As some of you may know, your local Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps 347 Avenger recently took a five day trip to Nova Scotia.
Of course, large trips like this cost quite a bit of money and with that being said, on behalf of 347 Avenger, I would like to thank everybody who donated money towards our trip. We wouldn’t have been able to go without your generous donations.
You are probably wondering what we did during our five days on the east coast. Well, after the extremely long series of flights and layovers, we landed in Halifax at roughly 2 am on May 4, and yes I do mean Atlantic Time.
On the first day of our trip, we went to the Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic. Most of us cadets have been to the Fleet Diving Unit Pacific, so it was nice to be able to compare the two. We then went to the Shearwater Aviation Museum. Yes, we are sea cadets, and yes we went to an aviation museum. It was more about the aircraft that landed on the ships, so actually quite interesting. The last thing we did on day one was go to see the Sea Kings. For those of you who don’t know, they’re basically just big helicopters. You’ll never guess who led our tour: Ashcroft’s very own Major Rob Truscott. While we were there, we found out that two cadets, Griffin Aie and Cody Lambert, were chosen to fly in the Sea King during the Battle of the Atlantic ceremonies, which is a once in a life time opportunity.
On day two, our first stop was the Maritime Museum, where we got to roam around and explore the exhibits. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, so you can imagine how interesting the museum was. While we were there, we were a part of the Memorial Service for the Merchant Navy. This was an experience of a life time as well. Talking to veterans, hearing their stories and jokes, and shaking their hands, will never get old. After the ceremony we made our way to Peggy’s Cove. I will never be able to explain how amazing it was in words. Peggy’s cove is a beautiful place and I recommend you all go there at some point in your life. It is definitely something to put on your bucket list.
Our last day in Halifax was the day of the Battle of the Atlantic Ceremony, the whole reason for our trip. During the ceremony, those of us who weren’t flying on the Sea King were on HMCS Sackville. We got a tour of the ship, talked to more veterans, and watched the burial at sea. The cadets who were on the Sea King dropped the wreath into the ocean for the ceremony. After we got back to port, we were offered a tour of the Ville de Quebec, which is a huge naval warship.
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Newman’s favorite parts of the trip were the tour of the Ville de Quebec and Peggy’s Cove. Petty Officer 2nd Class Curran liked the HMCS Sackville and Peggy’s Cove. Petty Officer 2nd Class Douglas enjoyed the plane ride and Peggy’s Cove. Petty Officer 1st Class Mckenna’s favorite was Peggy’s Cove and exploring downtown Halifax. Master Seaman Lambert and Leading Seaman Aie of course liked flying in the Sea King and Peggy’s Cove. Master Seaman Host enjoyed where we stayed and the plane ride. Personally, my favorite part was talking to veterans and Peggy’s Cove.
Once again I’d like to give a big thanks to everyone who donated money to our trip. As you can see it was money well spent and something the cadets with never forget.
Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriele Johannsson