HMCS ''Brunswicker'' is a
Canadian Forces Naval Reserve
The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) 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, in ...
Division (NRD) located in
Saint John,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. Dubbed a
stone frigate
A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land.
"Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...
, HMCS ''Brunswicker'' is a land-based naval training establishment crewed by part-time sailors and also serves as a local recruitment centre for the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve and the
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). It is one of
24 naval reserve divisions located in major cities across
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
History
Established in 1923 as a full company of 100 sailors of the
Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR), in 1927 the division was reduced to a half-company of 50, training sailors in basic seamanship skills such as semaphore and rope work throughout the interwar period.
Commissioned as ''HMCS Brunswicker'' in 1941, during the Second World War ''Brunswicker'' served as the primary recruiting and training establishment for the RCN in the province of New Brunswick in an annex of the Barrack Green Armoury in South Saint John. In 1995 a new facility situated on the city waterfront was built for the division.
On June 6, 2019 ''Brunswicker'' expanded to open a satellite sub-unit in
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. The ...
, New Brunswick and on December 2019 ''Brunswicker'' was awarded with the Fenco-MacLaren Trophy by the Commander of the Naval Reserve for its innovative support to the Naval Reserve's core mission of recruiting and retention with the opening of the satellite location.
Today, ''Brunswicker'' trains sailors and teams for
Canadian Armed Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
(CAF) domestic and international operations, while at the same time supporting the Navy's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence. Reservists employed at ''Brunswicker'' are individuals who are otherwise engaged in full-time civilian careers while pursuing a part-time military career as an officer or non-commissioned member. They train and work for the Navy in the evenings, on weekends and during the summer period. Most serve on a part-time basis, with no obligation to participate in any mission overseas. However, many full-time employment opportunities and deployments are available to those Reservists who volunteer for them.
References
{{Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Naval Reserve
The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) 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, inc ...
Military units and formations of Canada in World War II
Organizations based in New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick