REGINA - The Royal United Services Institute of Regina (RUSI), in collaboration with the Friends of the Navy (Regina), is working on preserving the history of HMCS Queen through a permanent historical collection.
HMCS Queen is a Canadian Forces Naval Reserve located in Regina, which has been operational for over 100 years now. Meanwhile, the building itself is 75 years old.
With all their history, "we know Queen has archival material, and it should be organized and preserved somewhere," said Ken McCaw, director of Friends of the Navy (Regina).
McCaw noted historical items could simply be in a shoebox, with no knowledge of where they came from.
To preserve history, the two organizations have been locating and identifying artifacts throughout the building.
"We’re finding what’s of value, the story it tells and the reason it should be preserved," said Kelsey Lonie, RUSI executive director and chief historian.
Once the items are collected and numbered, the group inputs the items into their database. This way, the artifacts can be put on display when the time comes.
So far, around 1,200 historical images have been found, ranging from photos of parades to pictures of commanders.
While the historical collection is about preserving history, its other focus is on educating.
Lieutenant Commander Aaron Kaytor said he wants new recruits to see the legacy of HMCS Queen.
"This is the long history of the Royal Canadian Navy. This is what you're a part of," he said.
As part of the Navy, Kaytor noted working on a collection doesn't align with their duties.
However, they can bring in volunteers to help establish a space for historical items.
He referenced how Calgary has a naval museum and how HMCS Discovery Naval Reserve in Vancouver is in the process of formalizing their own museum.
McCaw emphasized the lack of public awareness regarding navy personnel being in Sask.
"There's no particular reason for the general public to pay much attention to [the base]." With a collection, McCaw believes it can draw attention back to the Navy.
As a former Naval reservist, McCaw said it’s a tragedy that Canadians don’t realize how much the country depends on maritime shipping and how the Navy plays a role in protecting those shipments.
"Virtually no one in the Prairies realizes it unless you happen to be a farmer who is trying to get your wheat to China."
While McCaw wouldn’t say people are undervaluing the Navy, he believes more people tend to think of the Army first.
As the groups are working on gathering historical items, Lonie explained the steps following this.
"The next step will be preserving," she said. “[So], Photographs and documents that need proper preservation [will] go in an acid-free box."
Lonie also mentioned they are working on digitizing the items to put online.
"That way, people who can't come through the door or don't even live in Regina can still look at them online."
Another part of the process will be doing fundraisers to raise money for the historical collection.
Lonie mentioned three donors would match up to $6,000 from the fundraiser.
There is no set date for when the historical collection will be completed.
