Sailors inspire Naval Reserve Centennial graphic identifier design

Navy News / February 11, 2022

By Lieutenant-Commander Paul Pendergast

The Naval Reserve will be turning 100 on January 31, 2023.

To mark the one-year countdown to the Naval Reserve Centennial, the official graphic identifier was launched on January 31, 2022.

After a design competition, a panel of all-ranks members selected the design by Sailor 2nd Class (S2) Joseph Dimayuga, previously from Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Discovery.

S2 Dimayuga joined the Naval Reserve as a human resources administrator in 2018 and served as full time staff in Discovery's ship’s office until transferring to the Regular Force in March 2021.

S2 Dimayuga was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada with his family in 2003. With experience in advertising and after 12 years working as a garment manufacturer and master tailor, S2 Dimayuga was confident he could submit a winning design.

“I wanted to incorporate historical images of past sailors while highlighting the modern Naval Reserve,” said S2 Dimayuga, describing how he came up with the design.

“My plan was to represent the 100-year time line through the silhouettes and headdresses of sailors from the past and today. I kept the ship's wheel similar to the one on the present Naval Reserve badge, and made the waves a bit more emphasized as a nod to the old ‘wavy-navy’ term used to refer to Reservists,” he said.

“My silhouette was initially meant to be a placeholder for an image of a present-day sailor, then as the design progressed, it became permanent. It also became a subtle way of ‘signing’ my artwork.”

S2 Dimayuga chose S2 Kelly Le’s image to counterbalance the two historical images at the top and to represent the newer generation of Naval Reservists.

Born and raised in Vancouver to Vietnamese immigrant parents, S2 Kelly Le is the first member of her family to join the Canadian Armed Forces. Joining as a boatswain at HMCS Discovery in 2017, S2 Le has distinguished herself as an accomplished junior leader.

She attended the United Nations Peacebuilding Youth Forum as a youth delegate representing the Canadian Naval Reserves. Along with 150 other youth leaders, S2 Le participated in discussions surrounding issues such as support for Indigenous peoples, foreign policy, media and technology, economic equality and security and criminal justice.

In 2019, S2 Le organised a group of HMCS Discovery sailors to participate in the Adrian Oliver Memorial Run, a 5 km race held in support of Honour House, a home away from home for first responders and their families. The group also participated in the 10 km Sun Run to raise money for various charities, including the BC Cancer Foundation and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

S2 Le volunteered for Operation Laser, the CAF’s response to a worldwide pandemic situation, where HMCS Discovery generated two platoons of sailors in Vancouver to help respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. S2 Le also went to sea with HMCS Vancouver’s crew when they conducted sea trials in 2021.

“When S2 Dimayuga showed me the design he was working on, I was very impressed. It was an honour when he asked to use my image, and I am very proud to represent all Naval Reservists on the design that will be featured prominently throughout the Centennial year,” S2 Le said.

To commemorate the Naval Reserve Centennial, there will be a year-long celebration throughout 2023 that will include national events and initiatives, as well as local events at all 24 Naval Reserve Divisions.

The Naval Reserve Centennial will allow its sailors to showcase the Naval Reserve to Canadians, and demonstrate its proud history in each of the country’s major cities. It will also be an opportunity for Canadians to celebrate our naval history and the service of reservists to Canada.