Master seaman

Master seaman (MS), or matelot-chef (matc) in French, is a non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Navy, which is between leading seaman (LS) and petty officer 2nd class (PO2). Technically, the rank is actually an appointment, with appointees holding the rank of leading seaman. If demoted, a master seaman will become an able seaman or leading seaman depending on seniority. However, the process to be appointed is very similar to that of a promotion, and holding the appointment of master seaman is a prerequisite to promotion to PO2.

A contributing factor to the confusion of 'appointment' vs 'promotion' is that when promoted/appointed to master seaman, the sailor enters a new pay scale, unlike appointment to able seaman, wherein the sailor has simply entered a new incentive level within the pay scale for ordinary seaman.

A master seaman is equal to a master corporal of the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The rank of master seaman is sometimes referred to as “master killick”, from “killick”, the slang for leading seaman. Those personnel junior to the master seaman, however, are advised to refrain from addressing the holder by that term.

Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) (French: Marine royale canadienne), is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2015 Canada's navy operates 1 destroyer, 12 frigates, 4 patrol submarines, 12 coastal defence vessels and 8 unarmed patrol/training vessels, as well as several auxiliary vessels. The Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 5,300 civilians. Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and Chief of the Naval Staff.

Founded in 1910 as the Naval Service of Canada and given Royal Sanction on 29 August 1911, the Royal Canadian Navy was amalgamated with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Army to form the unified Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, after which it was known as "Maritime Command" until 2011 when the title of RCN was restored. Over the course of its history, the RCN served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan and numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions and NATO operations.

Seaman

Seaman is a naval rank and is either the lowest or one of the lowest ranks in most navies around the world. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the navy, followed by able seaman and leading seaman, and followed by the petty officer ranks.

In the United States, it means the lowest three enlisted rates of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, followed by the higher petty officer ranks. The equivalent of the seaman is the matelot in French-speaking countries, and Matrose in German-speaking countries.

The term "seaman" is also a general-purpose for a man or a woman who works anywhere on board a modern ship, including in the engine spaces, which is the very opposite of sailing. This is untrue in the US Navy where a sailor might be a seaman but not all US Navy sailors are a 'Seaman' as they might be an Airman, Fireman, Contructionman, or Hospital Corpsman. Furthermore, "seaman" is a short form for the status of an "able-bodied seaman," either in the navies or in the merchant marines. An able-bodied seaman is one who is fully trained and qualified to work on the decks and superstructure of modern ships, even during foul weather, whereas less-qualified sailors are restricted to remaining within the ship during times of foul weather — lest they be swept overboard by the stormy seas or by the high winds.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays are a member of the East division of the American League (AL) in Major League Baseball (MLB), and play their home games at Rogers Centre.

The "Blue Jays" name originates from the bird of the same name, and blue is also the traditional colour of two of Toronto's other professional sports teams: the Maple Leafs (ice hockey) and the Argonauts (Canadian football). In addition, the team was originally owned by the Labatt Brewing Company, makers of the popular beer Labatt's Blue. Colloquially nicknamed the "Jays", the team's official colours are royal blue, navy blue, red, and white. An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Toronto in 1977. Originally based at Exhibition Stadium, the team began playing its home games at the SkyDome, upon its opening in 1989. Since 2000, the Blue Jays have been owned by Rogers Communications and in 2004, the SkyDome was purchased by that company, which it renamed Rogers Centre. They are the second MLB franchise to be based outside the United States, and currently the only team based outside the US after the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos, relocated to Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season and became the Washington Nationals.