gil and Don are unrelated, and Don passed away shortly before being interviewed) the three reunited at Victoria’s Broadmead Care Society for the first time in decades. The last time they saw each other was when they were only 16, 18, and 19, serving aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Athabaskan during the Korean War, a vessel often nicknamed ‘Athabaskan II’ or ‘Athabee’. A Tribal-class destroyer, Athabaskan II deployed on three wartime tours starting in 1950 with duties ranging from antisubmarine patrols to troop transport, evacuations, and bombardments. The vessel was in service to Canada from 1948 to 1966. Gil, Roy, and Don all deployed together during its third wartime tour, working as stokers in the boiler room. “I was glad to get out of the army and into the navy, you know,” said Roy. “The navy actually helped me find a job during my return to civilian life, and that was really important to me.” Roy shared details of his work once aboard Athabaskan II for his first deployment with the RCN. “It was freezing down...

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper The 25th Annual Concert of Remembrance took place Nov. 8 at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre, bringing together hundreds in honour of Canadian veterans. The event featured performances by the Band of the 5th (B.C.) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, and students from the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA). Proceeds benefited the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (EMFRC) and Canadian Heritage Arts Society (CHAS). - Hundreds of Vancouver Island residents recently gathered at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre to remember Canadian veterans through music and movement. A night of respect and reflection, the annual Concert of Remembrance returned on Nov 8 to honour our Canadian veterans and service members. The concert was co-presented by the Canadian Heritage Arts Society (CHAS) and the District of Oak Bay, bringing together the Band of the 5th (British Columbia) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, and the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA). An annual tradition since the CCPA’s founding in 1998, the Concert of Remembrance celebrated its 25th show this year. The event opened with remarks from Kevin Murdoch, mayor of Oak Bay, and Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Philip Sherwin. The night then took audience members through the realities and vulnerabilities of service with the Band of the 5th performing over ten compositions introduced by Master of Ceremonies Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) (retired) Gerald Pash. To Captain (Capt) Daniel Moses, Director of Music Band for the 5th (British Columbia) Field Regiment, music has often played the role of an ultimate morale booster. “Music and song are crucial to being human, and that is even more apparent during times of duress. Think about the military action in Ukraine and how music, dance and song bound the Ukrainian people together against their oppressors,” said Capt Moses. “It was the same during the Second World War,...

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum unveils a permanent display honouring the late Commander (Ret’d) Peter Godwin Chance. The exhibit features his medals, uniform, and artifacts, celebrating a career that spanned from the - Battle of the Atlantic to the Korean War. The ceremonial paddle passed to his grandson Damon symbolizes remembrance, legacy, and family pride through generations. - We remember Commander (Cdr) (retired) Peter Godwin Chance. The life, legacy, and service of the late Cdr Chance now have a permanent home at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. On Oct 15, family members, friends, Defence team members and representative of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Naval Association of Vancouver Island (NAVI) gathered at the museum for the unveiling of a new, permanent display dedicated to the celebrated naval officer that includes Cdr Chance’s medals, uniform, and other personal effects. The artifacts have now been added to the Peter Godwin Chance Gallery, first named in his honour on his 101st birthday in 2021. Cdr Chance, who passed away at the age of 103 on April 9, 2024, was one of the last surviving Canadian officers to have served in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest campaign of the Second World War. He took part in the Dunkirk evacuations, D-Day landings, and the evacuation of Singapore, serving aboard 13 ships over the course of his naval military career. Cdr Chance also survived the 1944 sinking of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Skeena in the North Atlantic and combat during the Korean War aboard HMCS Cayuga. Born in Ottawa, he served from 1938 to his retirement in 1969, when his sense of duty shifted into public life. After his retirement, Cdr Chance volunteered with the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Society, Saanich Peninsula...

The subject for the statue,"Veteran Sailor" by artist Nathan Scott, is Capt(N) Ret'd John Mason served in the North Atlantic for the duration of the Second World War, and is wearing the same "square rig" uniform that he wore as a non-commissioned member (NCM) of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942. Battle of the Atlantic Sunday commemorates the sacrifices of sailors and merchant seamen who gave their lives in the North Atlantic between September 1939 and May 1945, during World War II. [caption id="attachment_279" align="aligncenter" width="630"] "Veteran Sailor" by artist Nathan Scott Photo credit: Cpl Charles A. Stephen, MARPAC Imaging[/caption]