A Wartime Mission for Manitobans Winnipeg's Naval Reserve Division Becomes a Recruiting
and Training Base Supporting Canada's War Effort.
Winnipeg became a very important recruiting
point for the RCN during WWII. When all was said and done,
this bustling prairie city was the most successful recruiting
region in Canada, outside of the east and west coasts.
Recruits would receive
training at Winnipeg's Naval Reserve Division before being
shipped off to the "coast"before being shipped off to the
"coast" for further training, and assignment to one of His
Majesty's Canadian Ships. Naval training in Winnipeg received
quite a lot of attention throughout the war, as native Winnipeggers
were not accustomed to seeing sailors on their streets.
Whether it was at Portage and Main or at the CPR Station,
there was always a huge crowd when there were sailors around.
