On July 1st, 2017 the country celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday. It was also the
20th anniversary of the commissioning of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Maritime
Coastal Defence Vessel HMCS Nanaimo, marking a special year in Nanaimo’s history.

The naming of naval ships after Canadian cities has been a tradition in Canada for
many years. This year the Navy honoured the City of Nanaimo and the Vancouver
Island Military Museum with the decommissioned ship’s Bofors Gun from HMCS
Nanaimo. The ship paid a visit to the city on July 1st for the presentation ceremony,
attended by the mayor, members of city council, and the ship’s crew.