HMCS d'Iberville

There have been two establishments named d’Iberville in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS d’Iberville (1st of name) / Shore Establishment

The first HMCS d’Iberville was a naval school commissioned in October 1952 in the city of Quebec for the purpose of increasing the presence of francophones in the Royal Canadian Navy. HMCS d’Iberville was located within HMCS Montcalm, the naval reserve division in Quebec City. At the time, Montcalm was the only non-unilingual English unit in Quebec. The school was paid off in 1961, and her responsibilities were transferred to HMCS Hochelaga (the RCN Supply Branch school in Montreal).

The historical name d’Iberville commemorates Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville, a Canadian sailor and explorer who was born in Ville-Marie (present-day Montreal) in 1661 and died in 1706. He fought the English in Hudson Bay and around Newfoundland (1686-97), then established Louisiana, becoming the territory’s first governor.

• Date commissioned: 21 October 1952
• Date paid off: 31 July 1961

HMCS d’Iberville (2nd of name) / Naval Reserve Division

The second HMCS d’Iberville, the current Rimouski naval reserve division, was authorized in July 1986 and formed in August. It was formally commissioned in1987 in temporary facilities. HMCS d’Iberville was established as part of Phase II of the Naval Presence in Quebec, spearheaded by the Department of National Defence to recruit more francophones into the Canadian Navy and encourage them to stay and build their careers.

In May 1994, the unit’s permanent facilities were inaugurated. Co-located with port facilities in Rimouski East, HMCS d’Iberville has a crew of approximately 100 people from Greater Rimouski.

• Date commissioned: 14 November 1987

Motto: “Ensemble” (Together)