PTE BRENDAN GAMACHE
RCN Proud: MS Orianne-Walker’s dive into submarine service
By Vincent Joyce,
Pictou County Military Museum
Through much of the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) history, women were not permitted to serve in submarines. However, when the Canadian Armed Forces acquired four Victoria-class submarines in 2001, the more spacious vessels, compared to the cramped conditions on the former Oberon-class subs, brought an opportunity for change.
The Victoria-class subs run smaller crews and have room for separate changing and bathroom facilities, which led officials to believe that the “minimum level of privacy” for female crew members was met. At the time, surveys found 27 percent of female sailors were interested in working underwater, and on March 8th, 2001, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) formally changed policy and removed the submarine restriction for women.
Master Sailor Colleen Beattie became the first woman qualified as a submariner in 2003. Since her groundbreaking achievement, 35 more female sailors have followed that path to serve as Canadian submariners. I was honoured to speak recently with submarine Master Sailor Samantha Orianne-Walker and hear a little about her journey with the Royal Canadian Navy so far.
Originally from Montreal, MS Orianne-Walker first took notice of her local Naval Reserve Division, HMCS Donnacona, in 2009, and soon joined their ranks. An early turning point came when she took a semester off from post-secondary school in 2011 to go sailing and earn her Auxiliary Machinery Operator certificate.
“I loved it. We sailed to Philadelphia in 2011, and it was such a great experience that I knew I wanted to sail. After I graduated, I signed a year-long contract, moved to Halifax, and stayed here,” she said.
Through more sailing, courses and operations, she soon proved herself to be a reliable and dedicated sailor – MS Orianne Walker ended up serving on all six of the East Coast Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, HMCS Summerside, Moncton, Goose Bay, Glace Bay, Kingston, and Shawinigan. Her trade in the Naval Reserve was Marine Engineer Systems Operator, and she became a Marine Technician (Mar Tech) after accepting a Component Transfer to the Regular Force and joining the Royal Canadian Navy proper in 2017.
She decided to pursue service in submarines after having reached the limits of her career on the Kingston-class ships. Offered the chance to serve on Halifax-class frigates, which would require a different set of training, she was instead enticed by the underwater platform.
“I wanted to be a subject matter expert on one platform for the rest of my career. I thought that submarines, being such a niche platform, would give me a chance to do that,” she explained. After completing the required training and earning her on-board qualifications, she received her “dolphins,” and became a qualified submariner, a proud achievement.
Regarding her experience as a woman on a submarine crew, she said, “It’s about being competent in the job and being dedicated. It’s not about gender or race. I have my dolphins, so I’m respected. I have friends in all trades, and as a unit, we’re all close with each other.”
“The main thing is to do your job well. Remember that everyone is counting on you to do it to the best of your ability because you’re on an underwater vessel.”
MS Orianne-Walker has served on two submarines, HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor, which is her current unit, with her current trade being Mar Tech – Mechanical. She said her favourite role on board involves running the Ship Control Console; this puts her in the Control Room, constantly managing the trim and stability of the sub, working with shipmates to determine the correct amount of water moving in and out of the boat’s ballast tanks. She said it’s a fine art that takes experience to master.
“Eventually you start to feel it instinctively, and it’s like magic.”
MS Orianne-Walker shared a couple of great stories with us. She’s a Trade Champion for Mar Tech submariners and has assisted with recruiting efforts, a role that brought her to the Calgary Stampede last year on behalf of the RCN and the Canadian Submarine Force. She spoke to thousands of people about life in the Navy, attended community breakfasts and made countless pancakes, even working the griddle alongside Submarine Force Chief CPO1 Paddy McGuire.
“I was covered in pancake batter; we all had a great time. It was a chance to do something totally outside of the realm of my direct job, but still be supporting and promoting subs. I jump at those opportunities,” she noted.
She’s also been a very involved shipmate, frequently serving as Mess President or Canteen Manager across different vessels. She shared more, but the stories are too numerous to include in this article. If you ever get a chance to chat with her, just listen.
September of 2024 will mark 15 years in the CAF for MS Orianne-Walker, and she says there are many years left in what has already been a great career for her and her country.
There are currently 16 qualified female submariners in the RCN: 11 are serving on subs (five as part of HMCS Windsor’s crew and 6 on HMCS Corner Brook, which is expected to complete an extended work period later this year), and the others are spread out across the Submarine Support Team Pacific, Sea Training Submarines, the Formation Technical Authority Atlantic, and Director General Equipment Program Submarines.
The continued success of women in the Submarine Force is paving the way for future leaders, and we look forward to following the achievements of MS Orianne-Walker and other skilled submariners!
This story could not have been written without the help of Maritime Forced Atlantic Public Affairs, Trident Editor Ryan Melanson and MS Orianne-Walker herself. Thank you all very much.
RCN Proud profiles focus on former or current Royal Canadian Navy personnel. If you would like your story told or have a suggestion for a future profile, please contact Vincent Joyce at vpjoyce@outlook.com.
