Remembering Remembrance Day: A Personal Journey With HMCS Edmonton

By Esther Starkman

(AJNews) – On November 11, 2025, I stood in Victoria, BC, joyfully awaiting our granddaughter’s convocation at the University of Victoria. Being in Victoria and neighbouring Esquimalt – home to the Canadian Navy’s Pacific Fleet – sparked memories of an unexpected and cherished chapter of my life: my long relationship with HMCS Edmonton.

Becoming a Ship Sponsor: An Honour Few Experience

In 1996, I received a privilege I will treasure forever: I was chosen as the sponsor of HMCS Edmonton, a Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel of the Kingston Class. The moment I cracked a bottle of champagne over her newly built hull in Halifax Harbour – a tradition both celebratory and nerve-wracking (“What if the bottle doesn’t break?!”) – I became tied to this ship in a way that is difficult to describe but impossible to forget. The launch weekend itself was a whirlwind of ceremony and pride. We toured the Halifax shipyard, met the builders and crew, attended formal dinners, and, of course, witnessed the launch alongside Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Irving, Mayor Bill Smith of Edmonton, Senator Nick Taylor, MLA Laurence Decore, and distinguished members of the Canadian Navy. As a Jewish woman and the daughter of immigrant parents, being asked to sponsor a Royal Canadian Navy vessel was deeply meaningful. At that time, I was the only Jewish woman to have ever been given this honour – and to my knowledge, that remains true today.

A Living Connection With the Crew

My relationship with HMCS Edmonton didn’t end at the launch. Over the years, I have been welcomed aboard with full naval ceremony – tweeted up the gangway to the sound of the boatswain’s whistle – and have hosted members of the crew here in Edmonton. In connection with Read-In Week, a literacy initiative close to my heart, the ship’s crew gifted books to local schools during their visits. These moments bridged our landlocked city with the vast oceans our namesake vessel patrols. One of my most vivid memories came in May 2010, during the Royal Canadian Navy’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Victoria hosted an international fleet review, and I had the great honour of participating. Surrounded by vessels from around the world – gleaming hulls, crisp uniforms, the sheer spectacle of naval precision – I felt profoundly proud to be connected to Canada’s Navy and its remarkable people. That Shabbat, I spoke at the historic Temple Emanu-El in Victoria about the magnitude of the experience and my deep affection for the ship.

HMCS Edmonton: Mighty, Modern, and Surprisingly Fearless

Over the decades, I have watched in awe as HMCS Edmonton has become one of the Navy’s most versatile coastal defence and patrol vessels. Its missions have taken it from the warm waters of the eastern Pacific to the icy reaches of the Arctic Ocean. Pacific Patrols and Drug Interceptions

• 2013: Joined Operation Caribbe on the West Coast, seizing over one ton of cocaine in two October interceptions
• 2016: Working alongside HMCS Saskatoon and U.S. partners, intercepted smugglers off Central America—recovering 650 kg of cocaine.
• Later in 2016: Disrupted three further shipments, totalling nearly 1.5 tons of narcotics.
• 2018: Partnered with HMCS Whitehorse to seize more than 2,800 kg of illegal drugs. Later that year, joined HMCS Nanaimo for another major bust of 750 kg.

 Arctic Operations

• 2017: Deployed north with HMCS Yellowknife under Operation Limpid, sailinginto the Arctic Ocean to monitor Canada’s remote, strategically vital waters.

Global Naval Cooperation

• 2022: Represented Canada at RIMPAC, the world’s largest multinationalmaritime exercise.
• 2023: Again deployed to the eastern Pacific with the U.S. Coast Guard—seizing755 kg of cocaine off Mexico.

 NATO Support and European Operations

• Summer 2025: Crossed the Atlantic to support NATO mine-countermeasure operations in the Baltic, including locating and disposing of explosive ordnance – Canada’s contribution to collective security and deterrence against Russian aggression.

All this from a “small” coastal defence vessel – one that many Edmontonians may not even realize carries the city’s name across the globe.

A Navy Presence for a Landlocked City

 HMCS Edmonton doesn’t sit idle in times of peace. It patrols, protects, trains, cooperates, and responds. It is fitted with state-of-the-art technology and crewed by highly trained professionals – many with advanced degrees in engineering, psychology, and fields essential to modern defence. Edmonton may be far from the ocean, but our namesake ship lives its motto with pride and purpose. For me, Industria Ditat (Industry Enriches) resonates deeply with several longstanding Jewish values and teachings. In our culture, work is not only a livelihood but a mitzvah: a way to benefit others and sustain the community. HMCS Edmonton is a vivid example of Tikkun Olam, work that enriches the world. HMCS Edmonton’s missions – protecting waters, preventing narcotics trafficking, supporting NATO security, participating in humanitarian efforts – are all forms of contributing to global safety and stability.

Honouring Service on Remembrance Day

 As Remembrance Day reminds us, the freedom, safety, and stability we often take for granted are safeguarded by people who serve – at sea, on land, and in the air. HMCS Edmonton is part of that commitment.

I suspect many Edmontonians, including in our Jewish community, may not know the full scope of what “our” ship has accomplished – or what it continues to do to protect Canadians and support our allies. For me, being part of the HMCS Edmonton story has been one of the great honours of my life. On Remembrance Day, and every day, I am grateful for the service, courage, and professionalism of the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy.