Crowsnest Issue 3-4 - Royal Canadian Navy · 2015. 6. 2. · Crowsnest Vol. 3, No. 4 Winter 2009...

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Vol. 3, No. 4 Winter 2009 Chief of the Maritime Staff

HMCS Frederictonjoins hunt forpirates

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SupportingCanada’s policyin the Americas

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Photo: Cpl Roderick Hopp

www.navy.forces.gc.ca

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Members of the Canadian Navy exercise inwaters off Canada Place in Vancouver inpreparation for the 2010 Olympics. For morephotos and the story, see page 2.

2 www.navy.forces.gc.ca

Senior AdvisorCommander Denise LaVioletteDirector, Navy Public Affairs

Senior Editor and WriterDarlene BlakeleyDirectorate of Navy Public Affairs

Crowsnest is published quarterly on the authority of theChief of the Maritime Staff, Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden.Comments are welcome and can be sent to:Directorate of Navy Public AffairsNational Defence Headquarters10ST, 101 Colonel By Dr., K1A 0K2or [email protected]

For the PDF version of this publication and for more information about the Canadian Navy, visit www.navy.forces.gc.ca.

Banner photo, page 1: HMCS Moncton is battered by heavy seas off the southern coast of Newfoundland during a fisheries patrol in October. Photo: DNDAll articles written by Darlene Blakeley, except where otherwise noted.

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By Christian Bedford

With only weeks to go before the worlddescends upon Vancouver and Whistler forthe 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter

Games, final preparations are in full swing to ensurethis is the most successful Olympic experience ever.

As thousands of staff from the Vancouver OrganizingCommittee, the City of Vancouver, the Province ofBritish Columbia and others complete the venues thatwill host the events of the 21st Winter Games, thou-sands of security personnel are making final arrange-ments to secure the largest international event hostedby Canada in decades.

Navy prepares for 2010 Winter Olympics

The world has changed considerably since the lasttime Canada hosted the Winter Olympics, so it is easyto understand the importance of providing a secure envi-ronment. It is with an eye to this 21st century securitychallenge that the Canadian Navy will be participating asan integral part of the Vancouver 2010 security effort.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are the leadagency responsible for the security of the Olympics, butthe effort to secure the Games will truly be a multi-agency affair with over 100 participating organizations.

Photo: MCpl Chris Ward

HMCS Regina and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mellon are tied up alongsideCanada Place in Vancouver during Exercise Spartan Rings.

The navy will assistthe RCMP in

securing the 2010Olympic Games.

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Continued on page 4

As with past Olympics and other high-profile eventsheld in Canada, the Canadian Forces (CF) are beingcalled upon to provide unique and specific capabilitiesto the RCMP from the country’s army, navy and airforces. The CF’s contribution to Olympic security isbeing organized under Joint Task Force Games, com-manded by Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile, who also com-mands Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task ForcePacific.

Since this is the first Olympics to be held in Canadaon one of our coasts, maritime security becomesincreasingly important. Not only is Vancouver a bustlingmaritime city with numerous large and high-profilevenues within a kilometre of the ocean, the Port ofVancouver, which sits astride the downtown core, isCanada’s largest port and critical to the economic liveli-hood of the entire country, especially western Canada.

Ensuring the safety of Canadiansand foreign visitors

The Canadian Navy is therefore supporting theRCMP not only by ensuring the safety and security ofCanadians and foreign visitors during the Games, butalso by ensuring the waterways in and around thecountry’s second-largest city are free from any threatsor disruptions that could hamper trade through our westcoast gateway.

Over 800 Canadian naval personnel from across thecountry, both Regular and Reserve Force, will performseveral tasks during the Olympic and ParalympicGames, which run from Feb. 12-28 and March 12-21respectively.

Navy personnel will operate various vessels andshore-based naval assets that will bring unique capabil-ities to the RCMP-led security effort. They will berequired to conduct vessel tracking throughout the jointarea of operations, perform coastal patrols throughout

British Columbia’s bustling southwest corner, carry outport security operations in and around Vancouver, andensure underwater security through sweeps of Olympicvenues and key locations throughout the lower main-land.

This large-scale operation will include an Iroquois-class destroyer, Halifax-class frigates, Kingston-classmaritime coastal defence vessels and Orca-class patrolvessels, which will be prepared to support the RCMP asneeded.

Maritime security operations will also be supported byU.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels that will beconducting security patrols in U.S. waters along thesouthern edge of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Straitof Georgia.

From the air, aircraft such as CH-124 Sea King,CH-149 Cormorant and CH-146 Griffon helicopters, aswell as CC-138 Twin Otters and CP-140 Auroras, willconduct surveillance, logistical, transport and casualtyevacuation missions in support of the RCMP.

NORAD assets on standbyIn addition, aircraft and personnel from the North

American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) willbe on standby to provide air defence. In order to collect,analyze and act on incoming information from thesevarious platforms, naval personnel will be manning,along with staff from other government departments,the RCMP-led Olympic Marine Operations Centrelocated at Deadman Island in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

With so many diverse agencies and ministriesworking together for the first time on such an immense

From left: Captain (Navy) Gilles Couturier, RCMP Sergeant CameronMiller and Sub-Lieutenant Chris Wong hold discussions duringExercise Spartan Rings.

Lieutenant Commander Douglas Martin, left, and CommodoreJennifer Bennett, Commander Naval Reserve, along with two othersailors, head down the jetty during Exercise Spartan Rings.

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security operation, training and preparation havebecome increasingly important.

For this reason, the Government of Canada’s 2010integrated exercise program was designed to ensurethe federal-provincial security team was prepared torespond in a coordinated manner to any potential emer-gency that may occur during the Games.

The program was based on a series of exercises,with the largest being Bronze, Silver and Gold. Theydealt with a variety of scenarios, from suspicious pack-ages left in crowded spaces to hijacked airliners head-ing for Vancouver.

Exercises Bronze, Silver and Gold progressed fromtabletop overviews to full-scale operational trials withmultiple simulated threats, allowing personnel from theRCMP, CF, provincial agencies and local law enforce-ment agencies to interact with other governmentdepartments such as the Department of Fisheries andOceans and Public Safety Canada, as well as privatestakeholders such as transit operators and port officials.The CF conducted its own validation exercise, SpartanRings, just prior to Exercise Gold, which confirmed itwas ready to deploy for Operation Podium, the CF des-ignation for the support to Olympic security.

Operation Podium will see the navy play a vital role inmaritime security, providing personnel, equipment andmost importantly its unique capabilities to this jointsecurity effort. As an example, navy ships, manned bysailors from across Canada, will provide a standby

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Navy prepares for 2010 Winter Olympics

maritime interdiction capability to the RCMP-ledintegrated security unit (ISU). A port security unit willprovide force protection for the accommodation vesselsberthed in downtown Vancouver, physical security ofDeadman Island, and a surge capability to the RCMP ifrequired. And navy clearance divers from Fleet DivingUnits Atlantic and Pacific will provide the ISU with amaritime explosive ordnance disposal capability. Theseunique capabilities make the navy’s contributions a trulycross-Canada effort.

Anyone who has visited the city’s bustling innerwaterways, particularly Burrard Inlet that separatesdowntown Vancouver from North and West Vancouver,knows the dizzying mix of ferries, seaplanes, containerships, helicopters, mega-yachts, and other vehicles thatall operate in a finely-tuned choreography of activityamong bridges, roadways, harbours and marinas.Monitoring the waterborne traffic in these areas will bea challenging task for the RCMP and the navy, and itwill be up to all participating agencies to ensure thatVancouver’s waterways are monitored, while still allow-ing for the unimpeded flow of people during what prom-ises to be a hectic but exciting month in B.C.’s lowermainland.

Let the Games begin!

Christian Bedford is the Asia-Pacific Program Managerat Maritime Forces Pacific, Esquimalt, B.C.

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HMCS Calgary passes under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouverduring Exercise Silver.

Greg Hepner of the RCMP, right, takes a message from a sailor dur-ing Exercise Silver.


During the month of November, HMC Ships Algonquin, Protecteur and Calgary met off the coast of California toconduct a task group exercise. More than 500 Canadian personnel took part in various training exercises designedto enhance the navy’s ability to protect Canadian interests at home and abroad. Naval exercises such as thesetrain sailors to operate their ships independently or to integrate seamlessly into a larger multinational task force. Italso provides invaluable opportunities for the fleet to practise skill sets that are used on a wide range of potentialmissions ranging from counter-piracy operations to providing humanitarian assistance. During the task group exer-cise, the ships also trained with the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group.

Training with multinational task forces

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Top: Canadian ships sail information with the USS JohnC. Stennis Carrier StrikeGroup. Far left: HMCS Protecteurfollows aircraft carrier USSJohn C. Stennis off the coastof Southern California.Left: During the exercise,Lieutenant (Navy) JetskeGoslinga tracks damagereports in the engineeringcompartments aboard HMCSAlgonquin.Below: Sub-Lieutenant KelseyDauphinee, left, and LeadingSeaman Michael Pinkus moveinto position on the deck ofMV Atlas during a navalboarding party exercise, withHMCS Algonquin in the back-ground.

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HMCS Fredericton, a Halifax-based frigate, isnow hunting pirates with Standing NATOMaritime Group 1 (SNMG1) in the Gulf of

Aden and off the Horn of Africa. Acts of piracy in these areas pose a significant threat

to the safety of commercial maritime routes, interna-tional navigation and humanitarian relief. NATO hasconducted counter-piracy operations there since late2008 to increase security and freedom of movementfor international shipping. SNMG1 is a multinational,integrated fleet of NATO warships that train and operatetogether as a team.

“Now patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Aden, thereality of the mission and the enormity of the problem isreadily evident,” says Commander Steve Waddell, com-manding officer of Fredericton. “This is a large piece ofreal estate to patrol and the number of ships that passthrough here is extraordinary. Nonetheless, the profes-sionalism exhibited by my ship’s company as we servewith NATO allies gives me confidence that Frederictonis contributing to the safe passage of these vessels.”

Fredericton’s key role during the mission is to detect,deter and disrupt acts of piracy. Primarily, the shipmaintains an overt posture, patrolling her assigned sec-tor as directed by the commander of SNMG1, in con-junction with other NATO warships, to monitor shippingand be available to respond to a call for help from mer-chant vessels.

In the event Fredericton receives a distress call ordetects an act of suspected piracy, she will disrupt the

attack through a show of force or an escalation of force;use her boarding party to intercept and investigate sus-pected pirates; and remove weapons and equipmentrelated to piracy from those suspected of having theintent to conduct an act of piracy.

“We also remember that there’s a personal aspectto this mission,” says Lieutenant (Navy) Glenn Russell,assistant marine systems engineer onboardFredericton. “The sailors on the merchant ships thatwe’re trying to protect from pirates are people likeeveryone else back home in Canada. They’re peoplewith families justtrying to do ajob and make aliving for their lovedones. We’re here

HMCS Frederictonjoins hunt for pirates

The flight deck director signals the deck handlers to spread themain rotor blades on the Sea King helicopter aboard HMCSFredericton.

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HMCS Fredericton sails through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to the Gulf of Aden.

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Ordinary Seaman Ryan Wood fires a50-calibre machine gun during atraining scenario onboard HMCSFredericton.


to make it safer for them.”The ship went through extensive training in prepara-

tion for the mission, both individually and collectively.The ship’s company took refresher first aid training, re-qualified on the C-7 machine gun and 9mm pistol,attended fire-fighting and damage control training, andwent through operations room training, both alongsideand at sea. In a tiered-readiness program, everything islaid out in a logical progression, from human resourcesto mechanical (marine systems and combat systems)levels. In addition, other departments have been contin-ually planning hundreds of details such as rations andthe acquisition of stores in other countries, how to getsupplies shipped from Canada to the ship, and how to

get mail to and from theship.

Fredericton will remainwith SNMG1 until mid-February, when she willtransfer to Combined TaskForce 150, part ofCombined MaritimeForces (CMF). CMFpatrols more than 2.5 mil-lion square miles of inter-national waters in an effort

to defeat terrorism, prevent piracy, reduce illegal traf-ficking of people and drugs, and promote the maritimeenvironment as a safe place for mariners with legiti-mate business.

Canada’s involvement in counter-piracy operationsbegan in August 2008, when HMCS Ville de Québecsafely escorted World Food Programme cargo shipsfrom Mombasa, Kenya, to Mogadishu, Somalia, throughpirate laden waters. In April 2009, HMCS Winnipegjoined SNMG1 for 10 weeks of successful counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and off the Hornof Africa.

Fredericton is scheduled to return to Canada in May.Sailors tidy the lines on thefoc’s’cle of HMCS Fredericton.Ph

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Leading Seaman Gregory Laing, naval weapons technician, feeds a20mm ammunition belt into the loader unit of a close-in weaponsystem.

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Interested in joining the navy? Visit www.forces.ca

By Lieutenant (Navy) Len Hickey

The navy’s efforts to boost its overall numbersare coming to fruition as 49 candidates fromNova Scotia officially joined the service during

a mass enrollment at Canadian Forces Base HalifaxNov. 19.

“Normally the recruiting centre hosts a localceremony once or twice a week with four to sixindividuals,” said Captain Ron Gallant of the CanadianForces Recruiting Centre in Halifax. “Since the begin-ning of this fiscal year we’ve seen a steady increasein applicants who are interested in joining theCanadian Forces. We continue to advertise variousemployment and education options within the militaryand also visit remote locations, but a good numberof enrollees are investigating a military career basedon their own interests.”

It’s no secret that the CF endeavours to attract

Mass enrollment!

bright young men and women to its ranks. The navyis no different as it continues to raise awarenessamong Canadians about the many career opportuni-ties available for technicians.

“Sailor for sailor, ton for ton, no navy can matchwhat Canada sends to sea each and every day,” saidRear-Admiral Paul Maddison, Commander MaritimeForces Atlantic. “These young men and women repre-sent the best Canada has to offer and the future ofthe Canadian Navy in the 21st century.”

Forty-nine candidates from Nova Scotia joined the navy in a massenrollment. Photo: Pte Dan Bard


ACanadian warship slices through the aqua-marine waters of the Caribbean on the look-out for drug smugglers. An admiral from Peru

directs a major naval exercise from the bridge of aCanadian frigate. Sailors of all ranks welcome local dig-nitaries to a reception aboard their ship, tied up along-side in Chile. Emergency food supplies are delivered byship’s helicopter to hurricane-stricken Haiti. What do allof these things have in common? They are all exam-ples of how the Canadian Navy supports Canada’sforeign policy in the Americas.

The Americas (lands of the western hemisphere com-prising the continents of North and South America, withtheir associated islands and regions) is an area ofstrategic domestic and international interest for Canadain terms of trade, immigration, and cultural and socialexchanges. The Government has identified it as aninternational priority and is committed to increasingCanada’s engagement in the region in order to protectand advance Canada’s interests. The Department ofNational Defence (DND) and the Canadian Forces,including the navy, have an important role to play insupporting the Government’s objectives for the region,particularly in the area of security.

“Canada is very much in demand in the Americasand our hemispheric partners want to work with us,”says Patrick Henrichon, Senior Policy Officer for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean at DND. “They see theCanadian Forces as a professional, modern military,from which they can learn.”

Security threats in the region range from drug traffick-ing crimes to health epidemics and natural disasterssuch as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. If theGovernment needs it, the Canadian Navy is trained and

ready to assist in a number of different ways.“The navy is probably the most effective rapid-

response tool that any government has in its inventory,”says Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, Chief of theMaritime Staff. “If you want to have immediate effect,maritime forces can bring that effect to you, measuredin days.”

He explains that shortly after the Government decidedthat it wanted to put greater focus on the Americas, thenavy had modified its operations schedule to devotemore of its assets to activities in Central and SouthAmerica. One of the ways it does this is by participatingin U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency TaskForce South (JIATF-S), an organization that conductscounter-drug detection and monitoring operations in theCaribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Central EasternPacific Ocean and the Central Western Atlantic Oceanthrough the regular deployment of air and maritimeassets.

For the navy, these assets include ships, submarinesand maritime patrol aircraft. “Only navies and air forcescan bring that high level of quality sophisticated surveil-lance to bear in a very wide area,” VAdm McFaddenexplains. He adds that the navy conducts surveillanceonly, and is not involved in law enforcement. Thoseroles are carried out by agencies such as the FBI, theDrug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. CoastGuard.

This fall, HMC Ships Toronto and Calgary workedwith JIATF-S in the Caribbean Basin and the EasternPacific respectively, supporting law enforcement author-ities in ongoing multinational counter-narcotics mis-sions. According to VAdm McFadden, the navy carriesout six or seven similar missions per year, each lasting

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HMCS Montréal off the coast of the Netherlands Antilles

during a deployment to the Caribbean.


several weeks.As part of her three-month deployment to Central and

South America, Calgary also participated in PANAMAX,an annual multinational exercise designed to strengthenthe naval interoperability of nations with security inter-ests in the Panama Canal.

“This deployment gave my officers and crew theopportunity to work in many dynamic, real-world opera-tions, and demonstrate our capabilities alongside ourallies,” explains Calgary’s commanding officer,Commander William Quinn. “During ExercisePANAMAX and drug interdiction operations off thewaters of Central and South America, Calgary’s crewdisplayed a level of professionalism that can only beachieved by extensive training and preparation.”

These comments were echoed by VAdm McFadden,who says that Calgary so impressed other nations thatPeruvian Rear-Admiral Edmundo Deville del Campoand his staff used the ship’s sophisticated commandand control platform to perform much of the sea controlaspects of the entire exercise. “All of it was done inSpanish, supported by Canadians, none of whom wereselected and posted to the ship because of their lan-guage skills,” says VAdm McFadden. “We had severalSpanish-language speakers who were able to success-fully provide the administrative support to the Peruvianrear-admiral and his staff.”

RAdm Deville del Campo was highly complimentaryat the conclusion of the exercise. “I’ve had an excellentimpression overall. I observed a very professional crew,which conforms to a highly trained team. Also, I consid-er HMCS Calgary to be a very good combat platformwhose readiness and maintenance are optimum, which[was] proven during the days we sailed together.”

During the deployment Calgary also conducted diplo-matic visits to a number of ports in Ecuador, Peru, Chileand Mexico, providing a showcase for Canadian indus-trial and technical sophistication. “The ambassadorsuse this as an opportunity to establish contact with local

national members of military, industry and sciencegroups,” says VAdm McFadden. “The ship supportsthis, normally through some sort of reception.”

Due to the many different roles the navy plays sup-porting the government’s policy in the Americas – mar-itime surveillance, exercises with other navies, militaryexchange visits, diplomatic ports of call, humanitarianaid and disaster relief – it needs to be flexible, adapt-able and instantly ready to respond. VAdm McFaddenuses the example of the frigate HMCS St. John’s lastyear. While on counter-drug operations with JIATF-S,the ship was diverted to offer humanitarian assistanceto people in Haiti who had suffered a devastating hurri-cane season. Over 800 people were killed by four con-secutive tropical cyclones (Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike)in August and September.

“St. John’s was the only Canadian Forces assetassigned and she responded within hours,” explainsVAdm McFadden. “The holds of that ship were packedwith humanitarian supplies. Why? Because we knowwe’re sending ships into the Caribbean Basin duringhurricane season. The ship, which was conducting acounter-narcotics operation, has immense flexibility tobe able to turn and provide humanitarian assistance,disaster relief, to Haiti or anywhere else the problemarises. We are prepared. Naval responsiveness andflexibility means that I can shift from that mission set toa different mission set in a heartbeat. Before beingdeployed the ship undertakes training to prepare for alleventualities.”

VAdm McFadden says the navy fully expects to con-tinue its diverse missions in all areas of the Americaswell into the future, helping the Government achieve itsobjectives in the region. “Other countries like us – wehave no empire and we are recognized for having noulterior motive. We can very proudly stand upon thehistoric record of this country. It’s not hard to be proudto be Canadian.”

Air crew from HMCS Toronto’s Sea King helicopter conduct maritimesurveillance operations in the Caribbean Basin.

HMCS Calgary’s commanding officer, Commander William Quinn,left, shares a moment on the bridge with Lieutenant CommanderBruno Leon Torres of Mexico, right, and Lieutenant Jeff Jaskot ofthe U.S. during Exercise PANAMAX.

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HONING SKILLSInternational exercises provide valuable training opportunities

By Lieutenant(Navy) Len Hickey

In late September HMCS Athabaskan, in company with HMC Ships Preserver, Halifax and Montréal, departedHalifax for Exercise Joint Warrior, a large-scale international exercise conducted off the coast of Scotland duringthe month of October.

Joint Warrior, planned and led by the United Kingdom’s Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff, was a multi-war-fare exercise designed to improve interoperability between allied navies and prepare participating crews in theconduct of combined operations during deployments. As one of the largest naval exercises in the world, it incor-porated 18 ships, three submarines and numerous aircraft from six countries.

“Canada’s navy is widely recognized as one of the most professional, interoperable and dependable navies inthe world,” says Commodore Mark Norman, Commander of Canadian Fleet Atlantic. “Participation in complex,international operations like Joint Warrior demonstrates Canada’s capability to make a meaningful contributionto global security and stability.”

Commander Peter Crain, commanding officer of Athabaskan, noted that exercises such as these enableCanadian sailors to hone their maritime warfare skills. “Major international operations present valuable opportu-nities to put our people, our training and our equipment to the test in realistic, demanding situations,” he says.

Left: HMCS Athabaskan boat crew are low-ered to the water for a ship-to-ship per-sonnel transfer.

Above: Commander Peter Crain,commanding officer of HMCS Athabaskan,checks the bearing of the ship.

Photos by Cpl Chris RIngius


Above: A signal operator fromHMCS Athabaskan sends a message to

HMCS Preserver during a replenishment-at-sea.

Top right: A sailor from HMCS Athabaskanclimbs down into a rigid-hulled inflatable boat

during a personnel transfer.

Bottom right: HMC Ships Halifax, Athabaskanand Preserver conduct maneuvers.

HMCS Athabaskan in Scapa Flow off Scotland.


History was made in Esquimalt, B.C., Sept. 30when five foundry workers at FleetMaintenance Facility Cape Breton poured

molten metal into moulds for the Canadian Navy’sCentennial Bell.

The 12-inch bell, normally installed in a frigate ordestroyer, weighs about 90 pounds and will beengraved by artisans in celebration of the Canadian

Naval Centennial. Adding specialmeaning and history to the bell, itwas cast from material collected anddonated to represent the century ofnaval service that the bell celebrates.Included among the artefacts arenavigation tools, cap badges, shell

casings, uniform buttons, boatswains call, ship’s fittingsand equipment and even flammable items such aspieces of uniform, letters and photographs that willvaporize and add essence with the metal items. Theartefacts represent ships, submarines, naval air, andthe men and women of the entire period from 1910 to2010.

“The bell project is one of many events that will con-nect Canadians with their navy this year,” saidCommodore Jennifer Bennett, Commander of Canada’sNaval Reserve. “This bell is special because it is madeof people’s memories and anyone who has contributedto the bell has contributed to its legacy. This legacy is a

Naval heirloomsmelted to createcentennial bell

lasting gift to Canadians, which will honour the past,look at the present, and take the navy into the future.”

Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile, Commander MaritimeForces Pacific, spoke about the importance of bellsthroughout the navy’s history and explained whySeptember had been chosen to pour and cast the bell.“September is significant to the history of the CanadianNavy in two world wars, Korea, the Gulf War and thecurrent campaign against terrorism,” he commented.“The bell, with its decorative rope and artefact book, willbe a permanent reminder to all Canadians that Canadais a maritime nation dependant upon the oceans for ournational prosperity.”

Anational competition to create a bell rope to hang from theCanadian Navy’s Centennial Bell was won by Chief PettyOfficer 2nd Class David Lowther of CFB Esquimalt, B.C.

Both the bell and its accompanying bell rope will be presented tothe people of Canada during a ceremony in Ottawa on May 4, 2010to mark the navy’s 100th birthday.

Making a bell rope requires 60 to 80 hours of labour. Criteria forjudging included the use of the centennial theme, aesthetics and thequality of workmanship. The bell ropes displayed a full range ofcolours and featured creative designs that incorporated nauticalelements ranging from anchors to historic navy photos to the cen-tennial logo. Photo: Paula Tempelaars

Top: The Naval Centennial Bellimmediately after its removal fromthe sand mould used for casting.

Right: Harold Chandler, a worker atFleet Maintenance Facility CapeBreton's foundry, works on the sandmould for the Naval Centennial Bell.

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National competition held tochoose centennial bell rope

Six original paintings portraying nearly 100years of Canadian naval history were unveiledin Ottawa Oct. 15.

The artworks, which cover six key periods of historyincluding the First World War, Second World War,Korean War, Cold War, First Gulf War and theCampaign against Terrorism, were commissioned inpartnership with several Canadian companies andorganizations to highlight the achievements of the navysince its founding on May 4, 1910.

“The navy was born here in Ottawa almost 100 agowhen Sir Wilfrid Laurier guided the Naval Service Act toRoyal Assent in 1910,” said Vice-Admiral DeanMcFadden, Chief of the Maritime Staff. “So it’s entirelyfitting that we unveil here in Ottawa, nearly 100 later,the work of artists who have committed the navy’s storyto canvas.”

Three of the six paintings (Second World War, ColdWar and the Campaign against Terrorism) were createdby marine artist John Horton, who is well known as anhistorian with a passion for accuracy. “We have manyfine artists in this country so I was very honoured tohave three of my paintings selected,” said Mr. Horton.

He painted them over a three-month period, but withpainstaking research involved, it actually took two yearsto finish the work. “I submitted 15 water colour sketchesto the committee to make their selection, and I’m sure itwas a very tough decision.”

Other accomplished artists commissioned to producepaintings were Peter Rindlisbacher (First World War),Douglas Bradford (Korean War), and Richard Rudnicki(First Gulf War).

VAdm McFadden explained that the challenge for theartists was to “capture for all Canadians the story of A lavishly illustrated commemorative coffee table

book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the navywas launched in Ottawa Nov. 16. Edited by MaritimeCommand historian Dr. RichGimblett, The Naval Service ofCanada, 1910-2010, ACentennial Story chronicles afull century of naval servicefrom its origins through to thepresent, and includes a spe-cial section on naval war art.The book incorporates thewritings of eleven contribu-tors, highly regardedauthorities on particular periods ofnaval history. The book is available at majorCanadian retailers.

Navy launches centennial coffee table book


Paintings highlight keyperiods of naval history

Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, left, Chief of the Maritime Staff, andmarine artist John Horton unveil one of the six paintings commis-sioned to highlight the achievements of the Canadian Navy since itsfounding on May 4, 1910.

those who stand watch for Canada, and to capture, in avery real and human way, the essence of great eventswhere our navy made a difference between the worldas it was, and the world not only in which we wished tolive, but that we were prepared to help forge.” “I believethey have firmly succeeded,” he said.

The paintings will be displayed at public venuesacross the country over the coming months, and pro-ceeds from the sale of limited edition prints will go tothe Centennial Fund to enhance the morale and welfareof sailors and their families. Prints can be ordered on-line at www.navy2010giftware.com.

Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden, centre, Chief of the Maritime Staff,joins artists (from left) John Horton, Peter Rindlisbacher, RichardRudnicki and Douglas Bradford after the unveiling of their paintings.

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Feedback is always welcome and can be sent to [email protected]


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Two of the navy’s decommissioned destroyer escorts, Gatineau (above) and Terra Nova, were removed from their berths inDartmouth, N.S., and towed to Pictou, N.S., in mid-November, where they will be dismantled. The job is expected to be finished by fall2010. Gatineau is a Restigouche-class destroyer-escort that served from 1959-1996. She was the second vessel to be commissionedas HMCS Gatineau and also held two battle honours from her namesake ship, which included the Atlantic 1943-44 and Normandy1944. She also had the opportunity to offer a 21-gun salute to Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight Eisenhower on June 26, 1956for the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Gatineau was decommissioned from active service in May 1996. Terra Nova isalso a Restigouche-class destroyer-escort that served from 1959-1997. One of her most recognized contributions was her deploymentwith Operation Friction, the Canadian Forces’ contribution to Operation Desert Storm (the Gulf War) in 1990. Along with the otherships in the Canadian Naval Task Group, Terra Nova undertook escort duties for hospital ships and other vulnerable coalition navalvessels. Terra Nova was decommissioned from active service in July 1997.

It was brought to our attention that the activity por-trayed in a photo at the top of page 5 in the Fall 2009issue of Crowsnest was being conducted without theproper safety measures in place. The individual workingon the close-in weapon system should have beenwearing a full body harness and shock absorbinglanyard, while being hooked off to a suitable anchorage.

We attempt to ensure that all photographs andarticles published in Crowsnest reflect the policies,directives and orders that cover the activities ofthe navy. Regrettably, from time to time, something mayescape our vigilance. Thanks to Gabe Gallant, StaffOfficer General Safety, Formation Safety andEnvironment, Maritime Forces Atlantic, for pointing outthis safety hazard.

An unsafe practiceEditor’s Note

Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, inspects the Royal Guardof Honour during a visit to CFB Esquimalt, B.C., in November.The Prince, who wore a Canadian Navy uniform for the firsttime during his visit, accepted the second clasp to hisCanadian Decoration for 32 years of honorary service in theCanadian Forces.

A Royal visitPhoto: Cpl Pier-Adam Turcotte

Crowsnest Issue 3-4 - Royal Canadian Navy · 2015. 6. 2. · Crowsnest Vol. 3, No. 4 Winter 2009...

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Transcript of Crowsnest Issue 3-4 - Royal Canadian Navy · 2015. 6. 2. · Crowsnest Vol. 3, No. 4 Winter 2009...