As part of the Richmond Maritime Festival, the Royal Canadian Navy’s Naden Band will be performing at the Britannia Shipyards.
The band will be led by a Steveston secondary grad, Lieut. Benjamin van Slyke.
Since his high school days, at the now closed Steveston high school, van Slyke’s military musical career as a trumpet player has been as a reservist musician with the 15th Field Regiment and playing with the Band of the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa, the RCN’s Stadacona Band in Halifax, La Musiques du Royal 22e Regiment at BFC Valcartier, Ensembles at CFB Borden as well as the Royal Canadian Artillery Band in Edmonton.
van Slyke’s former Steveston senior secondary music teacher, Len Kay, said he’s “very proud” of the accomplishments of his former student, who also performed at the 2022 Richmond Maritime Festival.
“Above and beyond the many musical influences which have guided Ben to this position and at the core of his many achievements is the principled thread of his musical talent, drive, ambition, and tenacity, in concert with his broadly affable nature,” Kay said.
The Naden Band will perform three times on Saturday, Aug. 26 – at noon, 1:45 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. – at the Port of Call stage.
The entire site of the historic Britannia Shipyards will be filled with entertainment, food trucks and at least 14 boats, the feature of the festival.
The opening ceremony is at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and entertainment begins with the Naden Band at noon and continues until 6 p.m. Entertainment continues on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the headliner, the Seabillys performing at 4:50 p.m.
For more information about the Richmond Maritime Festival, click here.
