HMCS Discovery is a Royal Canadian Navy Reserve division and shore facility based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Created during World War II from the Vancouver Half Company of the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve, Discovery was used for recruitment and training, and provided almost 8,000 personnel during the war. Discovery continued in its training role following the war, and also serves as headquarters for several Reserve and Cadet units.
The stone frigate takes its name from HMS Discovery, the ship used by George Vancouver to chart most of North America's north-western coast. Originally based at the Stanley Park Barracks, in 1944 Discovery moved to its current location on Deadman's Island, in Coal Harbour, adjacent to Stanley Park.
HMCS Discovery has a crew of about 175 officers and non-commissioned members (NCMs). The 2011 command team consisted of: commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Phil Horner; executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Bryan Price; and coxswain, Petty Officer First Class Rod Tulett.
Vancouver (i/væŋˈkuːvər/) is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The 2011 census recorded 603,502 people in the city, making it the eighth largest Canadian municipality. The metropolitan area, with more than 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Western Canada. With 5,249 people per square kilometre (13,590 per square mile), the City of Vancouver is the most densely populated Canadian municipality among those with 5,000 residents or more. Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada; 52% of its residents do not speak English as their first language.