HMCS Sackville, Canada’s oldest warship and the sole remaining Flower-class corvette, is set to undergo much needed reparations after a CAD$3.5 million contract was announced by the Canadian government this week.
The funds are awarded to the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust for extensive repairs of the museum ship.
Most of the repair work is expected to be completed at the Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Scott located within Her Majesty’s Canadian (HMC) Dockyard Halifax.
Tours and visits to HMCS Sackville will be discontinued until the repairs are completed, which, pending an assessment, is expected to be in summer 2018.
HMCS Sackville was commissioned in 1941, and escorted allied ships during the Second World War Battle of the Atlantic.
She was paid off (decommissioned) after the war in 1946, but returned to service in the 1950s as a federal fisheries research vessel. It was painted black and refitted with an on-board laboratory.
In 1983 the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust was established to acquire and restore HMCS Sackville to its 1944 colors and appearance. In 1988 Sackville was declared a National Historic Site.
HMCS Sackville hosts thousands of visitors each year, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2010.
The Royal Canadian Navy will manage the contribution agreement and will use the funds to cover repair costs including labour, materials and sub-contracting.
Under the contribution agreement, the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust and the Department of National Defence will also develop a long-term plan for the preservation of HMCS Sackville.
“Canadians can take pride in this contribution to HMCS Sackville, ensuring it will continue to showcase the expertise and values that the women and men of Canadian Armed Forces perpetuate to this day,” Harjit S. Sajjan, Canadian defense minister commented the announcement.