Royal Roads Military College collection

Timeline — RRMC at Hatley Park

1940

The Canadian government purchased Hatley Park from the Dunsmuir family and opened HMCS Royal Roads to train RCNVR sub-lieutenants for the navy during World War II.

1942

The new Royal Canadian Naval College, Royal Roads, opened with 100 cadets, 50 in senior year and 50 in junior year.

1948

A tri-service college was created with the name Canadian Services College Royal Roads. The previous year, the air force had combined training with the naval college, creating the short-lived RCN-RCAF College Royal Roads.

1951

Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth visited the college.

1955

The Nixon residence block opened, meaning cadets now had their own cabins instead of 25 cadets sharing each of the dorm rooms in the Grant block.

1958

The Governor-General visited, and the entire college appeared in scarlets on the parade ground for the first time. A swimming pool and squash courts were added to the gymnasium.

1963

Two pairs of peacocks were introduced to campus as a gift to the commandant from a family in the Okanagan.

1967

The name of the college officially changed to Royal Roads Military College.

1972

The class of 1946 erected a granite memorial in the Italian garden to commemorate the Royal Roads graduates killed in action.

1974

The Coronel Memorial Library opened. Cadets were responsible for moving books from the library in Hatley Castle to the new location. The library was named after the Battle of Coronel where four RCN members of the class of 1911 died on board the cruiser HMS Good Hope.

1976

Royal Roads Military College attained university status and began offering degree programs.

1984

Female cadets came to Royal Roads for the first time.

1994

The federal government announced that Royal Roads Military College would close. The final class graduated in 1995.