CPL GENEVIÈVE BEAULIEU, IMAGERIE VALCARTIER
Commodore’s Cup and Sailor of the Year Trophy awarded to HMCS Radisson
By A/SLt Amélie Bergeron,
UPAR, HMCS Radisson
CPL GENEVIÈVE BEAULIEU, IMAGERIE VALCARTIER
The Commodore’s Cup was introduced in 2016 to recognize the Naval Reserve Division that demonstrated the best overall performance and contributed most to the fulfillment of the Naval Reserve mission within the Royal Canadian Navy. For conducting extraordinary outreach in the Mauricie region of Quebec, for her support and participation in Operation LENTUS 2019, for a strong promotion of physical fitness and mental health, and for the undeniable pride demonstrated by her ship’s company, HMCS Radisson is the winner of the 2019–2020 Commodore’s Cup.
When presenting the award, Cmdre Mike Hopper, Commander Naval Reserve, wanted to highlight HMCS Radisson’s high level of excellence, especially in domestic operations and when it comes to building strong relationships with the leaders and the people who make the Mauricie region what it is today.
“This year’s award goes to a young and dynamic ship’s company. The Mauricie region can be proud of its sailors, since their excellence shines through from coast to coast to coast,” Cmdre Hopper said.
The future looks bright for this ship’s company. Its pride is equalled only by its dedication to the Royal Canadian Navy’s excellence at sea.
Sailor of the Year
It is with great pride that HMCS Radisson was also informed that a member of her ship’s company, Sailor First Class (S1) Frédérique Poitras, Boatswain, was named Naval Reserve Sailor of the Year. This honour is awarded to the sailor who has demonstrated exceptional performance, as well as a number of outstanding personal and professional qualities.
As soon as she joined HMCS Radisson in 2016, S1 Poitras stood out as a leader. Thanks to her dedication and charisma, she has created a lasting team synergy and she promotes respect and dynamism among her peers.
“I think my greatest achievement at this unit is that I have helped my colleagues to progress in their career through the training I provided,” S1 Poitras said.
In summer 2019, when S1 Poitras was employed during a partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard, she had to respond to an actual search and rescue operation. Her expertise was essential to this rescue as she found an unconscious individual drifting on the St. Lawrence River. After recovering the individual, she performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 30 to 45 minutes, until the paramedics arrived.
“As soon as S1 Poitras joined our ship’s company, I knew right away she would be excellent. Some indicators don’t lie; the Sailor of the Year award now presented to her is proof of that,” said Cdr K. Jutras, Commanding Officer of HMCS Radisson.
In her personal life, S1 Poitras is studying to become a police officer. She proudly completed the police technology program at the CEGEP of Trois-Rivières and is now waiting to attend the École nationale de police du Québec. Constantly promoting an active lifestyle, she completed a triathlon for the first time this year, and with her father, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, she participated in the Army Run for the third year in a row.
S1 Poitras has gone beyond the requirements in all that she has undertaken. For these reasons, she greatly deserves the Naval Reserve Sailor of the Year award. Bravo Zulu!
