Vancouver Island Military Museum will kick off Canada’s 150th birthday with a celebration honouring HMCS Nanaimo and its crew, which is visiting Nanaimo for Canada Day celebrations.
The public is invited to join members of the ship’s crew and local dignitaries at 9:30 a.m. Saturday (July 1) when the museum hosts a dedication ceremony to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial and the 20th anniversary of the commissioning of Royal Canadian Navy coastal patrol vessel HMCS Nanaimo.
Royal Canadian Navy ships are named for Canadian cities and the navy has honoured Nanaimo and the military museum with HMCS Nanaimo’s decommissioned 40mm Bofors gun, which is now on permanent display next to the museum building.