|   Tuesday,
May 4th, 2010
The 100th Anniversary of
the Canadian Navy 
 There
have been about 35 plantings of AC™ Navy Lady across Canada that we
know of. Some formal and ceremonial, some not so formal. We would like to thank
everyone who planted Navy Lady in places of Naval significance, places of remembrance,
and other locations. We'd also like to thank everyone who has planted Navy Lady
in their own garden, or a garden of a loved one, or perhaps a seniors' residence
for many to enjoy.
Navy Lady will be available for years to
come. If you were not able to purchase one this year, please check with your local
nursery this fall to see if they will be available there. If they didn't carry
them this year, perhaps they will order them in from our grower JC Bakker for
next spring.  We
are very proud of our lovely Navy Lady, she has a beautiful deep dark red flower,
a very spectacular colour, with many blooms on the plant. The foliage comes in
as a deep red which changes to green.
We are collecting stories
and photos from many of the plantings, and will
list them here as we get them. |
Celebrating the Canadian Naval Centennial
with
AC™ Navy Lady
Announcing the 2010 Canadian Naval Centennial Rose. The
Wren Association of Toronto, along with Wren Associations across Canada, chose
this rose developed by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu,
and grown exclusively by J.C. Bakker Nurseries in St Catharines, to celebrate
the Canadian Naval Centennial, 1910-2010. Ceremonial plantings will take place
across Canada in the commemorative year 2010 and onward, in locations of naval
significance, attended by Wrens, other Naval Veterans, serving Naval personnel
and local officials.
"Navy Lady" has been named as a dedication
to the thousands of Canadian women who served in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval
Service (WRCNS), known as Wrens, and the women who continue to serve today as
members of the Canadian Navy.
|
| Our rose can be purchased through selected retail nurseries across
Canada. Details of availability... Click
here for current list AS OF April 10th, 2010. This list
is mostly complete. Some retailers will be carrying
small numbers of plants. You might want to try and pre-order from the retailer. If
you already have contacted us about a planned ceremonial or memorial planting
please pre-order your plants NOW through
a retailer near you so that they can have the plants available for you. If
there is not one listed, contact someone close by and ask them to contact the
grower, JC Bakker to order some - this should
be done soon! If you are interested in planning an event please be sure to
email us. |
| In the 2010 celebration year we dedicate this rose
as a tribute to our Shipmates, all the gallant men and women who served at sea
and ashore in Canadian Navy, past, present and future.
Due to the serious
wartime shortage of sailors for sea billets, the Navy decided to organize a women's
division of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) "to release a man to go to sea."
On July 31, 1942, the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service was established. The
WRCNS, unlike other Allied female units, was not an auxiliary but rather a formed
unit of the RCN and its officers held the King's commission. At peak strength,
over 6,000 women were fulfilling the various roles of coders, confidential clerks,
messengers, telegraphists, cooks, stewards and some 35 other important duties.
The WRCNS was disbanded in 1946. In 1951 a Wren section was reformed in the RCN,
initially in the Reserve but becoming full-time regulars by 1955. Wrens continued
to serve in the RCN and RCNR (reserve) until unification of the Canadian Forces.
Women in the navy were still known as Wrens until the late eighties. Today, no
longer called Wrens, women serve in the Canadian Navy, both regular and reserve,
ashore and at sea.
  The
aim of the Canadian
Naval Centennial is to build and strengthen in Canadians an appreciation for
their navy and, as Canada is a maritime nation, to promote the role of the navy
within the Canadian Forces. The focus is to honour the past, to showcase the current
navy, and to reinforce the future. “Commemorate, Celebrate, Commit”
™
 |
Our rose AC™ Navy Lady, 2010 and beyond.
The shape and
colour of the flowers are a beautiful, dark red velvet, with a very light fragrance.
Between June and the autumn frosts it has reflowering blooms.
Height &
Habit: average, good vigor
Fragrance: light | | To
those in the naval community... please consider planting the rose bushes in your
ceremonial events 2010 and beyond. Available in planting season 2010 at
selected retailers across Canada. Please do not send the Wrens
money for purchase, but please let us know if you would like us to try and reserve
them for you. For ceremonial events, we will make every effort to have the nurseries
reserve plants if you contact us in advance, or at least let you know where you
can get the rose close to you. Mailing address:
Wren Association
of Toronto,
P.O. Box 14, Station F,
Toronto, Ontario. M4Y 2L4 or
email us at navylady@thewrens.com
Many groups have contacted the Wrens regarding platings at Naval
locations, Legions, Museums, events etc. Thank you so much for your participation!
Should you be installing a plaque at the location, we would be pleased if you
would include the following: The Canadian
Naval Centennial Rose
1910-2010(or you could include the date
of planting instead)
AC™ Navy Lady Then
add your own text as appropriate. |
