RCSCC ''Calgary'' is a Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps located in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

that has trained youth aged 12–18 in the

Royal Canadian Sea Cadets The Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (RCSC; ) is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Armed Forces and the civilian Navy League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, the program is funded through the Department of Nati ...

program since 1991.

Background

The corps was formed in 1991 by Lieutenant(N) Bill Saddington and Lt(N) Robert Newton. The corps name was chosen to commemorate the first , a

Flower-class corvette The Flower-class corvetteGardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 62. (also referred to as the ''Gladiolus'' class after the lead ship) was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine ...

commissioned 16 December 1941, and paid off 15 June 1945. The corps is affiliated with the current (II), a commissioned into the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

on 12 May 1995.

Training program

Cadets in RCSCC ''Calgary'' are enrolled in the

and complete a four-year training program in seamanship, marksmanship, sailing, drill, leadership and instructional technique. The program is supervised by

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

officers of the

Cadet Instructors Cadre The Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC; ) consists of approximately 7,500 Canadian Forces (CF) training officers. The branch is the largest single group within the Canadian Forces reserve force subcomponent Cadet Organizations Administration and Traini ...

. Many cadets have the opportunity to participate in summer training camps, exchanges and cruises aboard

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 ...

and

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...

vessels.

Notable events

The corps' official birthday is 22 May 1991. This is the date a warrant was granted to operate the corps by the

Navy League of Canada The Navy League of Canada () is a nonprofit organization founded in 1895 and incorporated in 1918. Originally formed to promote maritime issues to Canadians, the Navy League is the non-governmental partner of the Department of National Defence an ...

. In 1995, RCSCC ''Calgary'' travelled to

CFB Esquimalt Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (CFB Esquimalt) is the Royal Canadian Navy's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. , 4,411 military personnel and 2,762 civilians ...

where they were the first Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps to hold an annual inspection on board a . The corps has subsequently maintained a close relationship with , visiting again in 2002, 2005 for the tenth anniversary of the ship's commissioning, and in 2012. in June 2016, RCSCC ''Calgary'' recognized its 25th anniversary providing the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet program to the youth of Calgary at an event held at

The Military Museums The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006. The new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated N ...

. The guest of honour for the 25th anniversary was former Prime Minister

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is to date the only prime minister to have come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ser ...

. As an anniversary project, cadets researched the museum and archive holdings on

HMCS Calgary (K231) HMCS ''Calgary'' was a Royal Canadian Navy revised which took part in convoy escort duties during the Second World War. Launched on 23 August 1941, she was named for Calgary, Alberta. The ship was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy o ...

Sponsor

RCSCC ''Calgary'' is sponsored by the Bow Valley Branch of the

. The Navy League is responsible for recruiting cadets and CIC officers, supporting the implementation of the corps training program, supporting optional training activities, providing training facilities, providing insurance, and managing funds for the corps.

Badge

The badge of RCSCC ''Calgary'' is similar to the badge used by the Canadian Patrol Frigate, with the name plate and maple leaf changed to reflect its use by a Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps. Designed by Surgeon Commander W. McLean RCNR, the badge's heraldic description is: ''Or, a bend wavy azure charged with a like bendlet argent. In front across the centre of a bow stringed fess-wise, and arrow point upwards in pale, both sable.'' The gold background of the badge indicates the wheat of the Prairies. The blue and white bend and the bow together symbolize the

Bow River The headwaters of the Bow River in Alberta, Canada, start at the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake (Alberta), Bow Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Rocky Mountains. The glacial stream that feeds Bow Lake (Alberta), Bow Lake ...

that flows through

, while the bow and arrow also represent the First Nations of the area.

Motto

RCSCC ''Calgary'' shares the motto Onward with its affiliated unit,

HMCS Calgary Several Canadian naval units have been named HMCS ''Calgary''. * (I), a that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic. * (II), a commissioned into the Canadian Forces on 12 May 1995. Battle honours * Atlantic, 1942 ...

. The motto was adopted from its use by The City of Calgary

Number

RCSCC ''Calgary'' was originally formed with corps number 315. In 1995, Commanding Officer Lt(N) Robert Newton petitioned the Navy League and the Canadian Forces to change the corps number to 335, to reflect the hull number of the new

Vessels

RCSCC ''Calgary'' operates a Sirius 21 class sailing yacht, SV ''Arrow''. Donated in 2003, the vessel was manufactured by Vandestadt and McGruer Ltd. in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. SV ''Arrow'' operates primarily on the Glenmore Reservoir in Calgary. While sailing as crew of the 21-foot vessel, cadets learn to maneuver under sail, conduct man overboard rescue drills, and anchor the vessel.

Commanding officers

*Lieutenant(N) Bill Saddington CD 1991-1994 *Lieutenant(N) Robert Newton CD 1994-1997 *A/Lieutenant Commander Douglas Bourne 1997-2000 *A/Lieutenant-Commander Gregg Hatton-Fernley CD 2000-2002 *Lieutenant(N) Geoffrey Kneller 2002-2005 *Lieutenant(N) Robert Newton CD 2005-2007 *Lieutenant(N) Sylvain Bouliane CD 2007-2011 *Lieutenant(N) Dan Barnfield 2011-2014 *Lieutenant(N) Geoffrey Kneller CD 2014–2018 *Lieutenant(N) Jodi Hunter CD 2018-2022 *Captain Kirk Campbell CD 2022–2025 *Lieutenant(N) Robert Newton CD AdeC 2025-present

References

{{reflist Canadian Cadet organizations