Second World War
The Navy Ashore  - Building the Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy expanded dramatically during the Second World War, acquiring ships and recruiting personnel to meet the constantly increasing demands placed upon it. Ships had to be built, repaired, and maintained, and people recruited, trained, and supported.

Service Club, Sydney, Nova Scotia

Sailors play ping-pong at the Royal Canadian Navy Service Club in Sydney, Nova Scotia, in January 1941.

The demand for recreational activities grew alongside the expanding navy, as a way of keeping personnel out of trouble. Often, facilities like this club were supported or operated by volunteer organizations. Early in the war, the harbour at Sydney was an assembly and departure point for convoys and a base for the navy's local escort forces. It was ultimately developed for the repair and refitting of warships on the east coast.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920085-1012