MANITOULIN—There was pomp and circumstance aplenty at the weekly parade of the 348 Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps at the MSS gym last Monday. The focus of the special evening was the Corps’ change of command, a formal ceremony presided over by a ranking member of the Department of National Defence.
Following a spit-and-polish marching and drilling demonstration under the command of Corps Coxswain Landon Aelick, events proceeded to the Change of Command ceremony, the first since 2017 when Lt. (N) Sylvain Boucher took command of the Corps from Lt. (N) Maggie King.
At Monday’s ceremony, Lt. (N) Boucher relinquished command to his second in command, Sub Lt. (N) Tina Davidson and, in fact, shortly after her investiture as commanding officer, a further brief ceremony saw her elevated to the rank of full Navy Lieutenant.
Both the change of command ceremony and Lt. (N) Davidson’s promotion were presided over by Major Luther Yap, who represented the Department of National Defence and whose current military assignment is to liaise with all cadet corps (Sea, Army and Air) from Muskoka to Manitoba.
Lt. (N) Denis Blake, himself a retired commanding officer of 348 Manitoulin Sea Cadets Corps, acted as master of ceremony for the evening’s events, providing narratives of the accomplishments of both Lieutenants (N) Boucher and Davidson.
The large audience of cadet parents, members of the Manitoulin 348 Sea Cadets Navy League, Legionnaires and others learned that the outgoing commanding officer was first introduced to the cadet world in his hometown of Kirkland Lake when, at age 12, he joined an Army Cadet Corps there, rising to the rank of corporal.
When the family moved to Chapleu, Lt Boucher joined the Air Cadet Corps in that community, aging out with the rank of Warrant Officer Second Class.
Later on, married with a family, he became active with the Navy League Corps in Sudbury, for boys and girls 9 to 12, eventually becoming that organization’s commanding officer for two terms.
When work brought he and his wife Tina to Manitoulin, he was a natural fit to take on an active role in our Sea Cadet Corps and was enrolled through 348 Manitoulin in the Canadian Armed Forces as a cadet instructor cadre officer. After a couple of years of training and holding various positions with the Corps, he became Commanding Officer in 2018.
Retired Lt. (N) Blake went on to talk of Lt. (N) Tina Davidson’s career, which followed a somewhat parallel one to that of her predecessor.
Lt. (N) Davidson has been involved in the Sea Cader world since she was 10 and joined the Navy League program in her hometown of Stratford, becoming a Sea Cadet at age 12 and was active in both the Stratford and Woodstock Corps where she took extensive courses and became highly skilled in seamanship and boat handling.
While attending the University of Windsor, she assisted with a Sea Cadet Corps in that city and when she and her husband Rob moved to Manitoulin, and Navy League president Bob Jewell learned of her past experience, she was invited to help the corps, initially as a civilian instructor. She has spent six years with the Corps as the training officer and seven years as the executive officer.
Presiding over the change, Major Yap observed that, “Cadets, I’ve been trying to get to this Corps for about two years. Your Corps is the example in Northern Ontario. The things you’ve accomplished are what we would like to see duplicated by other Corps in other areas of the North. Congratulations.”
Following the ceremony establishing her as the new Corps Commanding officer and after Major Yap’s observations, Lt. (N) Davidson was invited to address the cadets and the gathering.
“This is a special occasion,” she observed, “and I’m nervous to take on the CO’s position; I’m nervous because I care!” and referenced her own mentor Lt. (N) Maggie King as well as her immediate predecessor, Lt. (N) Boucher.
“I’m privileged to be with this Corps,” Lt. (N) Davidson said. “I owe it to this Corps to stay the course we’re on. We have a really great staff and huge Manitoulin Island support.”
Addressing the many parents in attendance, she assured them that, “you can trust us with your children” addressing the Sea Cadet Corps, Lt. (N) Davidson told them, “You are all better people for being in this program, the same as I was when I was a Sea Cadet.”
When retired Lt. (N) Blake invited the outgoing Commanding Officer to reflect on his time, Lt. (N) Boucher, like Lt. (N) Davidson, first addressed the cadets. ‘Every one of them is special. I know all of you. I speak with your parents all the time. That’s what makes 348 special: we know you!” He added that, “under the leadership of Lt.(N) Davidson, you’ll have lots of opportunities to advance.”
“To the parents, “we have had good numbers because you make the trek every week to bring your cadets to parade nights. You bring the cadets here from Wiikwemkoong, Kagawong, Little Current, Tehkummah, Gore Bay and more.”
He also thanked the Navy League branch, the local civilian sponsoring organization. “You’ve made my job extremely easy. You’re part of the 348 family!” He noted in particular Navy League veteran members Brad and Chrisanne MacKay whose two daughters went through the Sea Cadet program (one of them served as Coxwain) and that one of these has come back to the Corps as an officer.”
Lt (N) Boucher also had special thanks for MP Carol Hughes “who has been at every year-end annual inspection. That means a a lot to me and to all of our cadets. I wish you all the best as you retire.”
(Ms. Hughes has indicated she will not stand in the next federal election.)
“This doesn’t happen without the staff,” Lt. (N) Boucher continued. They’re the best. Some were cadets and now they’re back helping. I appreciate all of the hard work, week after week, weekend after weekend.”
“And thanks to retired commanding officer Denis Blake, who, after he retired as CO several years ago, kept on coming back with the championship shooting team,” Lt. (N) Boucher continued, observing that the coming Sunday would be the final team practice that Retired Lt. (N) Blake will attend as he is stepping down.
He acknowledged the support of his wife, Tina, as the two of them have been involved in aspects of the Sea Cadet program for over 20-years.
The final formality was the retired commanding officer, Lt. (N) Boucher, standing before his successor, Lt. (N) Davidson and requesting permission to be dismissed. Exchanging salutes, permission was granted with Lt. (N) Boucher marching smartly out of the assembly while Lt. (N) Davidson observed, “but we know you’ll still be around and helping.”
On behalf of the Navy League branch 348 Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps, branch president Bob Jewell presented a large photo on glass gift to Lt.(N) Boucher as a gift. It’s the work of local photographer Greg Wright and is titled “Sunset on the North Channel.”
There was a large contingence of executive members from Branch 177 of the Royal Canadian Legion (in Little Current) in attendance in full dress and Lt. (N) Blake acknowledged and thanked them for the branch’s years of support, following which the Legionnaires assembled and presented the new Corps. Commanding officer with a donation of $500 for the Corps “to begin your command.”
