It's the third largest employer in Greater Victoria, one of only two major centres of naval activity in sa国际传媒, and home to a world-class shipbuilding and repair facility.
It has its own fire hall, police department, newspaper, hospital and health services -- even its own ferry service -- and hosts a fleet of warships and other vessels that protect sa国际传媒's 27,000 kilometres of coastline and shipping routes and enforce international law on the water.
And with about 2,000 hectares of land in several locations across Greater Victoria, it's bigger than the municipalities of Sidney, Esquimalt, Oak Bay and View Royal.
Welcome to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, a place with an important international purpose and a significant local relevance.
Yet for most Greater Victoria residents, what happens at the base, tucked behind the gates at the end of Esquimalt and Admirals roads, is a mystery.
Capt. Marcel Hall脙漏, commander of CFB Esquimalt, chalks it up to "maritime blindness," something he says most Canadians seem to have. The army and air force occupy our collective attention more -- even for a city right on the ocean, in a country with the largest coastline in the world.
"sa国际传媒 is a maritime nation, like it or not. We're absolutely dependent on the oceans for our economic well-being," he says.
It was a hopeful sign, then, when thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Victoria to cheer on 3,000 men and women in uniform as they marched in a parade on May 4 to celebrate the Canadian navy's 100th anniversary. It was, according to Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, the commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and the highest- ranking person on the base, "a visible demonstration of how significant the navy is to the city of Victoria."
Pile is emphatic about forging ties with foreign navies in the Asia-Pacific region -- and about teaching Canadians what the navy does. After all, the theme of this year's centennial celebrations is "bring the navy to Canadians."
It's something the officers at CFB Esquimalt are keen to do. They argue the base is as much a part of the community as the local Little League team or a neighbourhood association.
"When you put a fence around a property, people don't walk through and see quite as easily," says base spokesman Lt. Michael McWhinnie. "We try and break down those barriers."
Because, as Hall脙漏 puts it, "it's as much your navy as it is mine."
THE SERIES CFB ESQUIMALT: OUR HIDDEN CITY
TODAY: Welcome to the base: In many ways, CFB Esquimalt is a city within a city, with its own police and fire departments, newspaper and neighbourhoods. Go inside the gates of CFB Esquimalt to learn more about the 6,000 people who work there, and what they do.
TOMORROW: Workers on the base: There are more than just sailors here: Jobs for military personnel on the base run the gamut from sonar operators and submariners to cooks and lawyers.
TUESDAY: History of the base: The navy is turning 100 this year, but the base in Esquimalt harbour actually dates back to the 1840s. And as with all heritage sites, there are a few ghost stories lurking around.
WEDNESDAY: Life on the base: Hundreds of people actually live on the base in tight-knit communities that pull together when loved ones are at sea.
THURSDAY: Civilians on the base: About one-third of the employees on the base are civilians, working alongside military personnel in jobs as diverse as rope making and museum curating.
FRIDAY: Business of the base: Between lucrative ship- repair contracts, massive construction projects and thousands of jobs, CFB Esquimalt pumps more than half a billion dollars a year into the region's economy.
SATURDAY
Ships at the base: CFB Esquimalt is home to the navy's Pacific fleet of warships, coastal-defence vessels and submarines that are responsible for protecting 27,000 kilometres of sa国际传媒 coastline. Find out what each ship can do.
ON OUR WEBSITE
- Get up close and personal with CFB Esquimalt with an interactive map of the base, at timescolonist.com/navy100
- Watch and listen to a soundslide of military workers on the job.
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It's bigger than some of our municipalities and a huge economic force in our region, but for many people what happens at CFB Esquimalt is shrouded in secrecy. So starting today, as the navy celebrates its 100th anniversary this year with the promise to "bring the navy to Canadians," sa国际传媒 reporter Katie DeRosa and photographer Debra Brash bring the people, places and objects of the base to life.
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