The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, ) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is force generation of sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, including domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the RCN's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.
History Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (1914–1918)
Canada's modern Naval Reserve finds its origins with the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) created on 14 May 1914 under the provisions of Naval Service Act. Organised into Atlantic, Lake and Pacific subcommands, 8,000 Canadians enlisted for service in the RNCVS during the First World War. Agreeing to serve in wartime with either the RCN or the British Royal Navy, members of the RNCVR crewed 160 vessels, patrolling the shores of Canada and conducting convoy escort duties. The RNCVR was extinguished four years later and its personnel demobilized following the end of the war in 1918.
Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (1923–1945)
In 1923, the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was stood up and under the command of Rear-Admiral Walter Hose who authorized the creation of NRDs in every major Canadian city. In 1941 Naval Reserve divisions were granted the designations ‘His Majesty’s Canadian ships’ and received its own command and a seat on the Naval Board. The new naval reserve establishment formed a robust reserve force building popular support amongst Canadians for the fledgling Canadian Navy. During the Second World War, the RCNVR became the backbone of the Canadian Navy, recruiting officers and sailors for the Navy. By the end of the war, Canada possessed the third-largest navy in the world, with a complement of nearly 100,000. Most of these men and women were members of the RCNVR.
Naval Reserve (1945–1968) With the end of the Second World War, the Naval Reserve was formed in 1945 replacing the RCNVR. Expected to maintain the same level of skill as the Regular Force, training and pay for reservists was equalised. Focused on minesweeping, escort, and coastal patrol; each division mirrored its organisation, training and crew with all officer branches and non-commissioned trades across the fleet. Despite successfully expanding the University Naval Training Division (UNTD), forming a dedicated 'Commanding Officer, Naval Divisions' command in 1953 and attaching various tender craft to NRDs; the Naval Reserve experienced suffered a decline in skill due to focusing on generalist skills and lack of opportunities to sea-going ships leading up to the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968.
Canadian Forces Naval Reserve (1968–1990) With the unification of the Canadian Forces, the Naval Reserve was renamed the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve and years of decline set in. With no combat capability, except the Naval Reserve Naval Control of Shipping (NCS) program, the Naval Reserve lost political advocacy and was left out of any formal role in the Canadian Forces defence structure. Left outside the Canadian Forces structure, the Naval Reserve would rely on new and unique ways of keeping relevant during the Cold War years. With the UNTD program shuttered, for example, NRDs worked to expand their recruiting numbers by employing students at local level, and force generating sailors initially trained at the unit level to serve on major warships. Years of decline was finally ended with Canada's 1987 White Paper on defence policy Challenge and Commitments.
Canadian Forces Naval Reserve (1990–2001) With more integration of the Primary Reserve into the 'Total Force Concept' as outlined by the 1987 Defence White Paper, and then confirmed in the 1994 follow-up white paper, the NAVRES was tasked with providing niche capabilities to assist the Regular Force. One such task undertaken by the NAVRES was to spearhead enhancing RCN mine countermeasures operation capabilities and by crewing twelve new s, that since their introduction in 1996, have significantly contributed to Canadian maritime security and allied commitments, both domestically and internationally. The NAVRES was additionally tasked with maintaining standing port inspection diver teams, supporting regional dive centres and supplying four non-standing port security units and four naval co-operation and guidance for shipping (the former NCS, now NCAGS) units.
Mission The mission of the NAVRES is to generate trained individuals and teams for CAF operations, including domestic safety operations as well as security and defence missions, while at the same time supporting the RCN's efforts in connecting with Canadians through the maintenance of a broad national presence.
The tasks of the NAVRES is to:
Respond to domestic safety operations with trained sailors and small boat expertise. Provide specific unique skill sets for security missions for the RCN. Augment the fleet on any platform or shore capacity for defence missions, both at home and abroad. Provide the linkage for the RCN to local communities.
NAVRES fills a number of roles within the Total Force Plan. In addition to augmenting the Regular Force, naval reservists form diving units and public relations units such as the National Band of the Naval Reserve.
Organization
Naval Reserve Headquarters Located in Quebec City at the Pointe-à-Carcy Naval Complex, Naval Reserve Headquarters (NAVRESHQ) oversees the operation of all 24 NRDs across Canada. Co-located with NAVRESHQ is NRD HMCS Montcalm, Naval Fleet School (Quebec) (NFS(Q)) and the Naval Museum of Quebec - Stanislas-Déry Naval Museum.
Naval Reserve divisions
Organized into 24 shore-based NRDs, Naval Reserve units are dedicated to training sailors to augment the Regular Force as well as functioning as local recruitment centres for the RCN and NAVRES. Staffed by a small cadre of full-time reservists and Regular Force members to coordinate training and administration, operations at NRDs and dependent units are conducted year-round with reservists frequently deploying on operations and training courses during the summer season.
+Naval Reserve divisions (lineage and associated dependent units) CityPre-1941From 1941 to 19661967–presentSaint John Moncton - Satellite Saint John Company
Saint John Half-Company
Saint John DivisionHMCS Brunswicker - Moncton Tender (2019)St John'sHMCS Cabot OttawaOttawa Half-Company
Ottawa Division HMCS Carleton - North Bay Tender [1955–1958]KingstonKingston Division HMCS Cataraqui - Naval Air Squadron VC-921 [1953–1964]Chicoutimi WinnipegWinnipeg Company Winnipeg Division HMCS Chippawa RimouskiHMCS d'Iberville [1952–1961] VancouverNo. 2 (Vancouver) Company
Vancouver Half-Company
Vancouver DivisionHMCS Discovery MontrealMontreal (English) Half-Company [1923–1928]
Montreal (French) Half-Company [1923–1928]
Montreal Company [1928–1934]
Montreal Division [1934–1940]
Cartier Division [1939–1940]HMCS Montreal [1941–1943] HMCS Donnacona
HMCS Cartier [1941–1945]Thunder BayPort Arthur Half-Company HMCS Griffon WindsorWindsor Half-Company (1940)HMCS Hunter Sept-Îles VictoriaNo. 1 Half-Company [1914–1918]HMCS Malahat - Naval Air Squadron VC-922 [1953–1964]Quebec CityQuebec Half-Company
Quebec DivisionHMCS Montcalm - Naval Air Squadron VC-923 [1954–1964]EdmontonEdmonton Half-Company
Edmonton DivisionHMCS Nonsuch [1941–1964] LondonLondon Division HMCS Prevost [1941–1964] ReginaRegina Half-Company
Regina DivisionHMCS Queen [1941–1964] CharlottetownCharlottetown Half-Company
Charlottetown DivisionHMCS Queen Charlotte [1941–1964] Trois-Rivières HalifaxHalifax Half-Company
Halifax DivisionHMCS Haligonian [1943–1946]
HMCS Scotian HamiltonHMCS Patriot [1956–1966]HamiltonHamilton Volunteer Naval Company
Hamilton Naval Brigade
Hamilton Naval Company
Hamilton Half-Company
Hamilton DivisionHMCS Star - Kitchener Tender [1954–1964]- Kitchener Tender CalgaryCalgary Half-Company
Calgary Division HMCS Tecumseh - Naval Air Squadron VC-924 [1954–1964]SaskatoonSaskatoon Half-Company HMCS Unicorn TorontoToronto Naval Company
Toronto Company
Toronto CompanyHMCS York - Naval Air Squadron VC-920 [1953–1964]Corner Brook [1953-1958]Prince RupertHMCS Chatham [1942-1964]
Notes:
Naval Security Team
The Naval Security Team (NST) is a modular, scalable, flexible, and deployable naval team primarily composed of naval reservists, with Regular Force members rounding out the team when required. Tasked with providing enhanced force protection and security of deployed RCN ships and personnel at home or overseas, the NST deployed for the first time in 2017 providing force protection for during her port visit to Busan, South Korea. Headquartered at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt the NST reports directly to the Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific
National Band of the Naval Reserve
Each summer, musicians from the five NRDs come together to form the National Band of the Naval Reserve (NBNR). During the summer months the NBNR is a full-time touring military band composed of musicians from , , , , and .
Equipment As of 2019, naval reserve divisions (NRDs) across Canada primarily operate various types of inboard and outboard rigid-hull inflatable boats in addition to Defender-class boats operated by the NST. Most particularly, NAVRES is tasked with providing the personnel for the s and Naval Security Team (NST).
Personnel Naval reservists are individuals who are otherwise engaged in civilian careers while pursuing a military career in the CAF with NAVRES as an officer or non-commissioned member. They train and work for the Navy in the evenings, on weekends and during the summer period, in an occupation of their choice. They can be students, teachers, lawyers, delivery persons, secretaries, or other members of society. 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.
Throughout their career, sailors may serve in three classes of service:
Class A (part-time); Class B (full-time non-operational); or Class C (full-time operational).
Training Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. They usually begin training with their home unit to ensure that they meet the required basic professional military standards, followed by basic training at Camp Vimy at CFB Valcartier, Quebec.
Naval Fleet School (Quebec) (NFS(Q)) is the RCN's school dedicated to training reservists at various points of their careers and serving as the CAF centre of excellence for coastal and littoral warfare training. For at sea training, the Orca-class patrol vessels are primarily used to facilitate numerous one-to-six-week long at-sea training evolutions for training for reserve sailors. A class of eight steel-hulled training and surveillance vessels, the Orca-class patrol vessels are located at Patrol Craft Training Unit Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt.
Naval Reserve occupations The Canadian Armed Forces lists 36 occupations that are performed by either officer or non-commissioned members of the Naval Reserve. Many occupations—such as intelligence officer— are common across all three environments, while others—such as naval communicator—are specifically Navy. , the following occupations are listed as Naval Reserve occupations:
Anesthesiologist (Medical Specialist) Biomedical Electronics Technologist Boatswain Chaplain Communicator Research Operator Cook Financial Services Administrator General Surgeon (Medical Specialist) Health Care Administration Officer Human Resources Administrator Imagery Technician Intelligence Officer Intelligence Operator Internal Medicine Specialist (Medical Specialist) Legal Officer Logistics Officer Marine Technician