HMCS Ville de Québec departs for Indo-Pacific to join UK carrier group
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
Chelsea Gear was “feeling overwhelmed” by emotion as she stood on the jetty and waved goodbye to her husband, Sailor 1st Class Nicholas Gear, beside the couple’s young children as he departed aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec for the Indo-Pacific on April 7.
Sailing from Halifax, Ville de Québec will be marking its first-ever deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, under the banner of Operation Horizon. The ship is set to join with the United Kingdom’s multinational Carrier Strike Group, which recently began its own Indo-Pacific mission, to participate in manoeuvres and training exercises, including a focus on anti-submarine warfare.
Commander (Cdr) Peter MacNeil, the ship’s commanding officer, described the exciting mission as a key milestone for him and his ship’s company.
“The crew has worked incredibly hard to get the ship ready for Op Horizon, and to represent Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy globally,” he said.
The Carrier Strike Group will be formed around the aircraft carrier His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Prince of Wales and other destroyers and frigates of the Royal Navy, with support from partners including Spain and Norway in addition to HMCS Ville de Québec’s role.
Op Horizon is meant to support the goals of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy by increasing the Canadian Armed Forces presence in the region, taking part in more joint exercises, and enhancing partnerships with regional armed forces. The ship plans to sail with allies as part of the Carrier Strike Group until returning to Halifax in November. The trip will include a circumnavigation of the globe.
As Ville de Québec prepared to pull away from the jetty at His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard, the Stadacona Band played and loved ones of the frigate’s 242 sailors were coming to terms with being apart for more than half a year.
“It’s sad to say goodbye and we just hope everything is going to be okay,” said Shirly Park, mother of Master Sailor (MS) Jordan Park.
This is MS Park’s third deployment and his first serving in his current rank. It is also the first time his family, who live in Newfoundland, have been able to make the trip to see him off. His father and brother were also on hand to support him.
The Parks walked along the jetty as the ship’s crew made the final preparations to sail. Minutes before the departure, they managed one last round of goodbyes with MS Park as he stood on the deck with his fellow sailors.
Shirly said that despite the family’s mixed emotions, she knows MS Park is looking forward to his new leadership responsibilities as a Master Sailor aboard Ville de Québec.
Cdr MacNeil stressed the importance of support from families during a lengthy mission, and also shouted out the support organizations ashore and colleagues across the Atlantic Fleet for their help over recent months.
“Without them, we would not have been able to get to where we are today.”
