ALAN ROWLANDS/CANADIAN FORCES MARITIME COMMAND

Submarines: Canada’s underwater prospects foundering

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

There has been little progress on replacing Canada’s aging fleet of navy submarines, only one of which has been to sea in several years, according to statistics provided to Legion Magazine by the Department of National Defence.

While talk of nuclear replacements has been just that—talk—only one of the country’s four Victoria-class subs, HMCS Windsor, has hit the water since 2021, logging 43 days in 2022 and 14 in 2023.

The navy has acknowledged it’s short of sailors. It says it takes 503 submariners to run the fleet. It acquired 140 between 2019 and 2022 and only half had completed basic qualifications by October 2023.

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WIKIMEDIA

The Victoria Cross recipient behind Toronto’s Barron Road

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

Driving along Barron Road in a cozy suburban corner of Toronto, the surrounding landmarks— brick homes, gas stations and a Jehovah’s Witness hall—don’t hold any particularly unique quality. What many may not know about this quaint, little roadway, however, is the veteran its named for.

At just 24 years old, Colin Fraser Barron was awarded the Victoria Cross, along with many other honours, for his quick thinking during the Battle of Passchendaele on Nov. 6, 1917. One of the few Canadian VC recipients to also attend Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, Barron’s actions were integral for allowing the 1st Canadian Division to advance to Ypres, Belgium during the First World War.

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