The Wren Association of Toronto, formally closed December 2022.
NavyLady@TheWrens.ca and this site, www.TheWrens.ca remain only lightly monitored for the time being.
The Wren Association of Toronto existed from 1946 to 2022.

The following are articles of interest about The Wrens.

Wrens have items at Toronto City Archives on Spadina Rd near Castle Loma. The organization memorabilia ie Jenny Wren Letters and membership files, Wren Association of Toronto notebooks with photos,and similar.

York Association (HMCS York) Toronto has been formed. Two former wrens are on Executive. We turned over to it most of the Wren Locker…ie photos and such. There is a museum room at York but you may have to make arrangements to get in.

RCMI, Royal Canadian Military Institute, has some collections of Naval memorabilia and has a large Library of many books. On University near Dundas in Toronto. Make arrangements to see by calling.

CMHM Canadian Military Heritage Museum, has the physical collection re uniforms etc.and naval memorabilia and a small library…in Brantford. Check opening times. small fee.

U of T University of Toronto, has the Soldiers Tower in the University. The Law School occupies the former Wren Quarters. Soldiers Tower has a wren stained glass window and small artifacts in the Tower.

Cambridge Archives in Cambridge [Galt] has wren fonds… these are called up items. Short Hours need appointment. Most of the real archive in paper etc are here. Including postwar, UK and others… plus all the original photos etc.

Branksome Hall, Toronto, a girls private school provided a few Wren recruits. as did University of Toronto.

See also Museums and Archives.

‘Navy Lady’ is a trademarked Rose bush and was made available in the Spring 2010.
The Grower is JC Bakker and Sons, Limited of St Catharines, Ontario.
Please contact your local retail garden store and request one for your own garden.

Here’s the round up of the project as a whole…

ACTM Navy Lady and/or 1910-2010 Canadian Naval Centennial Rose.
Wren Association of Toronto took this project on on behalf of all the Wren Associations across Canada. The associations have no national group just a loose network.
We became project coordinators between the Grower and Naval organizations and the Naval Centennial Group.
The rose is trademarked by Agriculture and Agri Food Canada and will have trademark protection for the duration. [ie many years]. JC Bakker and Sons Limited, have the exclusive growing rights.
It is said ‘excellent quantities’ may be available each year.

Our aim was to promote, and make the information known regarding the project set us by the Centennial Group.
The number of plants was contingent on timing as there is a lead time to get a rose bush to market and therefore we targeted Naval Organizations and Events. 3500 rose bushes were produced in 2010.
Most of the events which included a planting of the rose were initiated by Naval Groups or persons.
The royalty on the trademark goes to Agriculture Canada for trademark and rose plant, and the costs for producing the rose were taken up by JC Bakker and Sons Limited who provided the care and expertise as an enterprise and recovered costs.
Wrens and friends, and naval organizations promoted their own events including the planting and use of the rose for their own purposes.
The Wren organizations will receive no monies from this project.
Because of limited number of plants. we did not promote the rose to the Public at large in 2010
The Centennial Rose may be used as a Remembrance, Celebration, or Event rose.

Rose Committee Wren Association of Toronto

First Planting

The first planting of the 1910-2010 Canadian Naval Centennial Rose AC^TM Navy Lady took place at the Wardroom at CFB Esquimalt, Victoria, British Columbia, March 8, 2010.

This early event featured three rose bushes planted in tubs on the Wardroom patio.

Naval /Civic Planting 

The largest number of roses plantings of 40 rose bushes, was May 15, 2010 in a Memorial Park in Sackville New Brunswick, the namesake town of HMCS Sackville.

The Canadian Memorial Trust-Second World War corvette is docked at Halifax and was visited by HM the Queen in 2010.

Official Planting

Historical recognition and Blessing of the 1910-2010 Canadian Naval Centennial Rose AC^TM Navy Lady, took place at a well attended ceremony May 16, 2010 wherein,.

12 rose bushes were planted in Cambridge Ontario, at the Libraries and Galleries, in front of the Jenny Wren Statue.

Galt-Cambridge is where most of the WRCNS, Second World War, started basic Naval training (HMCS Conestoga).

Our rose continues to be available, and is successfully growing all across Canada, and even into the USA now!

Check your local garden centre to see if you can obtain one of our lovely red rose bushes for your garden.

Sadly, many of the lovely women who worked on this project have crossed the bar. We miss you Betty, Bev, Pauline and Margaret!

We received this note recently from the good people at the Cambridge Public Library, caring for the garden where our Jenny Wren statue is surrounded by the Navy Lady rose…

One day, one of their staff took this great picture and shared it on social media.  We wanted to share it with you. Here’s what they posted…

“Such a beautiful day – and the roses are in full bloom by our Jenny Wren statue. A lovely tribute to their service. Do you know the story of Jenny Wren? It’s well worth knowing! Enjoy!” From the Ideas Exchange at Cambridge Library.

The Foundation of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service:1942—Brief notes
It was said that Canada asked the British Admiralty by signal ‘Please send us a Mother Wren”*
and while that communiqué has not surfaced in Archives, we wish to believe that is true.
The following personnel returned to Britain and in 1947 according to the Wren Newsletter ** were:

The British Wrens *1947
-Joan Carpenter C.B.E  ‘retired May 1946, last appointment Deputy Director Welfare, W.R.N.S  HQ.
Secretary. W.R.N.S. Benevolent Fund.
-Dorothy Isherwood  ‘appointed Commander of British Empire 1947, retired 1946 serving in the   Mediterranean as Superintendent to Commander  , returned to BBC
June 1943 appointed  Acting Captain D/WRCNS replacing Captain Brock.
-Doris Taylor   ‘after serving W.R.C.N.S.- joined UNRRA retired 1947
-Lorna Kellet   ‘retired May 1947 Chief Officer Portsmouth, joined BBC
-Betty Samuel  ‘retired 1946 after serving one year in Australia, Chief Officer on staff- now in Germany with Control Commission
-Elizabeth Sturdee mentioned by Isherwood, returned early to be married in UK

Additional Information: The Canadian Wrens :1947
-Adelaide Grant Macdonald Sinclair    O.B.E., L.LD :
‘ In  1947 Executive Assistant to Deputy Minister of Welfare
Lt Cdr Sinclair became Director and Commander 1943-45 of Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service.

-Isobel Janet Macneill: O.B.E., L.L.D. and O.C.
Joined 1942,  Lt Cdr 1943, CO of HMCS Conestoga in Galt 1943-45.
‘Only woman in the Canadian Navy to Command a Ship’
Returned briefly in 1954 to RCN.

Honourary Commandant of the WRCNS:  1947
H.R.H. Princess Alice Mary

Original Director of the Women’s Services 1942
Captain Eustache Brock

It appears that the British Wrens tasked for the foundation of the WRCNS arrived in April 1942 had all returned after handover to Lt Cdr Adelaide Sinclair in August 1943.

Source:  * Blue Tapestry: Book by Vera Laughton Mathews , The story of the WRNS:  Page 150
**Wren Newsletter: published Halifax NS,  Vol 1, No 1, February 1947 : Page 1.

Here’s How To Get Your Service Records.

The need for service records comes up every so often. Please keep the following information for future use.

• Canadian – Service Records, ATIP  Personnel  Records Div. Library and Archives Canada  395 Wellington St.  Ottawa ON   K1H 0N4.
• British – Director of Naval personnel, Navy Search, TNT Records  Management.  PO Box 7814, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 1EG navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk.