WELCOME ABOARD
The Vancouver
NAVAL MUSEUM
WELCOME ABOARD!
You are cordially invited to visit the
only Naval Museum in Vancouver
Dedicated to Preserving
Canada’s Naval Heritage
HMCS DISCOVERY
The Vancouver Naval Museum is located in HMCS Discovery on Deadman’s Island, a part of Stanley Park which is located in Vancouver Harbour. In 1862, when John Morton, Vancouver’s first white settler, visited the island, it was the tree burial ground of the Squamish First Nations people and he saw hundreds of cedar boxes lashed to the upper boughs of trees – hence the name Deadman’s Island.
See the article below for more about the history of Deadman’s Island
On November 1, 1943, HMCS Discovery (named after Captain George Vancouver’s ship HMS Discovery) was newly commissioned and moved into the newly constructed naval barracks on Deadman’s Island. During World War II, the number of reserves had to increase in order to meet the manpower requirements of the rapidly growing Royal Canadian Navy.
HMCS Discovery became one of the largest sources of naval recruits in Canada, processing 372 officers, 6974 ratings and 650 WRENS ( Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service). At the end of the war, HMCS Discovery became the discharge centre for the British Columbia mainland with 8,378 men and women discharged through the base.
Due to Department of National Defence security constraints, museum visits normally must be pre-arranged. Group visits of ten or more are encouraged and they will be escorted from the main gate of HMCS Discovery to and from the museum. Government issued identification will be required for each member of the group. Admission is free, but donations are most welcome.
To book a visit, contact the Curator, JS Lapointe, at 604-738-2076 or curator@vancouvernavalmuseum.ca
Museum Mailing Address
PO BOX 47050 RPO Denman Place
Vancouver, B.C. V6G 3E1
TAKE A QUICK TOUR
The Battle of Deadman's Island
