Members of Regina Navy presented with awards, promotions at HMCS Queen

HMCS Queen honoured members Saturday while reporting a rise in recruitment, adding 19 new members since April 2025. Damian Smith has the story.

Those working at HMCS Queen, a Canadian Forces Naval Reserve, had the chance to be recognized on Saturday.

Thirteen members received a series of five awards, including the “Commander McKaw Duty Award,” the “Half Company Award” and the “Unit Fitness Award.”

Her Honour Lt. Gov. Bernadette McIntyre presided over the event, which included the enrolment of two new members, and the presentation of a Commissioning Scroll to one of the unit’s officers.

Saturday was also a time to reflect on the recruitment numbers.

HMCS Queen has recruited 19 members since the start of April of 2025 and has gained a lot of traction in the last 18 months or so. It’s an improvement on the past couple of years, where they recruited 12 from 2024-2025 and around 10 from 2023-2024.

“We have a number of people who are just energized and engaged, and we’re teaching them all manner of skills,” said Aaron Kaytor, the commanding officer of HMCS. “Some of them will eventually go on and join the regular force fleet, and some are just happy to have a part time career here in Regina with us.”

A day like Saturday is another chance for Navy members to rise in the ranks. One thing that keeps them going is the places they get to go.

“I’ve gone all over the world, and I know people that are in similar situations as I am that have gone further,” said Kaytor, who has been the commanding officer for the past three years.

“It’s very beautiful, being out at sea,” said Josh Oulton, recipient of the Canadian Forces Decoration, as well as the Commissioning Scroll. “You’ve never seen the sky until you’ve been out at night in the middle of the ocean, away from all pollution and city lights.”

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“It’s so cool, I get to sail to cities outside of Canada and explore the city and meet people, talk to people,” said Tristan McKinnon.

McKinnon received a promotion on Saturday, going from sub-lieutenant to lieutenant after two years of trades training. McKinnon joined the Navy in November 2020.

“It felt like I was actually a part of something,” he said. “I was going through a lot of changes at that point in my life, and it just kind of felt like home away from home. Then on top of that, just the experiences of being able to travel across Canada, I’ve seen so many things I wouldn’t have been able to see.”

Oulton, who has been in the Navy for 14 years, spent 10 years on the west coast. Since moving to Saskatchewan, he has been the naval warfare officer for HMCS Queen. He still recalls the memories of being at sea more often than not.

“I’ve gone and I’ve sailed with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense force on an exchange called Regulus. One of our junior sailors is away doing with the Argentinians right now, and I’ve been dropped on a plane and flown to Mexico by myself as a young man.”

Now living in the furthest location from a coast, Oulton recalls the life lessons that the Navy can teach.

“It really teaches you how to be responsible for yourself,” he said. “When you’re given a certain amount of time every day to take care of your own fitness, your health, your sleeping, your eating. You come back more equipped in your everyday life and to say, ‘What is important, and how do I want to spend my time?’”

Though Kaytor says that Regina is still considered by many to be more of an “army town,” the growth they have seen in recruitment, considering the cities’ location, has been described as “phenomenal.”