Greater Victoria is getting shipshape to welcome the thousands of international sailors, tourists and dignitaries who arrive this week for a five-day party to celebrate the Canadian navy's 100th anniversary.
Over the past week, CFB Esquimalt has been abuzz with last-minute preparations for the Canadian Naval Centennial Pacific Fleet Review which runs from Wednesday to next Sunday. Crews touched up the grey paint on frigate hulls, strung signal flags from the masts, and tidied the jetties in anticipation of foreign ships, Cmdr. Ian Wood said.
The review features six navies -- Canada, United States, France, New Zealand, Australia and Japan -- and some of the 8,000 sailors who take part this week cast off from ports half a world away months ago.
New Zealand's HMNZS Endeavour and HMNZS Te Kaha set sail on March 30 and April 5, respectively, visiting Australia, China and South Korea along the way.
The ships begin arriving on Wednesday and Thursday, and all except the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan will tie up to jetties at CFB Esquimalt. The carrier will anchor out in the harbour as it's too big for the jetties. "By all accounts, the people of Victoria and British Columbia are very warm and hospitable, so our sailors are very much looking forward to it," said Lt.-Cmdr. Ron Flanders, spokesman for the USS Ronald Reagan.
Festivities get underway on Friday, with a parade of sailors downtown at 10:30 a.m., and a fireworks display in Esquimalt Harbour at 10 p.m.
On Saturday, Gov.-Gen. Michaëlle Jean will preside over the fleet review starting at 10 a.m. She will board HMCS Algonquin, which will then weave in and out among the ships, which will be anchored in tight formation in the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour. After that, onlookers will be treated to aerial shows by the Snowbirds and the military parachute team, as well as a military flypast. The best spots for the public to view the festivities will likely be Royal Roads University, Esquimalt Lagoon and Fort Rodd Hill.
All weekend, businesses and tourism groups will staff a welcome centre at Ship Point for visiting sailors. The coalition has also distributed posters welcoming the sailors to more than 10,000 local businesses for display in windows.
Beyond wanting to play good international host, the organizations know what the week means for the local economy, said Bruce Carter, head of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and a former navy lieutenant. "I as a sailor, when I was one, never went ashore with less than $100 and always came back broke and that was 10 years ago," said Carter.
All told, Carter expects the week's events to generate $8 million in direct spending and estimates the overall economic impact at more than twice that much.
To be safe, Victoria police will be topping up their five-officer late-night force with three more officers starting Thursday night, Sgt. Grant Hamilton said. Military police from the visiting countries will also join Victoria police patrols. Hamilton said police hope their presence will pre-empt any alcohol-related trouble.
"If we ever do have a situation, the consequence for [sailors] within their own respective military is far more severe than what they can probably get from us," Hamilton said. "They're representing their country, so the commanding officers of those boats take that very seriously."
The week's visitors aren't limited to men and women in uniform.
Tens of thousands of civilians are expected to cram Esquimalt and the surrounding area on Saturday. Civilians also now get a crack at the Navy Rocks concert at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday night. The concert, featuring Sam Roberts, 54-40 and Matt Mays, had been reserved for navy personnel and their families, but the word went out last week that tickets are now open to the public.
A more exclusive crowd will grace the 125-year-old admiral's residence at CFB Esquimalt Friday night, when Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile entertains Jean and other dignitaries at a private function.
But pubs and poop decks may host the best diplomacy this week.
"Sailors have a special bond," said Flanders from the USS Ronald Reagan. "We like working with sailors from other countries -- it's going to be a real treat."
ishelton@tc.canwest.com
