COMMANDING OFFICER
Lieutenant(N) Paul R. Simas, CD
Lieutenant (Navy) Simas first joined the Navy as a reservist in April 1996 at HMCS YORK at the rank of Ordinary Seaman. He took up initial military training as a Naval Combat Information Operator. In 1997, Lt(N) Simas left the Navy temporarily to pursue civilian employment. Later that year, Mr. Simas re-joined the military as a Sea Cadet Instructor at RCSCC VANGUARD and was commissioned as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant in 1998
Lt(N) Simas had the pleasure of holding many different posts during his career, including serving as Executive Officer of RCSCC ILLUSTRIOUS from 2003 to 2005, then later as Commanding Officer of RCSCC VANGUARD from 2006 to 2009. After a successful tenure of command, Lt(N) Simas transferred to serve with 618 “Queen City” RCAC Squadron. After that, he served as Deputy Commanding Officer of 707 “Major General Rohmer” RCAC Squadron. During this time, Lt(N) Simas also served as an instructor at the Regional Cadet Instructor School, based in Borden ON. In 2011, Lt(N) Simas transferred back into the Sea Cadet program, serving as Executive Officer of RCSCC ONTARIO.
From 2013 to 2016 Lt(N) Simas took command of RCSCC ONTARIO, and after another successful tenure of command, Lt(N) Simas took command of RCSCC SCARBOROUGH form 2016 to 2019.
Lt(N) Simas transferred to RCSCC CHAUDIERE is 2019, where he served as Executive Officer until being appointed Commanding Officer in September 2024.
Lt(N) Simas served the Navy League of Canada (a civilian volunteer youth group for cadets ages 9-12) as instructor and Youth Leader at NLCC REVENGE in Mississauga, and as Commanding Officer of NLCC COMPASS ROSE, in Acton, from 2018 to 2019, and as the co-founder and first Commanding Officer of NLCC ADVENTURE, in Milton, from 2019 to 2021. Lt(N) Simas served as the Senior Divisional Training Officer for the Navy League of Canada Ontario Division, and also co-founded the Trillium Training Centre, a virtual officer training school for Navy League officers.
Lt(N) Simas also served on many community board of directors, including the Naval Association of Canada, the Naval Officers Association Scholarship Fund, the Naval Club of Toronto and the Toronto Sea Cadet Alumni Association.
Lt(N) Simas is a recipient of many awards including the Navy League Long Service Medal, The Navy League Meritorious Service award, the Naval Officers Association of Canada Bronze Medallion, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Canadian Forces Decoration.
In his civilian life, Lt(N) Simas works as a Service Director for Air Canada and travels the world! Lt(N) Simas is married to Luciana, and has 2 children (both were Navy League and Sea Cadets) and a cat named Sherlock.
Lt(N) Simas hosts a website full of naval and Sea Cadet resources at simas.navy
