Before returning to port in Halifax in early June, as one of two ready-duty ships on the East Coast, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec took extreme measures to ensure its ship's company remained free of COVID-19, including a two-week hotel isolation period before heading to sea in mid-April.
Keeping sailors physically healthy is crucial to the ship maintaining its readiness, but with crew members separated from their loved ones during a difficult time, taking stock of the morale and mental health on board became increasingly important.
“It's certainly the biggest concern I had day to day, taking that temperature and trying to find new and innovative ways to negate those negative effects,” said Commander (Cdr) Michael Eelhart, Ville de Québec's commanding officer.
Sailors were concerned about their family members and loved ones at home during the pandemic. Some members personally knew victims of the shootings in the Portapique, N.S., area, and all were coping with the tragic loss of their colleagues from HMCS Fredericton, as well as the news of the recent Snowbird crash.
While those who required it were given time to grieve, Cdr Eelhart said sticking to routine and keeping up with normal business at sea can be therapeutic for the crew.
They also made efforts to consistently plan fun or interesting activities for people to look forward to. Part of this has been the domestic presence operations the ship conducted over the past month, sailing…
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