Contributed by IBEW Veteran Member, Chrissie Caprani, IBEW Local 529, on behalf of the IBEW Canada Veterans Forum
Today, we remember those who fought for our freedom.
“Lest we Forget”
Our spotlight for Remembrance Day is Brother Stephen Beam, a member of IBEW Local 529 In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We recognize and celebrate his dedication to time served in the forces rolled into his dedication as an IBEW member for over 20 years. His memories of serving in the Navy are as follows:
“In 1986, I joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and arrived for basic training at CFB Cornwallis on my 23rd birthday. After that, my training unit 8608 1 platoon, participated in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo as an acrobatic act (aka the window ladder routine) in front of thousands of audience members for five nights.
“I was assigned to the HMCS Annapolis (Annapolis-class destroyer), for duty and spent the next three years on that ship going on various exercises and traveled to a lot of western European countries, northern Norway, all up and down the American east coast seaboard and various islands in the Caribbean. I was posted to HMCS Protector (AOR 509) for around five months and mustered out of the Navy.
“I do miss going to various countries and experiencing different lifestyles and cultures but what I don’t miss is for example, 30-to-40-foot sea swells for three days and nights in the challenging North Sea,” he adds, chuckling.
Steve wanted to remuster from bosun to electrician while serving, but progress was at a standstill. Steve then made the difficult decision to leave the Navy and pursue his goal as a civilian. He left in 1989 and mustered out of the ranks as an Able Seaman. From there, he enrolled in the Electrical program at Nova Scotia Community College for one year and then moved to Banff, Alberta, to pursue his electrical apprenticeship. After a short stint in Banff, Steve moved to Saskatoon to be with family and seek further apprenticeship training.
Brother Beam joined IBEW Local 529 in the late 90s and has been with them ever since. The extensive training in safety and structure, along with the need to follow strong guidelines as a professional electrician, drove Steve to join the IBEW.
Up until a few years ago, Steve was active in laying the wreath for Local 529 on Remembrance Day. He then joined the rank and file and now marches with the old guard at the ceremonies.
Thank you, Brother Beam, for your time served in both capacities of the Royal Canadian Navy and now the IBEW. We honour and respect you.