Corps History

358 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps SIR ISAAC BROCK received it charter on 15 July 2016 in the City of St Catharines, ON.

The corps held it first parade night on 13 September 2016 at the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 418.  The Legion was also the first headquarters for the corps.  Soon thereafter the corps established a training location at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary School during its first year.

This allowed for more classroom training and larger parade square.  During it first year, the corps participated in the Western Ontario Area Orienteering competition, Band and Drill competition and Marksmanship competition.

The corps can actually trace it lineage back to the beginning of the Sea Cadet program in 1917.

141 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps BELLEROPHON opened its doors in 1917 in the City of Welland, ON (and was the documented first chartered sea cadet corps in Canada) while 125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN began operations in the City of St Catharines in 1925.  Both corps established themselves as important youth organizations in their respective cities.

BELLEROPHON in fact, grew and expanded to the City of Port Colborne where a satellite corps was established.  In September of 1950, the satellite corps was granted a charter and 78 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps VALIANT began its sail.  For many years all three units were pillars of the communities they served in.

Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, 125 RCSCC RENOWN closed its doors in the early 2000`s.  The was followed a number of years later with the merging of 141 RCSCC BELLEROPHON and 78 RCSCC VALIANT.  The merged unit wanted to keep the history of Niagara area sea cadets alive and decided upon its new name as: 125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN II.

Starting in 2010, the new sea cadet corps stayed in Port Colborne where it was very active in community events  and even winning an award for its efforts.  But again, due to a variety of factors the corps was placed on hiatus in 2015.  It was decided to move the unit to St Catharines and give it a fresh start.

Thus, on 15 July 2018, 358 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps SIR ISAAC BROCK began its adventure from the past it has been built upon.  It opened its doors formally on  6 September 2016.

The history of the corps can trace its roots roots back to:

141 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps BELLEROPHON – Welland, ON (1917-2010);

125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN – St Catharines, ON (1925-2003);

78 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps VALIANT – Port Colborne, ON (1950-2010);

125 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps RENOWN II – Port Colborne, ON (2010-2015)

The Ship started the second year by almost doubling in size.

The community started to recognize the contributions of the Corps and youth started to sign up.  358 Sea also moved areas from Western Ontario under the Regional Cadet Support Unit Central to the Niagara-Greater Toronto Area (NGTA).  In October, the Corps competed in the Area Orienteering Competition in Toronto.

Halfway through the year the Ship sailed to its new permanent home at St Johns Anglican Church in Port Dalhousie area of St Catharines.  In addition, the corps participated in a grand Annual Review Parade of all the Sea Cadet Corps in Niagara Region as part of the Centennial of Sea Cadets festivities.

By the end of the training year, the corps had successfully achieved a standard of 30 cadets, thus, reaching the status of VIABLE UNIT in less than two years in operation.

To start the third year of operations, the corps participated in the Grand Sea Cadet Centennial Parade in Toronto where over ten sea cadet units, and hundreds of Sea Cadets, put on a celebration of the past 100 years.  The Reviewing Officer for the parade was Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor.

In January 2019, the corps once again weighed anchor and moved to permanent facilities at Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 418.  The move gave the corps a stable home and strong growth between the Legion and the Corps.

Starting their fourth year of operation, the Corps was growing in strength and building it relationship with the community.  However, in March 2020, the Canadian Cadet Organizations (CCO) was forced to stand down the whole program nation-wide due to the COVID-19 pandemic (which included no in-person meetings, no summer training, no exchanges…a complete stand down).  The Officers, Staff and Senior Cadets took the initiative and moved the entire corps operations / cadet program online to deliver it to the cadets directly.  The corps was recognized for its initiatives at the Area, Regional and National level.  358 Sea, in conjunction with 103 Sea and 138 NLCC, hosted the first virtual Annual Ceremonial Review in Canada in May 2021.  While it wasn’t in person, the Corps showed strong and had a great end of the year.

The fifth year of operation, fall 2020, saw the return of cadets from Virtual Cadet Training Centre’s and a focused dedication.  The year started with promise as a return to in-person training was going to happen, and for a few weeks in October cadets and staff did parade.  However, the COVID-19 virus quickly saw skyrocketing infection rates and cadets was once again ordered online.

While the move was seamless, many cadets became disengaged because their schooling was also moved online.  The Corps attendance numbers drastically declined due to ‘screen fatigue’.  The corps held virtual escape rooms, lecture series, and gave the cadets the opportunity to develop their own fun and unique program.  Towards the end of the training year, the cadets that stayed were having fun and still proud members of the Cadet Corps.

2022 proved to be a trying time for the corps, as COVID-19 seen a brief return to online training.  Upon return to in-person, the corps was informed that it had to move temporarily from its current location as it was slated to go under demolition and rebuilding.  As the corps was used to this, it weighed anchor one more time until its new home was ready for return.

And so, with steadfast determination not to let rehoming (again) deter them, 358 SIR ISAAC BROCK waits patiently while tenants of a local public school.