VICTORIA, B.C. – Sea cadet Kylea Anderson of Port Alberni and fellow cadet Megan Boudreau spent some time this month aboard Canadian Armed Forces’ ORCA Class vessel RAVEN on Oct. 23 during a national seamanship deployment.
Anderson and Boudreau parade with 109 Alberni Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps in Port Alberni and are two of just 64 sea cadets from Ontario, the prairies and BC chosen to take part in a one-week Seamanship Deployment this fall.
Working alongside Royal Canadian Navy sailors, they trained to conduct a variety of shipboard duties including navigation, engineering, maintenance, emergency response, and man-overboard drills while sailing through the Gulf Islands. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is provided at no cost to the cadets.
“The best part so far has been working with the buffer, who is the senior boswain’s mate, learning how the ship works. I’ve learned so much and I would recommend the sea cadet program to anyone,” says Anderson.
The cadet program aims to develop in youth ages 12-18 the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness and stimulate the interest of youth in sea, land and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.