RCSCC Napanee

10/25/2025

This week, cadets from RCSCC Napanee took part in a round-the-clock NATO Communications competition. Hosting a small team of cadets from Ontario, Napanee was a participant in the Canadian Forces sponsored annual Exercise Noble Skywave. Using the HF radio spectrum to send voice and data, military stations compete for the greastest number, and distances of contacted stations. Our farthest contacts this year were from Napanee to Army units located in New Zealand and Australia! Further, during one of the challenges in the competition, our shipmates succeeded in scoring higher than every reserve Signals Regiment in Canada finishing 11th out of 206 military teams.
Once again, just another neat opportunity that the Sea Cadets can provide you.

09/27/2025

Brushing off the cobwebs… our first Sail Training session of a new training year is underway

08/25/2025

RCSCC Napanee is looking forward to the start of a new training year in our current home in Selby, just north of Napanee.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about the cadet program, whether you're a potential cadet (ages 12- 18), or an adult who wants to help deliver/ support the program, please come along to our BBQ on Thursday 11th September

06/09/2025

During this past weekend, our unit communications department took part in a world wide radio event called "Museum Ships on the Air". Many of the communicators aboard these ships were either active US Navy, or retired members. All of the operators from Napanee were cadets who have only recently come into amateur radio.

Here are some of the notable ships that our cadets worked:

USS New Jersey - Battleship
USS North Carolina - Battleship
USS Massachussets - Battleship
USS Salem - Cruiser
USS Laffey - Destroyer
USS Cod - Sub
USS Nautilus - Nuclear Sub
SS American Victory - Victory Ship
NS Savannah - Nuclear Ship
PBR105 - Vietnam Patrol Boat

The communications conditions were "challenging" (which is a short way of saying 'some of the worst radio propagation conditions in living memory!') yet despite this, the cadets' dedication and hard work made our participation a success.

Thank-you to our Navy League Branch for never ceasing to assist us with delivering our expanding programme!

05/26/2025

Yesterday, Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Napanee marked the successful end of another training year with their 54th Annual Review.

The ceremony was held at the Selby Community Centre, which since last year’s review has seen the addition of many items of a nautical flavour turning the offices at Selby into the cadets’ ship.
Lieutenant-Commander Rob Marriott, the Executive Officer of HMCS Cataraqui, served as Reviewing Officer.

LCdr Marriott in his address praised the cadets on their resiliency and the individual and collective successes that they achieved during the year. Over 50% of the Napanee cadets took training to earn their Pleasure Craft Operator Cards, while the Corps’ new communications department saw two cadets earn their Amateur Radio operator’s licence. The skills and confidence developed through the cadet program support youth in the transition to adult life – these have proven invaluable to cadets who may have chosen to join the Naval Reserve but are equally valuable in all walks of life.

Also present at the review was Chief Warrant Officer Renay Groves who is the Branch Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces Communications Branch based in Kingston. CWO Groves presented the communications-based awards and told the cadets that their unit’s performance in Exercise Noble Skywave was particularly impressive. This exercise brought together professional military teams and a few teams of amateur operators – the cadets from Napanee finished in 67th place out of 377 teams outperforming many teams of professional military radio operators.

In his address the cadets’ Commanding Officer, Lt(N) Andy Ashworth, said that the focus of this year had been on re-birth; having learned to crawl in 2023 after the fire, the Corps was once again getting close to running. The year saw cadet seamanship training restart and cadets took the opportunity to learn about the Royal Canadian Navy with a visit on board HMCS Harry DeWolfe in October, as well as more recently taking part in an experience day with the Naval Reserve at HMCS Cataraqui. Some cadets will soon be heading off to BC over the summer to learn advanced sailing and boating skills.

While the uniformed staff at RCSCC Napanee are responsible for supervising the program, it is the cadets themselves that run the program; the program is designed to ensure that “cadets lead cadets”. In addition, Ashworth added that the program relies on support from the Navy League of Canada, parents, the Town of Napanee, local service groups, and local businesses – without their support the staff could not keep the program running.

The Annual Review was also an opportunity to recognise some of the many accomplishments of the cadets.
- The Phoenix Esprit De Corps Award was presented to Leading Cadet Annabell Chambers.
- Amateur Radio Operating Licenses were presented to Able Cadets Gideon Snoek and Nathaniel Wilson-Busby.
- The Mercury Award for the top communications cadet was presented to Able Cadet Gideon Snoek.
- The unit’s Leadership Award was presented to Able Cadet Nathaniel Wilson-Busby.
- The CO presented commendations to Master Cadet Austin Lee and Able Cadet Mark Hayes.
- Most Improved Cadet awards were presented to Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Sparkes and Master Cadet Preston Marshall.
- The Top Junior Cadet was Master Cadet Duncan Milligan who also won this award last year.
- The Top Senior Cadet and Cadet of the Year was Petty Officer 2nd Class Riley Gilbert. The Cadet of the Year award is sponsored by the Royal Kingston United Services Institute who present a financial prize to the winning cadet.

The program will now take a break for the summer and will resume in the fall.

01/09/2025

Through the efforts of our Operations Officer, SLt Matthew Batten, RCSCC Napanee is now offering cadets the chance to learn about communications and to work towards gaining their amateur radio licence. We cannot thank our community partners enough for their generous support which enables us to be able to offer these opportunities to our cadets.

Napanee Sea Cadets tune in fellow Cadets from around the world https://www.reddit.com/user/Fun_Zone_8608/comments/1hxdnb5/napanee_sea_cadets_tune_in_fellow_cadets_from/

12/17/2024

Christmas came early for RCSCC Napanee last Friday. The Kinsmen Club of Napanee generously presented the Napanee Branch of the Navy League with a cheque for $5000. This money will be used to support the rebuilding efforts after last year’s fire which will give the cadets a wider range of training and activities.

Pictured are the Corps CO, Lt(N) Andy Ashworth, Kinsmen Club President, Kevin McCaffrey, and the President of the Napanee Branch of the Navy League, Mrs Gill Ashworth.

10/25/2024

A year and a day after the fire that destroyed our training facility, the corps received two wonderful donations that will greatly help in rebuilding our cadet training program and reestablishing our heritage.

Deseronto Legion presented the support committee with a $5,000.00
cheque. This money will be used to replace training equipment that was lost in the fire.

HMCS Napanee was a Flower Class corvette, which had strong links with our town and community and which played an active role in the Battle of the Atlantic. David Ruta presented the corps with models of HMCS Napanee and a U boat of the type that Napanee sank. These new models replace those lost in the fire.

09/06/2024

Come along to Cadets and see what you can do!

🌟 Ready for an adventure like no other? 🌟 Join the Cadet Program this September and discover leadership, teamwork, and unforgettable experiences. Don't miss out—sign up today at canada.ca/join-cadets! 🚀

06/11/2024

05/09/2024

It is a little over six months since RCSCC Napanee lost their headquarters in the arson attack that destroyed the Napanee Memorial Centre Arena. On the day of the fire, commitments were made to continue offering the program in Napanee and to rebuild RCSCC Napanee.

In the weeks immediately following the fire, we were able to find alternative training spaces such that we only missed one week. In early December we moved into the Community Centre at Selby which will be our home for the rest of this year. This facility has many of the features that we lost in the fire and is providing us with the stability we need to rebuild.

Visiting the scene of the fire in the immediate aftermath of the event, revealed that some key heritage items had been recovered. Our unit’s bell needs a new stand and some polish, and our ceremonial life-ring is a little smoke-stained, but these things add character and will become part of the history of RCSCC Napanee.

The last 6 months have been incredibly busy – the staff have been working on keeping cadets engaged and interested in the cadet program at the same time as having to rebuild a cadet unit from the ground up. Despite the fire, cadets from Napanee were on display at Remembrance events in Napanee, Deseronto and Bath, we attended the Santa Parades in Deseronto and Napanee and we had our annual Christmas dinner. We also entered a marksmanship team into the local area competition, although our lack of practice prevented us from being as competitive as we would have liked – the important thing, however, was the cadets did not let the fire prevent them from taking part.

We’re now getting ready for our formal end of year review – this is event marks the end of the training year and is usually overseen by a senior officer from the local area. This year, however, our Corps will be being reviewed by Brigadier-General Brais who is the overall Commander of the Canadian Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers organizations. We are looking forward to showing “the boss” all that the cadets, staff and Navy League have managed to achieve.

These achievements would not have been possible without all of the help we have received from the local community and community organisations. This support has been overwhelming and we cannot thank everyone enough. The Navy League’s appeal fund received a tremendous response and this has greatly helped in funding the replacement of many of the items lost in the fire. There is still, however, a long way to go and the appeal fund remains open. If anyone would like to consider a financial donation, please visit:
https://give.stratly.com/navy-league-napanee-branch/campaigns/operation-phoenix

Any help, no matter how small, will be gratefully received and will be used directly to supporting Napanee cadets in rebuilding their Corps and rising from ashes.