Ranks In accordance with QR and O Cadets 4.11 the following are the rank badges of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets: In addition to the rank-specific criteria given below, all appointments are subject to the approval of the cadet's
commanding officer, who generally promotes based on the advice of Divisional Officers and unit training staff. As a note, the official phrasing for the
Petty Officer and
Chief Petty Officer ranks is "Petty Officer Cadet First (or Second) Class," and "Chief Petty Officer Cadet First (or Second) Class." However, outside of Cadet Administrative and Training Orders (CATO), and Queen's Regulations and Orders (Cadets) (QR&O(Cdt)), custom omits "Cadet" in casual reference. Thus, Petty Officer First Class is the customary rendering. Generally, where there is a need to distinguish between cadets and Canadian Forces members, the
NCO ranks will be written or spoken as Cadet Petty Officer First Class, abbreviated as C/PO1. Additionally, while it is customary within the organisation to refer to a cadet receiving a rank as being "promoted," the official documentation refers to such an act as an "appointment."
Forms of address • Junior cadets are typically addressed by their last name by all ranks; however, a superior might address them as simply "cadet," especially in situations where names are not known, such as at multi-unit events. • Petty officers are typically addressed by their juniors as "Petty Officer So-and-So," or, conversationally, as "P.O." Superiors and equals will often use last name only, sometimes prefacing it with "Mr." or "Miss." • Chief petty officers are typically addressed by all personnel as "Chief So-and-So," or, conversationally, as "chief." Superiors and equals will rarely use last name only, though superiors might replace "chief" with "Mr." or "Miss." • Additionally, cadets often hold an appointment in addition to their rank, and many of these are used as an alternate form of address, especially the following: coxswain (cox'n); corps gunner, chief gunner, or gunner's mate ("gunner"),
drum major ("drum major" or "drummie"); bugler; messenger; and
boatswain, boatswain's mate, chief boatswain's mate, and chief boatswain ("bosun" or "buffer"). • In formal situations (for example, being called up for an award or promotion), a cadet's full rank and last name is used "Cadet (rank) name."
Training Additional Training Along with their mandatory weekly training, sea cadets may also participate in one or more of the activities below: •
Range Team: Most units will have at least one trained Range Safety Officer (RSO) and conduct, as part of the mandatory training program, training in
safe and effective marksmanship using the
Daisy Air Rifle. A number of corps field range teams, competing in cadet tri-service matches at the area, regional, and national level, while others simply offer a well-supervised recreational shooting program. • Firearm safety is given the highest priority throughout this training. •
Biathlon: An increasing number of RCSC Corps have formed biathlon teams, adding a new aspect to the long-standing marksmanship programs, and encouraging a high degree of athleticism and physical fitness. Ideally, cadets train and compete with Anschutz .22 target rifles; however, some corps train with air rifles in accordance with
Olympic marksmanship standards. • Firearm safety is given the highest priority throughout this training as well. •
Sailing: The RCSC sailing program uses
Sail Canada CANsail levels and material for all training. The sailing program uses small
dinghies, typically
Echo or
420 class vessels, although other comparable designs are used, including
Lasers. Sail instructors are typically CIC Officers or Civilian Instructors who are members of the Area Sail Center. The Area Sail Center consists of a Coordinating Officer, several
Sail Canada certified instructors and volunteer staff cadet instructors. Advanced training focus on competitive sailing and race organization and is normally done at a CTC during the summer. • Band: Most units will try to support some sort of musical ensemble, whether drum and
bugle, drum and bell (
glockenspiel), a
military band, or just a drum line. A few corps have a piper or two, while an even smaller group maintain
pipe bands. • Guard/ Honour Guard: Many units have a division called "Guard". The Guard is a division where anyone from the rank of AB and up can join. Most units carry the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1 Long-Branch Rifle and wear webbing. The Guard Commander usually carries a cutlass in lieu of a rifle. The Guard normally parades after the Flag Party in ceremonies.
Summer training Cadet Training Centres (CTC), provide additional training intended to support or complement that offered at the home unit from September to June. Across the board, cadets applying for summer training must have 75% attendance over the training year, as well as meeting certain course prerequisites. Cadet Training Centers are staffed by members of the Canadian Forces, primarily members of the CIC, but also including other branches of the CF, as well as Civilian Instructors and senior cadets selected for employment as staff cadets. Sea Cadet STCs are commanded by a CIC officer of the rank of
commander. Staff cadets are employed at the ranks of Petty Officer Second Class through Chief Petty Officer First Class, with a CPO1 being appointed as Cadet Coxswain. Staff cadets are paid at a daily fixed rate for the duration of their time as a Staff Cadet. Sea Cadet CTCs are commissioned as "
stone frigates," which is to say, naval shore establishments granted much the same standing as a seagoing unit.
Current Sea Cadet Training Centres (CTC) • CTC , located in
Comox, British Columbia, has operated as a Sea Cadet training facility since 1953. It was commissioned in 1956 and is the second largest summer training facility. It employs over 100 officers and 150 staff cadets each year. The centre occupies Goose Spit opposite Comox, and makes use of
Highland Secondary School as an auxiliary training facility for classroom work,
first aid, and music training.
Quadra is the only Sea Cadet Training Centre in Canada to include all four trades plus two of the three specialty trades (
Marine Engineering, and
Shipwright). Cadets undergoing training as
boatswains and marine engineers also undergo training in damage control at
CFB Esquimalt.
Quadra plays host to a number of international exchange cadets. In recent years, these have included contingents from South Korea, Japan, the
United States,
United Kingdom,
Germany,
Sweden,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Bermuda, and the
Netherlands. Since 2022, this has been the only training centre still with the HMCS prefix. • CTC
Trenton (HMCS Ontario) is a detachment located in
Kingston, Ontario HMCS
Ontario Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre began life as Cadets Camp Frontenac (sailing camp) on 4 July 1977, and was officially redesignated as HMCS
Ontario Cadet summer Training Establishment on 13 July 1981 thus allowing
Ontario to expand and to offer a wider range of training opportunities to sea cadets from across Ontario and Canada previously disciplines such as music, drill and ceremonial and the two-week general training course, and now only sail and seamanship. In the summer months
Ontarios small cadre of full-time staff are supplemented by 110 officers, non-commissioned members and civilian instructors of the COATS and sea cadets who are offered summer employment as staff cadets. HMCS
Ontario is also a year-round operation, responsible for sail training and the operational standards of nine sail centres and a staff of 80 part-time officers and civilian instructors who staff the sail centres located across the province of Ontario in the spring and autumn months. From 1982 to 2019 HMCS
Ontarios main headquarters has been located at
CFB Kingston with the main summer training centre located on the grounds of the
Royal Military College. From 2022 onwards, its headquarters has been combined under CTC Trenton, and is now a detachment used for the Sail course. Additionally, cadets may apply for a number of tri-service courses hosted by other training centres.
Former SCSTC • , the historic destroyer that fought in World War II and now a National Historic site, was home to a unique six-week-long boatswain trade training course during the summer months in the 1970s. At that time
Haida was a
museum ship located in
Toronto, Ontario. Approximately 30 Sea Cadets would live aboard, sleep in hammocks like the original crew, and follow a realistic ship's routine for six weeks while training. They would also double as museum guides for periods during the day. On at least one occasion, select cadets were offered the opportunity to use their new skills after graduating from the course. In 1975 four cadets were selected to serve a three-week stint aboard
Canadian Coast Guard vessels at sea, sailing from
Halifax, Nova Scotia. • SCSTC HMCS
Avalon, located in
St. John's, Newfoundland, was, at its closing, the smallest SCSTC in Canada. It offered training in either basic sail or beginner band. • SCSTC was located at the Echo Valley Conference Centre, formerly the Fort San sanatorium, near
Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, an hour north east of
Regina, Saskatchewan. HMCS ''Qu'Appelle
offered the introductory Two-Week General Training course, and Trade Groups One through Three of the Music and Sail courses. HMCS Qu'Appelle'' last offered courses in 2004. • SCSTC HMCS
Gimli, HMCS ''Qu'Appelle''s predecessor, was located in
Hnausa,
Manitoba. • SCSTC HMCS
Québec, located in
Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval, Quebec, was the only SCSTC that was entirely delivered in
French. It trained cadets in all four trades as well as the Shipwright specialty course.
Québec occupied a school during the summer season. The training centre opened its doors in 1975, and offered its last summer courses in 2012. • Camp Tillicum, located outside of
North Bay, Ontario on
Callander Bay was a detachment of HMCS
Ontario offering Two-Week General Training and Basic Leadership courses. The camp closed in 1986. • SCSTC HMCS
Micmac located in the Windsor Park region of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It trained cadets in Boatswain and Submariner. The camp closed in late 1988. Boatswain cadets were then transferred to HMCS
Acadia. • CTC
HMCS Acadia, located in
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, was the largest summer training facility. During the course of the summer,
Acadia was home to roughly 1,200 cadets who were undergoing training.
Acadia provided training in Music, Sail, Drill and Ceremonial, and Seamanship training. In 2006,
Acadia celebrated 50 years as a Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre.
Acadia closed to cadets in 2020, and was not reopened once summer training resumed in 2022. == Honours and awards ==