Formation (1923–1941) The division was originally formed on 19 March 1923 as the Winnipeg Company of the
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, later renamed The Winnipeg Division in 1936. In 1941, the division was commissioned HMCS
Chippawa. The first
commanding officer of the division was Eustace Brock, the Assistant Secretary of
the Great-West Life Assurance Company. In March 1923 the unit's first quarters were a small office and a classroom located in McGregor Armouries. Later, in the spring of 1924 the division moved into the Rat-Portage Lumber Company building in Norwood, which is still standing today as the Poulin's Exterminators building. In the years following, the division moved to the old St Matthews Church on the corner of Sherbrook Street and Ellice Avenue, to a condemned fire hall on Gertrude Avenue just off Osborne Street (now demolished), to space at the Security Storage building on Ellice Avenue, and then in October 1942 to the old Winnipeg Winter Club located at 51 Smith Street.
Cold War (1945–1989) In the spring of 1950 the
Red and
Assiniboine Rivers overflowed their banks and threatened Winnipeg. Thousands of citizens had to be evacuated from their homes and sent to neighbouring towns and provinces.
Chippawa became the centre of flood-fighting activities and naval personnel, both Regular and Reserve, were sent to Winnipeg from all over the country and lived on board
Chippawa for several weeks. The ship's galley was activated and within 48 hours was serving 1,500 meals a day to the flood fighters.
Chippawas Main Drill Deck served as a marshalling area for motor boats and other marine craft used during the flood. In summer of 1998, the old Winnipeg Winter Club building was demolished and a new building was built on the same site. While the building was being built the division paraded in Hangar 11 at
17 Wing Winnipeg. In November 1999, the new naval training building was completed and the division moved back to its downtown Winnipeg headquarters. == Badge ==