The history of the Britannia Power Squadron commences in July, 1964 with a conversation among three members of the Ottawa Power Squadron who were also members of the Britannia Yacht Club. On that propitious occasion James D. McMillan, James B. Milne and Fred H. Smith were in McMillan's boat at Britannia Yacht Club discussing the formation of a new Power Squadron based on the sailors who kept their boats on Lake Deschenes. This was not a new idea; it had been discussed for several years among some members of the Ottawa Power Squadron and there were good arguments for and against the concept. However no action had been taken to form a new squadron.

Recreational boating in the National Capital Region divides itself into two geographic districts separated by the falls and rapids of the Ottawa River. There are those, mostly power boat owners, who favour the Rideau Waterway for their recreation. Above the rapids at the City of Ottawa there is the long navigable stretch of the Ottawa River known as Lac Deschenes. The amateur mariners who favour this water for their recreation are for the most part sailors. With the growing population of the city and the increasing popularity of both power and sail boating there was little doubt of the potential membership for a second Squadron in the region.

On this July day of 1964 the three Ottawa Power Squadron members at Britannia decided to take the action needed to form a new Squadron. They planned that initially the membership would come from current Power Squadron members who were members also of the Britannia Yacht Club. So they called a meeting for the evening of 20^th July at the Britannia Yacht Club to examine the feasibility of forming a new Squadron. The seventeen who attended the meeting were enthusiastic. A slate of officers was elected for the new Squadron. The name of "Britannia Power Squadron" was chosen and within days the committee had applied for a charter.

The executive elected at this meeting to organize the new Squadron and later to serve as its officers was as follows:

Commander	James B. Milne, AP
Lieut. Commander and Executive Officer	Donald C. Skene, S
Lieut. Commander and Training Officer	Fred H. Smith, S
Lieut. and Secretary	James D. McMillan
Lieut. and Treasurer	Ernest E. Criddle, AP
First Lieutenant	Peter R. Wilson, S
First Lieutenant	Leo D. McKenna, AP

The seventeen members of Canadian Power Squadrons at the meeting signed the application for a Power Squadron Charter. During the autumn of this year another seven members transferred from the Ottawa Power Squadron. By the end of December the new Squadron had twenty four full members and five lady associates.

These numbers were increased by an active training program. After the meeting on 20^th July the officers were determined to get the Squadron organized without delay. Without waiting for National to approve the charter, it was decided to offer courses in Piloting and Seamanship commencing in September. The number of registrations was encouraging and at the end of the winter twenty new students wrote the examination in Piloting and seventeen were successful. This gave the Squadron eleven new full members and six new lady associates. On the Seamanship examination six students also wrote and passed the examination. By the end of April, in consequence, the new Squadron had thirty five full members and eleven lady associates even before its charter was formally presented.

Year 2 – 1965 / 1966 Introduction