On 31 July 1942, the Woman’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) was established, and women were allowed to serve in the navy.  The first training establishment, HMCS CONESTOGA, was opened in Guelph a year later with Cdr Adelaide Sinclair, first Canadian Director WRCNS, and the first woman to command a commissioned ship in the British Commonwealth.

Women did not serve at sea but in thirty-nine different trades ashore.  They were initially paid only seventy-five per cent of a man’s pay and received no allowances.

By the end of the war, nearly 6,781 women had served, with 1,121 outside Canada.  STAR recruited 285 WRCNS during the war.

The WRCNS were disbanded in 1946, but women were allowed to join the RCN(R) in 1950 and the RCN in 1955.  Women were first allowed limited service at sea in 1980 and finally unlimited service in 2001.

Our display includes a mannequin with traditional French grey tunic, a more modern navy blue tunic, items of WRCNS gear and an HMCS CONESTOGA banner.

It is anticipated that the STAR detachment in Waterloo may eventually be commissioned as HMCS CONESTOGA.