THUNDER BAY – A tradition dating back to the time of Louis XIV continued on New Year’s Day in Thunder Bay.
Members of HMCS Griffon on Sunday gathered to salute Queen Elizabeth the II and Canada itself, hosting the annual Jan. 1 levee as the country gets set to enter its 150th year as a nation and the Griffon marked the beginning of its 80th anniversary.
Lt.-Cmdr Robert Cooke, the newly appointed commanding officer of the Griffon, said levees are a longstanding tradition in Canada and a great way for the military to meet with the public at large to demonstrate what they do.
“It’s a nice chance to get together with friends and the public and let them know what the military is all about,” Cooke said.
In a city like Thunder Bay, where the Griffon takes on a less prominent role than navy towns like Halifax or Victoria, it’s even that much more important, Cooke said.
“I think it makes that connection with the public and we do it in a variety of ways in Thunder Bay. We have the Battle of the Atlantic parade, which is done in May. We have Remembrance Day services throughout the city,” Cooke said.
“We have that connection throughout the city. So when we’re able to host a reception like the levee it lets them come and talk to us and interact with us.”
It’s also a chance to promote a reservist role as a possible career choice.
Cooke said joining the Griffon can be a great back-up career for many living in the city, and possibly lead to something more.
“It’s always something you can do part time, or if your full-time job isn’t working out properly, you can go full time and go out to the coasts – or you could even work in Thunder Bay, there are a few full-time positions here as well,” he said.
In Canada, the levee was begun in New France in 1646, when the governor there, Charles Huault de Montmagny, opened the doors to Chateau Saint-Louis and invited in the local citizenry to mingle and learn of the most significant affairs within the colony that year.
