CFB Esquimalt Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt ( CFB Esquimalt ) is Canada ' s Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters . The base occupies approximately at the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the Strait of Juan de Fuca , in and around the municipality of Esquimalt , British Columbia , adjacent to the western limit of the provincial capital , Victoria . CFB Esquimalt comprises facilities including " Naden " ( formerly HMCS " Naden " ) , Her Majesty ' s Canadian ( HMC ) Dockyard Esquimalt , Fleet Maintenance Facility – Cape Breton ( FMF - CB ) , a Fire Fighting and Damage Control School , the Naval Officer Training Centre ( NOTC Venture ) , and extensive housing including 716 personnel married quarters located at nine sites such as Belmont Park , Work Point , and Royal Roads . The present dockyard and drydock , known as Her Majesty ' s Canadian ( HMC ) Dockyard Esquimalt , dates to the Royal Navy ' s Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard ( 1842 – 1905 ) and was the Royal Navy ' s Pacific Station until 1911 ; Today it serves as the Canadian Naval Headquarters in the Pacific . Due to their significance in Canadian naval history , four sites at CFB Esquimalt ( the dockyard , the former Royal Navy Hospital , the Veterans ’ Cemetery and the Cole Island Magazine ) have been designated the Esquimalt Naval Sites National Historic Site of Canada . Ships . As of March 2013 , CFB Esquimalt services the following ships assigned to Canadian Fleet Pacific Architecture . CFB Esquimalt contains several recognized and classified federal heritage buildings on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings . The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at the Multi - Faith Naval Chapel and the stained glass at the Old Naval and Garrison Church ( 1866 ) , now known as St Paul ' s Anglican Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum . The Naval and Military Museum is located at HMCS " Naden " . Building 20 ( c . 1891 ) , part of Naden Museum Square is a Municipal Heritage Property . Building 37 ( c . 1889 ) part of the Naden Museum Square is also a Municipal Heritage Property and is also on the Canadian Register of Historic Places . HMCS " Naden " was named after the Dominion Government Ship " Naden " , which was commissioned as a tender for the Royal Naval College of Canada from 1918 to 1922 for training in sail . The museum is affiliated with : CMA , CHIN , OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada . Other facilities . CFB Esquimalt operates a bus services to provide intra - base transportation . " The Lookout " is the base newspaper , which covers local , national and international news with specific interest to Navy and Canadian Forces members and family issues . Other properties that are part of CFB Esquimalt include the Albert Head training area near Albert Head , Metchosin , located approximately by road southwest of downtown Victoria . It occupies approximately , 4 of which are developed as training facilities . Fort Albert Head was established in the late 1800s along with Fort Rodd Hill and other installations , to provide shore defence for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria Harbour . The training area is used for Regular and Reserve Force training throughout nine months of the year year and is home to the Regional Cadet Instructor School ( Pacific ) that trains Canadian Forces Cadet Instructors Cadre ( CIC ) Branch that deliver the cadet program . During the summer months of June , July and August the area houses the Albert Head Air Cadet Summer Training Centre . Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range at Nanoose Bay is also part of CFB Esquimalt . The facility provides non - explosive technical testing of sonobouys , torpedoes and other equipment . Naval Radio Station Aldergrove in the Fraser Valley houses transmitting and receiving equipment for long distance communications .