Doreen Patterson Reitsma (December 12, 1927 – April 30, 2000) was the first woman from

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

to enter Canada's newly created Postwar Women's Division of the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

. She began her basic training on October 2, 1951, at in

Cornwallis, Nova Scotia Cornwallis Park is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County. As of the 2021 census, the population was 488, an increase of 1.9% from 2016. History The community is located on the western edge of Cleme ...

. She was trained as an elite radio intelligence operator for the wireless communications base at HMC NRS Coverdale. Coverdale was located near the city of

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

and was part of the Canada-USA Atlantic High Frequency Direction Finding Network responsible for the collection of military intelligence. Ms. Patterson was chosen to serve a term at the Naval Radio Station at

Churchill, Manitoba Churchill is a subarctic port town in northern Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Hudson Bay, roughly from the Manitoba–Nunavut border. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leadi ...

in 1953–54. Here, she was part of a special force of eleven Wrens trained to live and work in extreme weather conditions. These Wrens are recognized as the only women in the Royal Canadian Navy's history to have ever served at the base in Churchill. On January 26, 1955, Doreen Patterson helped inspire Prime Minister

Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent (; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading la ...

and his cabinet to create a permanent and fully integrated regular force for women in the Royal Canadian Navy. This date not only marked an important milestone for women, but was considered to be an historic "first" in the British

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

. It also helped open the door for thousands of Canadian women to follow in her footsteps. Ms. Patterson, in part, credited Mrs.

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

with giving her the inspiration to achieve her accomplishment after a meeting with the former First Lady at the

Hotel Vancouver The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, formerly and still informally called the Hotel Vancouver, is a historic hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located along West Georgia Street the hotel is situated within the city's Financial District, in Downto ...

, where Doreen had worked in the 1940s. Doreen Patterson was born and raised in Vancouver. She attended Lord Kitchener Elementary School,

Point Grey Secondary School Point Grey Secondary School (), previously called Point Grey Secondary School, is a public secondary school located in the Kerrisdale and Shaughnessy neighbourhoods of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. History Designed by Fred Townley and M ...

, and

Lord Byng Secondary School Lord Byng Secondary School is a Public education, public secondary school located in the West Point Grey neighbourhood on the west side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It opened in 1925 and was named in honour of the then Governor Gener ...

. She was a member of the

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

Choir of British Columbia throughout her youth, and was a member of the

Daughters of Rebekah The Daughters of Rebekah, also known as the Rebekahs and the International Association of Rebekah Assemblies, is an international service-oriented organization and a branch of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. As the Independent Order of Odd ...

for nearly 40 years. She was married twice, adopted two children, was a daughter of Charles Bruce Patterson and Elva Eleanore (Elliott) Patterson of

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, and was a granddaughter of Dugald Campbell Patterson and Frances Mabel (Webb) Patterson, of

Burnaby, British Columbia Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard ...

, Canada. At retirement, Patterson Reitsma moved to

Ladner, British Columbia Ladner is a part of the City of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. Named for Thomas and William Ladner, who came to the area in 1868 ...

, a suburb of Vancouver.

External links

"Doreen Patterson, First B.C. Girl to Enlist in New Wren Organization"
The Vancouver Sun Newspaper, May 16, 1952, Page 8.

The History of Metropolitan Vancouver, Hall of Fame Section, Book and Website, By Chuck Davis.
The Cornwallis Military Museum

Doreen Patterson Reitsma, Memorial Tribute
The Vancouver Courier Newspaper, April 30, 2010, page EW 41. Royal Canadian Navy personnel 1927 births 2000 deaths Canadian female military personnel People from Vancouver {{Canada-mil-bio-stub