05/26/2025
Yesterday, Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Napanee marked the successful end of another training year with their 54th Annual Review.
The ceremony was held at the Selby Community Centre, which since last year’s review has seen the addition of many items of a nautical flavour turning the offices at Selby into the cadets’ ship.
Lieutenant-Commander Rob Marriott, the Executive Officer of HMCS Cataraqui, served as Reviewing Officer.
LCdr Marriott in his address praised the cadets on their resiliency and the individual and collective successes that they achieved during the year. Over 50% of the Napanee cadets took training to earn their Pleasure Craft Operator Cards, while the Corps’ new communications department saw two cadets earn their Amateur Radio operator’s licence. The skills and confidence developed through the cadet program support youth in the transition to adult life – these have proven invaluable to cadets who may have chosen to join the Naval Reserve but are equally valuable in all walks of life.
Also present at the review was Chief Warrant Officer Renay Groves who is the Branch Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces Communications Branch based in Kingston. CWO Groves presented the communications-based awards and told the cadets that their unit’s performance in Exercise Noble Skywave was particularly impressive. This exercise brought together professional military teams and a few teams of amateur operators – the cadets from Napanee finished in 67th place out of 377 teams outperforming many teams of professional military radio operators.
In his address the cadets’ Commanding Officer, Lt(N) Andy Ashworth, said that the focus of this year had been on re-birth; having learned to crawl in 2023 after the fire, the Corps was once again getting close to running. The year saw cadet seamanship training restart and cadets took the opportunity to learn about the Royal Canadian Navy with a visit on board HMCS Harry DeWolfe in October, as well as more recently taking part in an experience day with the Naval Reserve at HMCS Cataraqui. Some cadets will soon be heading off to BC over the summer to learn advanced sailing and boating skills.
While the uniformed staff at RCSCC Napanee are responsible for supervising the program, it is the cadets themselves that run the program; the program is designed to ensure that “cadets lead cadets”. In addition, Ashworth added that the program relies on support from the Navy League of Canada, parents, the Town of Napanee, local service groups, and local businesses – without their support the staff could not keep the program running.
The Annual Review was also an opportunity to recognise some of the many accomplishments of the cadets.
- The Phoenix Esprit De Corps Award was presented to Leading Cadet Annabell Chambers.
- Amateur Radio Operating Licenses were presented to Able Cadets Gideon Snoek and Nathaniel Wilson-Busby.
- The Mercury Award for the top communications cadet was presented to Able Cadet Gideon Snoek.
- The unit’s Leadership Award was presented to Able Cadet Nathaniel Wilson-Busby.
- The CO presented commendations to Master Cadet Austin Lee and Able Cadet Mark Hayes.
- Most Improved Cadet awards were presented to Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Sparkes and Master Cadet Preston Marshall.
- The Top Junior Cadet was Master Cadet Duncan Milligan who also won this award last year.
- The Top Senior Cadet and Cadet of the Year was Petty Officer 2nd Class Riley Gilbert. The Cadet of the Year award is sponsored by the Royal Kingston United Services Institute who present a financial prize to the winning cadet.
The program will now take a break for the summer and will resume in the fall.
