Forty members of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) Fraser received a first-hand experience of naval life and operations during a visit to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt on May 20, 2014.
The corps was accompanied throughout the day by members of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and shown a variety of units and vessels. Also touring the base was a group of over thirty cadets of the New Zealand Sea Cadet Corps, having recently arrived from a welcoming tour in Vancouver hosted by their Canadian counterparts.
Beginning their day with a tour of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Yellowknife, the corps continued with a tour of Wolf and Orca, two Orca-class patrol training craft as well as the Fleet Diving Unit (FDU). But perhaps the highlight of their day was a tour of the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Winnipeg. Having recently undergone extensive maintenance and upgrade work under the Frigate Life Extension (FELEX)/Halifax Class Modernization (HCM) project, the corps was given a first-hand opportunity to witness the vessel’s new and improved combat and engineering systems, including a state-of-the-art damage and fire control system. A tour of Winnipeg’s small arms locker and a demonstration of the various firearms used by members of her naval boarding party (NBP), including a C7 rifle and an MP5 submachine gun, from Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Carnegie, Winnipeg’s Chief Boatswain’s Mate, engaged the cadets in some of the more exciting operational features of the navy.
[mappress] Press Release, June 04, 2014; Image: Canadian Navy