Corps History

358 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps SIR ISAAC BROCK received it charter on 15 July 2016 in the City of St Catharines, ON.

The corps held it first parade night on 13 September 2016 at the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 418.  The Legion was also the first headquarters for the corps.  Soon thereafter the corps established a training location at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary School during its first year.

This allowed for more classroom training and larger parade square.  During it first year, the corps participated in the Western Ontario Area Orienteering competition, Band and Drill competition and Marksmanship competition.

The corps can actually trace it lineage back to the beginning of the Sea Cadet program in 1917.

141 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps BELLEROPHON opened its doors in 1917 in the City of Welland, ON (and was the documented first chartered sea cadet corps in Canada) while 125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN began operations in the City of St Catharines in 1925.  Both corps established themselves as important youth organizations in their respective cities.

BELLEROPHON in fact, grew and expanded to the City of Port Colborne where a satellite corps was established.  In September of 1950, the satellite corps was granted a charter and 78 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps VALIANT began its sail.  For many years all three units were pillars of the communities they served in.

Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, 125 RCSCC RENOWN closed its doors in the early 2000`s.  The was followed a number of years later with the merging of 141 RCSCC BELLEROPHON and 78 RCSCC VALIANT.  The merged unit wanted to keep the history of Niagara area sea cadets alive and decided upon its new name as: 125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN II.

Starting in 2010, the new sea cadet corps stayed in Port Colborne where it was very active in community events  and even winning an award for its efforts.  But again, due to a variety of factors the corps was placed on hiatus in 2015.  It was decided to move the unit to St Catharines and give it a fresh start.

Thus, on 15 July 2018, 358 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps SIR ISAAC BROCK began its adventure from the past it has been built upon.  It opened its doors formally on  6 September 2016.

The history of the corps can trace its roots roots back to:

141 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps BELLEROPHON – Welland, ON (1917-2010);

125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN – St Catharines, ON (1925-2003);

78 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps VALIANT – Port Colborne, ON (1950-2010);

125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN II – Port Colborne, ON (2010-2015)

The Ship started the second year by almost doubling in size.

The community started to recognize the contributions of the Corps and youth started to sign up.  358 Sea also moved areas from Western Ontario under the Regional Cadet Support Unit Central to the Niagara-Greater Toronto Area (NGTA).  In October, the Corps competed in the Area Orienteering Competition in Toronto.

Halfway through the year the Ship sailed to its new permanent home at St Johns Anglican Church in Port Dalhousie area of St Catharines.  In addition, the corps participated in a grand Annual Review Parade of all the Sea Cadet Corps in Niagara Region as part of the Centennial of Sea Cadets festivities.

By the end of the training year, the corps had successfully achieved a standard of 30 cadets, thus, reaching the status of VIABLE UNIT in less than two years in operation.

To start the third year of operations, the corps participated in the Grand Sea Cadet Centennial Parade in Toronto where over ten sea cadet units, and hundreds of Sea Cadets, put on a celebration of the past 100 years.  The Reviewing Officer for the parade was Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor.

In January 2019, the corps once again weighed anchor and moved to permanent facilities at Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 418.  The move gave the corps a stable home and strong growth between the Legion and the Corps.

Starting their fourth year of operation, the Corps was growing in strength and building it relationship with the community.  However, in March 2020, the Canadian Cadet Organizations (CCO) was forced to stand down the whole program nation-wide due to the COVID-19 pandemic (which included no in-person meetings, no summer training, no exchanges…a complete stand down).  The Officers, Staff and Senior Cadets took the initiative and moved the entire corps operations / cadet program online to deliver it to the cadets directly.  The corps was recognized for its initiatives at the Area, Regional and National level.  358 Sea, in conjunction with 103 Sea and 138 NLCC, hosted the first virtual Annual Ceremonial Review in Canada in May 2021.  While it wasn’t in person, the Corps showed strong and had a great end of the year.

The fifth year of operation, fall 2020, saw the return of cadets from Virtual Cadet Training Centre’s and a focused dedication.  The year started with promise as a return to in-person training was going to happen, and for a few weeks in October cadets and staff did parade.  However, the COVID-19 virus quickly saw skyrocketing infection rates and cadets was once again ordered online.

While the move was seamless, many cadets became disengaged because their schooling was also moved online.  The Corps attendance numbers drastically declined due to ‘screen fatigue’.  The corps held virtual escape rooms, lecture series, and gave the cadets the opportunity to develop their own fun and unique program.  Towards the end of the training year, the cadets that stayed were having fun and still proud members of the Cadet Corps.

2022 proved to be a trying time for the corps, as COVID-19 seen a brief return to online training.  Upon return to in-person, the corps was informed that it had to move temporarily from its current location as it was slated to go under demolition and rebuilding.  As the corps was used to this, it weighed anchor one more time until its new home was ready for return.

And so, with steadfast determination not to let rehoming (again) deter them, 358 SIR ISAAC BROCK waits patiently while tenants of a local public school.

HISTORY OF SIR ISAAC BROCK

HISTORY OF THE SHIP (Taken from Wikipedia)
HMS Sir Isaac Brock was a warship which was destroyed before being completed at York, Upper Canada during the War of 1812.

The ship was named after the famed hero of the war, Major General Sir Isaac Brock.

At the end of 1812, the British learned that the Americans were building warships at Sackett’s Harbor, New York, and laid down two sloops of war in response. Construction of Sir Isaac Brock began at York.

The new ship was a sister ship to HMS Wolfe, which was constructed at Kingston.

Although construction on both ships began around the same time, as the end of April 1813 approached, Wolfe was very nearly ready to be launched while Sir Isaac Brock was still many weeks away from being complete.

It had been partially planked on its starboard side but was not even close to that far along on its port side. Most of the responsibility for the delay in readiness could be laid on the shoulders of shipyard Superintendent, Thomas Plucknett.

The ship had a registered weight of 637 tons, and was rated as having 24 guns. In fact, the rating system often omitted carronades, and Sir Isaac Brock would have had 30 guns or even more in service. (Wolfe was completed with a medley of whatever guns were available).

Late in the afternoon 26 April 1813, the American flotilla was sighted off York, with a strong embarked force of infantry and artillerymen. The next day, the Battle of York was fought.

The outnumbered British regulars and militia were forced to fall back. The Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, ordered his regulars to retreat to Kingston, but also dispatched Captain Francis Tito LeLièvre (1794-1830) of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment to set fire to Sir Isaac Brock to prevent her falling intact into enemy hands.

Ironically, LeLièvre may have been assisted in this task by Thomas Plucknett, as shipyard superintendent was the man most responsible for Sir Isaac Brock being in her partially built condition.

The Americans were enraged to find that the ship had apparently been set ablaze while negotiations for surrender with the local militia were still taking place. When eventually, a surrender was arranged, Sir Isaac Brock had been reduced to charred timbers.

NAME: HMS SIR ISAAC BROCK

BUILDER: Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard

LAUNCHED: Burned on stocks

CLASS AND TYPE: Sloop of war

COMPLIMENT: 220

ARMAMENT: 24 heavy guns

SISTER SHIPS: HMS WOLFE

History of Command

COMMANDING OFFICER 

Lieutenant (N) J. Tremblay, CD (2015*-2018)

Lieutenant (N) T.J.E. Reilly, CD (2018-2021)

Lieutenant (N) A. Bean, CD (2021-Current)

COXSWAIN 

Chief Petty Officer 1st Class A. Cardona (2016-2017)

Chief Petty Officer 1st Class J. Leach (2017-2018, 2019)

Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class N. Papenfuss (2018-2019)

Chief Petty Officer Cadet, 2nd Class J. Leach (2020-2021)

Chief Petty Officer Cadet, 1st Class C. Sweet (2021-2023)

Chief Petty Officer Cadet, 1st Class L. Cooper (Current)

THE FIRST CREW (2016)

Lieutenant (N) Jeffery Tremblay, CD1

Lieutenant (N) Timothy Reilly, CD

Lieutenant (N) John Haywood, CD1

Acting Sub-Lieutenant Alex Ries

Civilian Instructor Doreen Haywood

Civilian Instructor Meliah Brauweiler

Civilian Instructor Brittani Morgan

Civilian Instructor Fraser Morgan

Civilian Instructor George Hansman

Civilian Instructor Chris Mitchell

C/Master Warrant Officer Ryan George

C/Master Warrant Officer Barry Long

Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Cardona

Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Janessa Leach

Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Papenfuss

Petty Officer 1st Class Ari Cardona

Petty Officer 1st Class Tam Harris

Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah Papenfuss

Master Seaman Joshua Leach

Leading Seaman Rosanna Bajao

Leading Seaman Colin Emerick

Leading Seaman Alyssa May

Leading Seaman Alissa Thrasher

Able Seaman Angelo Martires

Ordinary Seaman Dylan Thrasher

Mrs Kim Mazzone (NL)

Mrs Jennifer Elliott (NL)

 

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 418

23 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron

103 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps NIAGARA