WATCH: After months at sea, hundreds of sailors on HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Ottawa received a warm welcome home. April Lawrence reports.
HMC Ships Ottawa and Winnipeg made the final push toward home Tuesday morning after more than five months away.
It was hard to tell who was more excited, friends and family or the sailors themselves.
It’s particularly special for Eleni Holmes, who won the coveted draw for ?first kiss.?
“I’m hoping I don’t cry. I saw her and I already started welling up, but I’m really nervous and I just want her home,” Holmes said.
With the crowd of 700 watching, the wait was finally over.
“It was an honour to be able to come off and kiss my girlfriend for the first time ahead of everyone else who also deserve to see their families,” said Sub-Lt. Kassandra O’Rourke.
But the displays of love were just beginning ? Cpl. Robert Basso had the surprise of a lifetime in store for his girlfriend Casey Sutton.
He proposed as the crowd cheered and she said yes.
“I had it planned for a while, and she had no idea,” Basso said.
Not to be outdone, HMCS Winnipeg arrived shortly after, and the first kiss there also came with a proposal.
Again, she said yes.
Andrea Sibley had a baby while her husband, Leading Seaman Anthony Berardi, was at sea.
And now he got to hold, and kiss his little girl for the first time.
The 155-day deployment to Indo-Asia-Pacific, building relationships and maintaining security, was considered a success.
And a morning of reunions, and introductions, was the perfect way to bring it all to a close.
April Lawrence
