A special event will honour women who trained in Galt, Ont. to serve their country during the Second World War. HMCS Conestoga, formerly known as Bytown II, offered basic training for the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS). The facility was located at what was previously known as Grandview School for Girls in what is now modern-day Cambridge. Although the women who trained there never saw combat, they worked in almost 50 naval trades. By the end of 1945, more than 6,500 women had signed up. Although the WRCNS was disbanded in 1946, its contributions are still being recognized. A statue, known as Jenny Wren, still stands at 1 North Square in Cambridge. It was sculpted by Wren Frances Gage and given to the city in October 1972 by veterans of the WRCNS. “She herself was a recruit that was trained at HMCS Conestoga during World War II,” Don Durant, Petty Officer 1st Class with the Region of Waterloo Detachment HMCS Star, said. “So, in 1972, when they decided to have the statue and do the dedication, they chose her to be the sculptor.” “Jenny Wren” was a slang term used in the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy to refer to female sailors. Wren is derived from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) in Britain. Their Canadian counterparts inherited the name. The Wrens are credited as opening the door for women to serve with the Royal Canadian Navy today. “They paved the path for me to have this opportunity, and to be in the occupation that I’m in,” Sailor 3rd Class Nina Bottum, a Navy reservist, said. “In previous generations, the occupation I’m in was not open to women. It was only support roles.” Bottum said she was inspired by her mother and aunt who were both in the Canadian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, HMCS Conestoga’s legacy also lives on in other ways. “Conestoga was established during World War II. We are a detachment, part of HMCS Star in Hamilton,” Durant explained. “We started as a small detachment in 2019. We started it with just 15 local sailors. Then, with our recruiting within the high school co-op basic training that we’ve done with the two local school boards, we now have over 120 sailors training in Kitchener,” he said. “Twenty per cent of our detachment is women sailors. We are still recruiting and we’re looking for more women sailors, and male sailors of course.” HMCS Conestoga Commemoration Parade Since 2022, the Region of Waterloo Detachment of the HMCS Star and the Galt Royal Canadian Legion Branch 121 have hosted an annual HMCS Conestoga Commemoration Parade to pay tribute to the women who trained in Galt. For the second year in a row, Bottum will be the master of ceremonies at the event coming up on Oct. 17. “It’s really powerful and you get to learn a lot of new things that you may not have known about,” Bottum said. “There’s lots of really great speakers that will be coming.” The parade will start at Queen’s Square, next to the Jenny Wren statue at 1:30 p.m.
