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.
