Queen to mark navy centennial
The Queen and Prince Philip will inspect dozens of Canadian and foreign warships anchored in Halifax harbour on Tuesday, as part of the celebration marking the navy's 100th anniversary.
The Queen, 84, will be aboard HMCS St. John's as she leads the International Fleet Review, which will include ships from eight countries.
"It rarely happens, so it's pretty special," said retired vice-admiral Dusty Miller.
The ships will be anchored in two rows. As the Queen passes, crew members will salute, give three cheers and wave their caps. The Snowbirds will be part of a flypast.
The Queen will also present a plaque commemorating HMCS Sackville, a Second World War corvette that escorted convoys and attacked submarines.
George McLeod, 84, expects it will be an emotional time. He trained on the Sackville, and he and other navy veterans have worked hard to keep it ship-shape as a museum in honour of those who were killed in the war.
"There's not that much interest in the Queen coming, but for us who grew up in that [time] it is a major happiness, shall we say," said McLeod.
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Ron Shields, 76, is also looking forward to the royal tour. He was one of hundreds of Canadian sailors who travelled to England for the Queen's coronation in 1953.
Shields didn't meet Elizabeth II that year, but he did later in his naval career when he was part of a hundred-man guard during a royal visit to Victoria in 1971.
"We were all praying she wouldn't stop in front of us, but she did. She asked me my name and where I was from, and I said, 'My name is New Brunswick and I'm from Ron Shields,'" he said. "And there was just a ghost of a smile."
This time, Shields will be watching the royal tour on television.
After the fleet review, Prince Philip will host a reception at Government House for members of the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment. He is colonel-in-chief of the only regular force infantry battalion in Atlantic Canada.
Later at the Cunard Centre, the royal couple will meet Nova Scotians who have made significant contributions to their communities.
The Queen and Prince Philip leave Halifax on Wednesday for Ottawa. Their nine-day Canadian tour also includes visits to Winnipeg, Waterloo, Ont., and Toronto.
With files from The Canadian Press