Canadian Navy officers renovate Homes of Hope
Navy personnel from Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver took time off normal duties to help renovate the Homes of Hope dormitory and staff cottage on Thursday.
Sixty two Canadian Naval Officers worked from the early hours of the morning till the afternoon to ensure the dormitory and staff cottage was fully renovated.
The officers dressed in black with safety boots and hats painted and cleaned the dormitory, staff cottage and also cleaned the farm.
And close to 100 personnel from Canada’s Naval Security Team (NST) are based at the RFNS Viti, Navy Training Base in Togalevu. They had arrived more than a week ago aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force.
The HMCS Vancouver had arrived in Suva, Fiji on the final port visit of its Operation PROJECTION Asia-Pacific deployment before carrying on to the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise next month.
HMCS Vancouver, a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) frigate based out of Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada has visited several ports in the Asia-Pacific region in order to enhance relationships in the region. Joining HMCS Vancouver for this port visit is the Commander Naval Reserve, Commodore Marta Mulkins.
HMCS Vancouver is conducting this port visit in Fiji as part of Canada’s engagement in the region.
During the port visit, Canadian sailors interacted with civilians and local counterparts to promote co-operation and friendship. A work party of 62 volunteers from the ship’s company visited Homes of Hope and helped out with maintenance, landscaping, and painting.
Homes of Hope is a voluntary organisation which operates residential and communitybased programmes in Fiji and the South Pacific.
Petty Officer first class Stephen Rownd said the reason they had chosen Homes of Hope for their assistance project was because it shared the same values and sentiments as Canada on women’s rights and equality. He said part of their group’s mission was to go around the Pacific countries to engage in the communities and assist as required. “We came up with the idea to assist Homes of Hope because we love what they are doing for the young women,” Mr Rownd said. “Their values are shared not only on the campus of Homes of Hope, but it’s some of the values that we share as Canadians. “We want to be able to support them and our allied nations as we travel throughout the Pacific.
“Homes of Hope is our assistance project in Fiji which was very satisfactory to see as we worked throughout for the young women. “I did a lot of research before we planned on the project and one of the biggest issues in Fiji as per the research was women’s equality and women’s rights.
“It is a big issue that goes throughout the world as well.
“One of the things we wanted to do was to impart our values too.
“Women’s rights and equality even affects Canadians as well; not near to this extent, but it is something that we value and share in our work towards building an equal society here in Fiji and throughout the Pacific,” Mr Rownd added.
Homes of Hope social services team leader Alita Waqabaca said the Home was supportive of the assistance provided by the officers. Fact File During its deployment on Operation PROJECTION Asia-Pacific, HMCS Vancouver’s crew of approximately 220 sailors are well-trained to work with international partners in improving security, stability and promoting peace in the region.
• HMCS Vancouver is a Halifax-class frigate. Halifax-class frigates carry extensive anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare weapons and sensors to complement their substantial anti-air warfare defences. The combination of these weapon and sensors systems, coupled with state of the art damage control and machinery control systems, make frigates one of the most advanced warship designs in the world.
• Canada’s Halifax-class frigates have been deployed extensively to deal with a wide range of domestic and international security challenges, including the threats of terrorism, illegal resource exploitation, pollution and fisheries violations, narcotics trafficking, and illegal immigration.
They have also enforced Canadian sovereignty, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, supported Search and Rescue operations, and defended Canada’s broader national interests abroad.