HMCS Griffon

There has been only one establishment named Griffon in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Griffon / Naval Reserve Division

The facility that would become HMCS Griffon was founded in 1937 as the Port Arthur Division of the RCNVR. It was established through a combination of local factors: the influence of the shipping industry on the Great Lakes, especially the Port Arthur Shipping Company; and the association with the Sea Cadet program. Such was the level of local enthusiasm that the division had to draw up a waiting line for recruits.

With no home of its own, the division originally shared space with militia at the Port Arthur Armoury, and then another interim location before moving to its current quarters in 1944. During the war, sailors recruited from the prairies were often routed through Griffon on their way east for training.

Located at the western end of the Great Lakes, Griffon provides an important connection to the navy far inland, frequently hosting Kingston-class vessels and other units of the Atlantic fleet when they deploy to the Lakehead. In addition, the shipping activity in the area provides its sailors ready access to practical training for operations in a busy maritime environment.

• Date commissioned: 2 April 1940

MOTTO:  “Prima in lacubus” (First on the Lakes)