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 WWI. Agreeing to serve in wartime with either the RCN or the British Royal Navy,^[2] members of the RNCVR crewed 160 vessels, patrolling the shores of Canada and conducting convoy escort duties.^[3] The RNCVR was extinguished four years later and its personnel demobilized following the end of the war in 1918.

The Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve at the QF 4-inch gun emplacement near Ferguson Point, Stanley Park, Vancouver. - Aug 1914

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 or Her Majesty’s Canadian ships’ and received its own command and a seat on the Naval Board.^[4] 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.

Lieut C A Burke, RCNVR (Far Left), with Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve officers after engaging a group of German E Boats in the North Sea in 1943

Walter Hose Monument, Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia

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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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 Kingston-class coastal defence vessels, 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.^[6]

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. Manned 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.

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.^[10] 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 HMCS Winnipeg during her port visit to Busan, South Korea.^[11][12] Headquartered at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt the NST reports directly to the Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific

A naval reservist from HMCS Star in Hamilton, Ontario, directs another member during NST workup training prior to deploying to Korea in 2017.

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 HMCS Chippawa, Donnacona, Montcalm, Star, Tecumseh and York.

Member of the NBNR speaking at a community event in 2011

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.^[15][16] 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.^[17] 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.^[18]

US Master Chief Dee Allen, command master chief of Carrier Strike Group 2, operates a 40 mm Bofors gun at NFS(Q) small arms trainer in 2012.

Naval Reserve occupations

The Canadian Armed Forces lists 36 occupations that are performed by either officer or non-commissioned members of the Naval Reserve.^[19] Many occupations—such as intelligence officer— are common across all three environments, while others—such as naval communicator—are specifically Navy. As of October 2020, the following occupations are listed as Naval Reserve occupations:

1. Anesthesiologist (Medical Specialist)
2. Biomedical Electronics Technologist
3. Boatswain
4. Chaplain
5. Communicator Research Operator
6. Cook
7. Financial Services Administrator  
8. General Surgeon (Medical Specialist)
9. Health Care Administration Officer
10. Human Resources Administrator
11. Imagery Technician
12. Intelligence Officer
13. Intelligence Operator
14. Internal Medicine Specialist (Medical Specialist)
15. Legal Officer
16. Logistics Officer
17. Marine Technician
18. Materiel Management Technician
19. Medical Officer
20. Medical Technician
21. Military Police
22. Military Police Officer
23. Musician
24. Naval Combat Information Operator
25. Naval Communicator
26. Naval Warfare Officer
27. Nursing Officer
28. Orthopedic Surgeon (Medical Specialist)
29. Personnel Selection Officer
30. Pharmacy Officer
31. Physician Assistant
32. Physiotherapy Officer
33. Port Inspection Diver
34. Public Affairs Officer
35. Radiologist (Medical Specialist)
36. Training Development Officer

Pay

Naval reservists are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan. In an effort to streamline the recruiting processes for naval reservists, in February 2017 NAVRES initiated the Expedited Reserve Enrolment to allow applicants who meet security, medical, and basic fitness standards to enroll in as few as 21 days or between two and three visits after initial contact with NRD recruiters.^[20]