Language selection


Search veterans.gc.ca

Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service Memorial

Hidden photo gallery

  • front
    (Click for more images)
  • Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service

Municipality/Province: Halifax, NS

Memorial number: 12004-020

Type: Plaque on stele

Address: 2729 Gottingen Street

Location: Naval Museum of Halifax

GPS coordinates: Lat: 44.65905   Long: -63.5935417

Submitted by: Marilyn Gurney

This memorial is dedicated to the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS). It was erected by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1999.


Inscription found on memorial

THE WOMEN'S ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL SERVICE (WRCNS)
LE SERVICE FÉMININ DE LA MARINE ROYALE DU CANADA

Women's service in the military during the Second World War
challenged the tradition of all-male armed forces. Between 1942
and 1946 close to 7,000 volunteers enlisted in the WRCNS and
served in 26 non-combatant occupations on Canadian naval bases at
home or abroad. By late 1943, nearly 1,000 "Wrens" worked in the
Halifax area and lived in HMCS STADACONA, within sight of this
spot. The WRCNS made an outstanding contribution to Allied
victory, paved the way for future generations of Canadian service
women and raised questions about the equality of women in the
civilian world.

Le service militaire des femmes pendant la Seconde Guerre
mondiale a défié la tradition des forces armées jusqu'alors
essentiellement masculines. De 1942 à 1946, près de 7 000 femmes
s'enrôlèrent dans la Marine royale et occupèrent 26 métiers non
reliés au combat dans des bases navales au Canada et à l'étranger. A
la fin de 1943, près de 1 000 « Wrens » travaillaient dans la région
d'Halifax et vivaient dans l'édifice STADACONA, que l'on voit
d'ici. Elles contribuèrent remarquablement à la victoire des Alliés,
tracèrent la voie aux générations futures de femmes militaires et
soulevèrent la question de l'égalité des sexes dans la vie civile.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Government of Canada - Gouvernement du Canada

Street view

Note

This information is provided by contributors and Veterans Affairs Canada makes it available as a service to the public. Veterans Affairs Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the information.

Date modified: