Naden Landing was dedicated by the Canada Lands Company on December 10, 2013, as part of their redevelopment of Edmonton’s former Canadian Forces Base (Griesbach Barracks).
The Naval shore facility at Esquimalt was commissioned as HMCS Naden on September 3, 1922. It was named for facility’s Depot Ship, HMCS Naden, a small wooden schooner built in 1913 that previously had been used for costal surveys and cadet training. HMCS Naden carried books containing the names of officers and men serving in the Esquimalt area. An old British Admiralty regulation required that all personnel working ashore must appear on the books of a naval vessel for purposes of pay and discipline, even when there was little real connection between base and ship.
When the Second World War began, Naden become the principal Naval Training Centre for western Canada. The war years saw a rapid expansion of the facility to meet the huge demands of training the personnel needed for the war effort. Many from Edmonton joined others from the prairies in joining the navy and receiving their training at HMCS Naden.
HMCS Naden was renamed to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on April 1, 1966, as part of organizational changes, which integrated the navy, army, and air force.