Alghabra Spends Two Days with the Canadian Navy

MISSISSAUGA - Omar Alghabra, MP for Mississauga-Erindale, returned from a two-day trip with the Canadian Navy yesterday. Mr. Alghabra, along with his neighbouring Liberal MP, Navdeep Bains, has just completed a journey with Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS), St. John's. The excursion began in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador on Tuesday morning and ended in Halifax harbour on Thursday morning. 

"This was truly an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to get a glimpse of what our men and women in uniform are capable of and to get an even greater appreciation of their role and dedication," said Omar Alghabra. "It was an eye-opener and a humbling experience."

Mr. Alghabra took advantage of a program offered by the Canadian military to raise awareness and inform Parliamentarians of the duties our military carries out. Over the two days, the crew of the frigate demonstrated their skills and training through various exercises and drills. The frigate, along with its crew, is equipped to conduct search and rescue, law enforcement and surveillance operations. 

The crew, led by Captain Santarpia, exhibited impressive abilities. The exercises included: rescuing persons from the sea, responding to emergencies, on-ship damage control, inspection of suspicious ships and a simulated combat battle. 

"During these two days, I had the priceless opportunity to speak with many of our military men and women to discuss different issues, including our role in Afghanistan, environmental policies, military spending and operation, our political system and the collective pride of our country," said Alghabra. "I am very grateful to the Captain and his crew for their hospitality and I am immensely proud of their service and professionalism." 

Mr. Alghabra was presented with a special Atlantic Fleet Coin by Commodore Bob Davidson, the commander of the Atlantic Canadian Navy Fleet to commemorate the voyage. 

"This great journey has reaffirmed to me the quality and sincerity of our men and women who volunteer to serve our country.  It has also reminded me of the great responsibilities that Parliamentarians and the government have towards them when making decisions regarding deployment. Our soldiers are ready to serve their country, we must carefully and thoughtfully examine how we utilize them", said Alghabra. 

HMCS St. John's was built in St. John, New Brunswick and commissioned in 1996 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is one of the twelve Halifax Class Frigates in the Canadian Navy. She has approximately 230 crew with different skills and training, from engineering to combat to logistics and service, and has a Sea King Helicopter.