HMCS ''Unicorn'' is a

Canadian Forces Naval Reserve The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, ) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, including: domestic safety operati ...

division (NRD) in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, Saskatchewan. Dubbed a

stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. 'Stone frigate' is an informal term which has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy (RN), after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the First French ...

, ''Unicorn'' is a land-based naval training establishment crewed by part-time sailors and also serves as a local recruitment centre for 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 ...

(RCN). It is one of 24 naval reserve divisions in major cities across Canada.

Namesake

Warships bearing the name were part of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

dating back to 1544.

History

HMCS ''Unicorn'' is a Naval Reserve Division of the Royal Canadian Navy based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Established on 27 April 1923 as the Saskatoon Half-Company Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) under the command of First World War veteran Lieutenant John McEown, ''Unicorn'' has been a cornerstone of Saskatoon for nearly a century. ''Unicorn'' was first quartered in the downtown Armoury at 152 Spadina Avenue, moving to the British Empire Service League building 403 21st Street East at the corner of 21st Street and 4th Avenue in June 1930. In 1934, the burgeoning ship's company moved again, to 378 1st Avenue North the corner of 1st Avenue and 25th Street to a former car dealership and garage. In 1935 was renamed The Saskatoon Division RCNVR. The ship moved to its present location in 1943, 405 24th Street East, when a purpose-built brown brick building with white trim became Saskatoon's stone frigate at the corner of 4th Avenue and 24th Street, across from City Hall. On 1 November 1941 the unit was commissioned as HMCS ''Unicorn'', and in 1948 it received is official badge. In 1941, the Saskatoon Half-Company was commissioned as a land-based ship and named after one of the first vessels to enter

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of Saline water, saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of . It is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast o ...

in search of the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...

in 1619. Bearing a badge depicting a unicorn with wings, ''Unicorn'' maintains its uniqueness among other naval reserve divisions. The badge was adopted in 1948 from the Royal Navy, which often added wings to its badges after a particularly arduous endeavour. The ship's company played an active part in the life of Saskatoon and the surrounding communities, fielding sports teams, hosting public events and even helping with harvest. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, ''Unicorn'' became a focal point for the Royal Canadian Navy's wartime efforts in Saskatoon, becoming a naval recruiting centre. 3,573 officers and non-commissioned members enlisted and received their initial training on board. ''Unicorn'' continues to play a prominent role in Saskatoon. Members of the ship's company have served with the Canadian Forces in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, Namibia and southwest Africa, Cyprus, the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

, Germany, Great Britain, France, Holland, the United States, in the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, and in every Canadian province. Both in 1950 and 1997, members of ''Unicorn'' volunteered to assist with efforts to cope with the flooding of

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

's Red River. Closer to home, ''Unicorn'' helped deal with flooding in the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The river begins at the confluence of the Bow River, Bow and Oldman Rivers in southern Alberta and ends at the Saskatchewan River Forks in ce ...

valley and have aided local protective services in operations on the river. The unit has provided safety boats to community boating events, with the ship's nine-pounder gun often used to start the final races. Members of the ship's company have even spent weekends in a life raft tethered to one of Saskatoon's bridges to raise money for local crisis shelters. In 2019, ''Unicorn'' was awarded the Commodore's Cup for best overall naval reserve division in Canada. The ship's company was recognized for its community involvement in the wake of the

Humboldt Broncos bus crash On April 6, 2018, 16 people were killed and 13 were injured when a northbound Coach (bus), coach bus struck a westbound semi-trailer truck that blew through a stop sign near Armley, Saskatchewan, Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada. The driver of th ...

and for its service to the

Ronald McDonald House Charities Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC has a global network of ...

Bands

''Unicorn'' maintained a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...

in the 1960s, as a result of the reorganization of

Canadian military bands Canadian military bands are a group of personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) that performs musical duties for military functions. Military bands form a part of the Band Branch (Canadian Forces), Music Branch of the CAF, composed of six ful ...

. Its foundation came from the disbanding of the 23rd Wing Band and the Kinsmen Concert Band. The band is the descendant of what is today the Saskatoon Concert Band. Another band, founded in October 1995 by a member of the

National Band of the Naval Reserve The National Band of the Naval Reserve (NBNR) () is a Canadian military bands, military band of the Royal Canadian Navy currently based in the Naval Museum of Quebec at the Naval Reserve Headquarters (NAVRESHQ) of the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve ...

in Halifax, is the Stone Frigate Big Band, which was created by Louis Christ as a way to bring

military music A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

HMCS ''Unicorn'' Memorial

File:HMCS Unicorn, 4th Ave N, Saskatoon (505697) (25486566434).jpg File:HMCS Unicorn Anchor (35909582826).jpg File:HMCS Unicorn, 4th Ave N, Saskatoon (505696) (25818488200).jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hmcs Unicorn Royal Canadian Naval Reserve Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Organizations based in Saskatoon Military history of Saskatchewan Organizations established in 1923 1923 establishments in Saskatchewan