Command Team
Commanding Officer- Lt (N) S. Downey (CD)
Mr. Downey started as a Navy League Cadet with Admiral Landymore, navy league cadet corps reaching the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class.
As a sea cadet with Admiral Nelles, Mr. Downey rose through the ranks to reach the top cadet rank of Chief Petty Officer 1st Class and served as Coxswain of the unit. Through the years as a cadet, Mr. Downey was a member of the swim teams, Drill with Arms, Drill without Arms teams, and the First Aid team. He attended HMCS Ontario for General Training, then Greenwood Air Cadet Camp, in Nova Scotia, for a tri-service lifeguard course. He returned to HMCS Ontario as a PERI staff cadet the following summer.
All these experiences laid the foundation for Mr. Downey to enroll as a reserve member of the CIC in the Canadian Armed Forces for the role of Cadet Instructor. Courses attended as an officer include – Basic Officer Qualification Course, Junior Officer Leadership Course, Lieutenants qualification course, Captains qualification, Range Safety Officer Course, Basic Canoe Instructors course, Drivers Safety Course, Food Handlers Course.
Within Admiral Nelles, Mr. Downey has worked in most areas of the ship starting as an Instructor, Supply Officer, Training Officer, Chef, Executive Officer and the Commanding Officer. Outside Admiral Nelles, Mr. Downey has worked as a PERI Staff officer at HMCS Ontario, as well as an Escort Officer for the Cadet program taking cadets from across Canada to England, India and Hong Kong.
Mr. Downey’s fondest memories of the cadet program include provincial swim competitions and trips to Norfolk Naval base in Norfolk Virginia. He is thankful to the cadet program for the experience in leadership, problem solving and teaching techniques that have afforded him rewarding career opportunities in his civilian life. He is also grateful for the travel opportunities he has had and acquired skills over his time as a cadet and officer.
In his role as Commanding Officer, Mr. Downey is responsible for maintaining ships’ routines, overall standards, including discipline within the unit as well as keeping all accountable for their areas of responsibility. He works directly with the cadets in the following capacities: Instructor, Cook, Coach/Advisor for the drill, sheers, range, orienteering, and biathlon teams. Mr. Downey looks forward to working to improve our units standing in all competitions.
Executive Officer/ Training Officer- Lt(N) S. Rendle-Robb
In February of 1995, I joined 135 RCSCC Admiral Nelles. That summer I attended General Training in Kingston Ontario. In April of 1996, due to a location change, I transferred to 153 RCSCC Woodstock. Over the next 6 years as a cadet I attended the Basic and Intermediate Band courses as well as Junior Leadership course. Summer Training provided the opportunity to travel to Kingston, Ontario twice as well as Comox, British Columbia twice. During March of 1997, I traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia with RCSCC Woodstock to participate in Submariner Training onboard HMCS Olympus. In August of 2000 I spent 3 weeks in British Columbia sailing up the coast from Comox to Kitimat on the tall ship, the Maple Leaf. I held several positions as a cadet at RCSCC Woodstock including Lead Percussionist, Divisional Petty Officer, Guard Commander, Regulating Petty Officer and Coxswain. I was also participated in first aid, Drill with and without Arms teams and was the lead percussionist for the band.
After aging out of cadets at 19, I returned to RCSCC Woodstock as a Civilian Instructor. Over the next few years I continued to help with band, first aid and the drill teams. In August of 2004 I enrolled in the Canadian Armed Reserve as a member of the Cadet Instructor Cadre. Soon after I took the Basic Officers Course at CFB Borden. I spend the next few years working in the training department and assisting where ever needed while attending training courses including the Military Occupation Course, Lieutenant Qualification Course and Intermediate Officers Course. I became the Training Officer in 2006 for to years and again in 2011 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Navy) in November of 2014. I continued in the role of Training Officer until transferring to 135 RCSCC Admiral Nelles in September of 2015. In 2016 I became the training officer for RCSCC Admiral Nelles which is my current position with the unit.
Administration Officer- SLt K. Au Coin
SLt Au Coin started at the age of 12 with RCSCC Admiral Nelles. He quickly rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer 1st Class serving as the Regulating Petty Officer of our unit.
Over the years as a cadet, he was a member of the Sail team, Drill team, First Aid Team and Seamanship team. He attended HMCS Ontario for General Training then Sail Trade groups I, II, and III, then finally, as a Boatshed Staff Cadet.
The knowledge gained through these experiences has allowed SLt Au Coin to become a Civilian Instructor, with the full intention of becoming a member of the CIC.
Some of his favorite memories in the cadet program include traveling across Canada, sailing in some amazing places and the ability to create lifelong friendships with members across Canada.
SLt Au Coin is thankful to the cadet program for life skills in leadership, teaching and problem solving that he uses every day. If it were not for the cadet program, SLt Au Coin would not have been able to see how amazing our country really is.
In his role as Administration Officer, he is responsible for maintaining ships records, correspondence within and outside of the unit, and enrollment of new cadets.
Assistant Training Officer- SLt D. Robinson (CD)
Mr. Robinson started his experience with Sea Cadets at RCSCC Repulse in Sarnia, ON. He was a member of the Drill with Arms team that competed provincially in the early 80’s and went onto summer camp at CTS Tillicum and Camp Ipperwash.
Mr. Robinson joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1987 as a Marine Engineer Mechanic and completed basic Training at CFB Cornwallis, in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. He was then sent for trades training at CFB Stadacona where he joined the Atlantic Fleet on HMCS Ottawa, a steam driven destroyer, in a class affectionately known as the “Cadillacs”, commissioned in 1955. After more on-the-job training he was sent back to the Naval Engineering Division for the next step of his trade progression. In 1990 he was chosen to be part of the Commissioning Crew in HMCS Halifax, the first of twelve Canadian Patrol Frigates that still sail today. During the time the Hailfax was being built, he had the honor of serving aboard the small patrol boats of the Reserve Training Unit. Once again, he was posted ashore to the Naval Engineering school for an eighteen-month QL5 course. Once he completed this training, he was mustered into the Marine Engineer Technician Trade. This allowed him to train and complete written and oral boards to become A Cert 2E, which taught him how to operate the ship’s main propulsion system at sea. He then attended Basic Submarine Training for the Oberon class boats. This is the same one that now sits as a museum in Port Burwell.
Mr. Robinson’s last operation deployment was in 1998, when I was attached to the RCMP and 4th Air Defense Regiment out of CFB Gagetown for the Swissair Flight 111 Recovery. He was released from the RCN in 1999 to the Supplemental Reserve. In 2009 he then transferred to the Primary Reserve at HMCS Star. Once again, he was part of the Supplemental Reserve and is now in the process of transferring to the CIC.
In his role as Divisional Officer at RCSCC Nelles, he is looking forward to sharing his experiences with the cadets.
Instructor- CI D. Jackson
Mr. Jackson started his cadet experience in Admiral Landymore, navy league cadet corps where he reached the rank of Petty Officer 1st class and the position of Regulating Petty Officer. Once he turned of age, he transferred to Admiral Nelles, sea cadets corps. Mr. Jackson spent the first couple years as a member of the guard before moving through various positions including Divisional Petty Officer, Guard Commander, and Chief Gunner’s mate. He finished his cadet career as a Chief Petty Officer 1st class in the position of Coxswain.
His summer training involved a significant amount of travel starting with a summer of general training at HMCS Ontario in Kingston followed by two summers of Boatswain training at HMCS Acadia in Clementsport, Nova Scotia. He spent one summer at HMCS Quadra in Comox British Columbia for an eight-week Marine Engineering course where he received his Second-Class Stoker’s Ticket for the OR a class of RCN vessels. Mr. Jackson even was lucky enough to attend an international exchange to South Korea. In his final summer, he attended HMCS Ontario as a staff cadet in the administration department.
Mr. Jackson’s favorite memories of his time with cadets are his trips to British Columbia heading through the Straits onboard the Orca class ships. He enjoyed seeing wildlife like dolphins, seals, and whales and performing various drills, which provided him with a truly authentic experience. He considers the time he spent with his peers at our home base here in Brantford the most memorable of all as it was during these times that he made friendships that have lasted the test of time.
Mr. Jackson has been a Civilian Instructor since 2013 and plans to eventually get into uniform as a CIC officer. He currently holds the position of Guard Divisional Officer and instructor. He is looking forward to mentoring the future generations of cadets and ensuring they have the same great experience with the program as he did.