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The Ship

Full name: Her Majesty's Canadian Ship SCOTIAN

Motto: "Fèin Earbsa Troimh Sheirbheis" / "Self Reliance Through Service"

History:

1. Prior to being named HMCS Scotian from 1947 to present, Naval Reserve units in Halifax were named as indicated:
• 1925-1935 Halifax Half Company, RCNVR
• 1935-1939 Halifax Division, RCNVR
• 1943-1946 HMCS HALIGONIAN
• 1947-present HMCS Scotian
2. The unit's locations are as follows:
• 1947-1959 Building D-14, HMC Dockyard (with use of Dockyard Gymnasium)
• 1959-1961 HMCS Stadacona (old barracks block, temporary location)
• 1961-1968 Seaward Defence Base, adjacent to Point Pleasant Park (on land now occupied by the Halifax Container Terminal)
• 1968-1985 RCAF Station Gorsebrook (South Street across from IWK Hospital)/LI>
• 1985-present Rear Admiral Hose Building 2111 Upper Water Street (at the extreme south end of HMC Dockyard)
3. The main unit accomplishments/success stories*:
• With a Naval Reserve presence in Halifax in one form or another since 1925, the unit has a long and storied history. Already having a strong reputation in the naval community pre-WWII for recruiting and training, the unit known then as Halifax Division had the whole of its members volunteer for active service in 1939. The post-war period saw the unit take on several key roles - the unit became the drafting sub-depot for the Atlantic Coast, as well as administering the ships of the large reserve fleet, all of the naval auxiliary vessels, the Atlantic Coast Naval Radio Stations and all naval personnel employed in the Dockyard.
• In 1963-64, a notable accomplishment for Scotian was in fact the prevention of its near-demise. The decision had been made to pay off the unit as a result of a multitude of factors, however in early 1964 this decision was reversed at the 11th hour, in very large part due to the great persistence of then-Commanding Officer Commander Bruce Oland.
• In 1973, to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the RCNVR, two Scotian officers took part in an exciting and notable adventure with Lieutenant-Commander Bruce Waterfield commanding a sailing expedition, consisting of two 27-foot whalers, from Yellowknife down the Mackenzie River to Tuktoyuktuk on the Beaufort Sea (another Scotian, Petty Officer Fred Devlin, was second-in-command).
• In more recent years, and being one of the largest Naval Reserve Division in the country with 135 on active strength, Scotian has played a very significant role in recruiting and training a large number of very skilled and dedicated NCMs and Officers, many of whom have gone on to enrol in the Regular Force, and others who have selflessly volunteered for overseas missions including most recently in Afghanistan.

*some of the information contained here has been re-produced from "Self-Reliance Through Service, The Story of HMCS SCOTIAN", by Ian Holloway, Hantsport, NS, 1988.

Mission Statement: To contribute to the needs of the Navy by attracting, developing and providing highly motivated and skilled sailors.