HMCS William Hall welcomes family, friends ahead of deployment
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
Robert Downey traveled from his home in Ontario for the special opportunity to sail for a day aboard His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) William Hall. A proud descendant of the ship’s namesake, Downey said he feels a deep connection with the vessel.
The trip, on April 10, was his third time aboard the ship, but his first sail. He described the experience as a “highlight of my life.”
Downey and his fellow guests were treated to a day of demonstrations, tours, and hospitality as the ship took a scenic trip from Halifax Harbour to Chebucto Head and back.
William Hall’s crew invited more than 100 friends and family members to join them for the day. In addition to immediate family, the guest list included DND employees and other colleagues who support the ship on shore, along with several descendants of Chief Petty Officer William Hall, VC – the sailor and Canadian war hero for whom the ship is named.
Lieutenant(N) (Lt(N)) Chris Dean served as master of ceremonies for the event. He said that the sail served to improve the personal connections between the crew and those who support them.
“We can show friends and family the business and demonstrate to our shore support what we do. They have an opportunity to meet us, they can talk to us, and we can humanize ourselves.”
He and many of his shipmates were available to chat and answer questions throughout the day. Lt(N) Dean also took to the public address system to point out historic and noteworthy areas that the ship was travelling past.
Guests enjoyed a tour of the Bedford Basin, where they observed a drills and had the chance to try out a firefighting hose on the flight deck – a hands-on activity that was especially popular with the kids, despite the soaking that came with it.
As William Hall made its way towards the mouth of the harbour, guests dispersed to explore the ship and make themselves at home. Sailors working the large barbeque on the deck provided lunch as the ship toured the ocean around Chebucto Head.
The ship’s commanding officer, Commander (Cdr) Scott Kelemen, took that time to speak with guests over the public address system. He encouraged them to think about the many teams, both on the ship and on shore, that all work together to support William Hall’s operations.
On the voyage back to the jetty, a large crowd huddled at the back of the ship’s bridge to watch as the crew navigated back to the dockyard with help from the King’s Harbour Master team.
Lt(N) Dean said the day sail offered the crew a valuable chance to connect with and better appreciate the community they serve.
“Working with the descendants of William Hall and the community has been a very positive learning experience.”
The trip also left a lasting impression on guests, including Amanda Scanlon, who normally works with the ship from the Command Analytics Support Centre on base.
“I can see what we support. It makes all our work feel more meaningful.”
With the day sail complete, the ship’s company of William Hall returned to preparing for a seven-week deployment in June as part of Operation Caribbe. There, the ship will work with partners from the United States Coast Guard to combat drug trafficking at sea.
