Royal Roads Military College


Royal Roads Military College was a Canadian military college from 1940 to 1995, located in Hatley Park, Colwood, British Columbia, near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The facility now serves as the campus of Royal Roads University, a public university that offers applied and professional academic programs on-campus and via distance education.
The campus' centrepiece is Hatley Castle, which was erected by architect Samuel Maclure in the early 20th century for British Columbia coal magnate James Dunsmuir and his wife, Laura.

History

The property owned by industrialist James Dunsmuir, along with his mansion Hatley Castle, was acquired by the Dominion Government in 1940. The initial plan was that the site would be used to house the British royal family during World War II. However, as the Queen Mother put it, "The children will not go without me and I will not go without the King and the King will never go".
Designed to support Canada's naval war effort, the facility began operating in December 1940 as an officer training establishment known as HMCS Royal Roads. Many of the 600 volunteer reserve officers who underwent training during this time served in the Battle of the Atlantic. HMCS Royal Roads was used to train short-term probationary Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve sub-lieutenants to serve in World War II.
In 1942, because of wartime expansion, the Royal Canadian Naval College was established. In 1947, the facility became known as the RCN-RCAF Joint Services College where Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel were trained. The facility changed its name to Canadian Services College, Royal Roads in 1948 where personnel from all three services - the Navy, Air Force, and Army were trained during a two-year program.
In 1968 the college's name was changed to Royal Roads Military College, and in 1975, the college began granting degrees.
The gentlemen cadets of RRMC were not only required to excel in their respective academic fields, but to achieve the standard in the three other components as well, the Second Language Training component, Physical Fitness component and the Military component. Failure in any of these four components resulted in the officer cadet not being awarded the coveted RRMC degree.
In February 1994, after the end of the Cold War and under the pressure of massive spending cuts from the Government of Canada, the Department of National Defence announced that it would close Royal Roads Military College. The final class graduated in May 1995.
Hatley Park and former Royal Roads Military College was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995 to commemorate the Dunsmuir family and RRMC. The site was plaqued in 2000 as a Canadian example of an Edwardian park, with gardens, which remains practically intact.
The name Royal Roads was drawn from geography. The name refers to an anchorage located in Juan de Fuca Strait between the city of Victoria, British Columbia and Albert Bay. HMCS Royal Roads was located on a property originally purchased by James Dunsmuir in 1902. Dunsmuir was a former British Columbian premier and lieutenant governor. The Hatley Park Estate originally comprised. The Dunsmuir family added Hatley Castle, which was completed in 1908. The Canadian Department of National Defence purchased Hatley Park, almost in its entirety, in 1940, for $75,000. This sum was roughly the value of the fence surrounding the property.
As Executive Officer, Commander Reginald Amand Webber D.S.C., C.D. served there till late 1942. On June 21, 1995, after negotiations with the Department of National Defence and the Government of British Columbia, the British Columbia government passed the Royal Roads University Act, creating Royal Roads University. The campus is currently leased from the federal government under a $1, 50-year lease agreement with Royal Roads University which was announced in 2001. The Department of National Defence leases approximately 55 hectares of land for the campus to Royal Roads University, and has entered into a five-year Renewable Management Agreement with the University for the maintenance of the remaining 175 hectares of property owned by the Department of National Defence.
The athletic facilities at Hatley Park included a swimming pool, five tennis courts, two squash courts, three soccer pitches, one rugby field, two ball diamonds, a quarter- mile track, a 6.1 km cross country course, jetty and boat house. Cadets played sports including rugby, soccer, baseball, golf, scuba diving, track and field, wrestling, ball hockey, broomball, and hockey.

Squadrons of the Cadet Wing

The undergraduate student body, known as the Cadet Wing, was sub-divided into four smaller groupings called squadrons, under the guidance and supervision of senior cadets. Until the late 70's the four squadrons were populated by undergraduate cadets. When the college started training NCMs it was reorganized so that the first three squadrons were for cadets while 4 Squadron was for mature students from the University Training Program Non-Commissioned Members program. Although squadrons were not named, they were represented by embroidered patches bearing mythological figures, which were worn on the sleeves of the cadet workdress. The squadrons were subdivided into flights, which were named after historical figures. Cadets competed by squadron in drill and intramurals.
Squadron #FlightFlight
1CartierFraser
2ChamplainMackenzie
3HudsonLasalle
4VancouverThompson

Band

By 1955, Royal Roads had a drum and bugle corps. The Brass and Reed Band had already been formed by 1975. WO George Dunn, the first full-time Bandmaster, served from 1975 to 1979. The Pipes and Drums performed at parades, public relation trips and recruit shows. The Pipe Section and the Drum Section performed at mess dinners; parades; sporting events; ceremonies ; weddings; funerals; public relations; wing events; Christmas and Graduation Balls; private events; and holidays.

Notable historical milestones

Facilities

The Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings lists 9 recognized buildings and 1 classified building on the former grounds of the Royal Roads Military College.

Other buildings

Building SignificancePhoto
Arbutus Buildingacademic classrooms, administrative offices, a computer lab, and a canteen
Boat House boat house
Coronel Memorial Librarymemorial library honours Battle of Coronel
dock dock
Guard House Building 38Recognized Federal Heritage Building 2002
Gatehouse Lodge RR8 Recognized Federal Heritage Building 2000
Hatley Park / Former Royal Roads Military College designated National Historic Site of Canada 1995
Mews Conference Centre James Dunsmuir's stables and garage later converted to classrooms, dormitory, social centre and conference centre. Registered Federal Heritage Building
Millward Wing Offices, dormitories, named for former Commandant Air Vice-Marshal James Bert Millward DFC, GdG, CD, RCAF 1949-52 the 4th Commandant of RRMC.

Royal Roads Military College Museum

Hatley Castle is home to the Royal Roads Military College Museum.
The museum is located in Hatley Castle, on the campus of the Royal Roads University and former campus of the Royal Roads Military College of Canada. The Museum mandate is to collect, conserve, research and display material relating to the history of the Royal Roads Military College, its former cadets and its site.
The Royal Roads Military College Museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the Organization of Military Museums of Canada Inc. The Royal Roads Museum is an accredited museum within the Canadian Forces Museum System.
The museum has formed a cooperating association of friends of the museum to assist with projects.

Traditions

TraditionSignificance
Blanket tossBlanket toss of senior class members after the last waltz at the Graduation ball
Ceremonial maceSymbolizes the authority of the college, as granted in the name of the Sovereign. When carried into the ceremony and placed on stage, the mace signals the opening of the convocation. It was last used at the RRMC postgraduate convocation in 1995. The mace's four sides commemorate the sequence of institutions at Royal Roads. It was made prior to the first graduating class from Royal Roads Military College in May 1977.
'Change of command ceremony'The former commandant offers farewell and best wishes to the college and to the new commandant. The new commandant accepts a first salute as the cadet wing marches past.
Christening bellFollowing naval tradition, a ship's bell was used as a baptism font in the college chapel for christenings and the names of the children were later inscribed on the bell. The ship's bell from RRMC is currently used in the chapel at Royal Military College of Canada.
HMCS Royal Roads bellDuring the life of the college, HMCS Royal Roads bell was displayed in the porte-cochere of Hatley Castle. After the closing of RRMC, HMCS Royal Roads bell was kept in the museum at CFB Esquimalt. It was officially repatriated on 10 September 2010 during the Royal Roads University 2010 Homecoming. The bell is prominently displayed in the new entrance to Grant block in the foyer that links Grant block and the new academic building.
College toastRRMC club toast to absent comrades meaning those who have fallen in action or otherwise died
ColoursAfter the last parade of RRMC in spring 1995, the colours were deposited into the care of Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia where they are on display with several other retired colours including "Royal Canadian Navy" and "Royal Canadian Air Force".
Feu de JoieAn honour guard perform a rifle salute with field artillery, or more commonly, rifles using blank ammunition.
Ghosts and hauntingThe B.C. Society of Paranormal Investigation and Research into the Supernatural have investigated stories of paranormal activity in and around Hatley Castle
Grace
  • Officer cadets ate meals cafeteria style;
  • A senior term was responsible to say a traditional Navy grace for the table “For what we are about to receive, thank God. Carry on…”
Graduation and Commissioning Paradein honour of graduating cadets:
  • Graduating students are presented with their Officer's Commissions in the Canadian Forces.
  • Officer Cadets display their foot drill and sword movements,
  • Feux de Joie an honour guard performs a rifle salute with field artillery
    • Jacket exchangeThe RRMC Director of Cadets exchanges tunics with a I Year Officer Cadet at RRMC Christmas Dinner.
    Just Passing ByWhen a graduate of the RRMC pilots an aircraft in the vicinity of Victoria, British Columbia he or she conducts an impromptu airshow over the college.
    Lord Horatio Nelson's quote hung over the entrance to the Grant BuildingA replica of the quote, "Duty is the great business of a sea officer: All private considerations must give way to it however painful it is." was returned to Royal Roads University campus for Homecoming in 2011.
    MarchesQuick - Hatley Park; Slow - Royal Roads Slow
    Naval heraldry
  • Royal Roads badge 1 features a name on a shield; Royal Roads badge 2 features crown plus anchor, open book & spray of three maple leaves.
  • Royal Canadian Naval College badge features maple leaf, sword, book, anchor
    • Obstacle course raceCourse for recruits set up by the cadets' immediate predecessors
    Old BrigadeAlumni who entered military college 50+ years before wear unique berets and ties, have the Right of the Line on reunion weekend memorial parades, and present the College cap badge to the First Year cadets on the First Year Badging Parade. Each class traditionally marks its 50-year anniversary and entry into the Old Brigade with a gift.
    Skylarks
  • Annual class practical joke or prank
  • Apples taken from the Commandant's trees at 2am were brought back to the doors of popular seniors.
  • A whaler was taken to dockyard and the Navy Dockyard flag was liberated and run up the RRMC mast.
  • A dinghy was strung up the mast in front of the Castle and left there.
  • A cow was chained to the top of Neptune stairs where the Director of Cadets held his morning parade.
  • The Cadet Wing Commander had the 1st year cadets muster in the common rooms while 2nd years took their rooms apart, moved their mattresses out and ran their sheets from building to building. The cadets scrambled back to their rooms to prepare for an inspection of their rooms to find no beds.
  • During 100 days to grad parties, 4th years were not allowed to sleep in their dorm. Instead, the 1st years took their beds and moved them around the college. Cadets might find their bed - up a tree or in a hall. The DCadet found a cadet's bed in the DCadets residence and another in the yard.
  • University of Victoria copper dome was painted 'RRMC #1' in 1982.
  • Cadets took a whaler to Esquimalt dockyards and attached a can painted to look like an explosive device to the side of destroyer.
  • Cadets would routinely kidnap senior cadets and/or staff members, transport them to the rock and maroon them there. On at least one occasion, tables were turned and the "victims" were able to maroon one or more of the kidnapper cadets themselves.
    • Sweetheart broochOfficer cadets gave their dates an enamel brooch in lieu of a corsage for formal dances at Christmas, and Graduation.
    White peacockBlue Indian peafowl have lived free on the college grounds since the 1960s. Albert, a rare white peacock resident since RRMC days, died in 2003.

    Commandants

    Principals

    Notable professors

    Notable alumni

    Quotes

    #NameQuote
    Mr. Kasper, 3rd Session, 35th Parliament, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
    • "Be it resolved that this House strongly condemn the Government of Canada's unfair decision to close five defence installations in British Columbia, including the Royal Roads Military College, resulting in the elimination of nearly 900 civilian and military jobs; and be it further resolved that this House, noting the reputation of academic excellence offered at the Royal Roads Military College during its 55-year history, and in light of the recent $20 million upgrade, urge the Government of Canada to re-examine the utility of closing the only military college in Western Canada, affecting 230 civilian and military jobs."

    Filming location

    The campus of Royal Roads has been used as a film set for: