Anchor from Canadian Navy's first ship believed found in Halifax
QMI Agency
First posted: Monday, October 20, 2014 06:39 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, October 20, 2014 06:50 PM EDT
Officials are nearly certain they've found the anchor of HMCS Niobe -- the first ship commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy and the first Canadian warship to enter the country's territorial waters.
"This fantastic finding gives us a chance to reflect on our collective accomplishments since 1910, on the values in which we anchor our service as members of the profession of arms, and on what is required of us to ensure we continue to deliver excellence, both at sea and ashore, in the years to come," Vice-Admiral Mark Normand, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said in a release.
The anchor was discovered at the Halifax Dockyards after a building was demolished recently. Experts told a press conference they are 85-90% certain the 2,000-lb. anchor belonged to the warship.
Niobe was an 11-tonne armoured cruiser purchased from the Royal Navy following its use in the Boer War. It entered the Halifax Harbour on Oct. 21, 1910, and was used, in part, to train Canadian sailors and in contraband patrol. The upper works of the ship were wrecked in the Halifax explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, but it continued to serve as a depot ship until 1920. The Navy celebrates Niobe Day every Oct. 21.
"This is a true blessing and a rare opportunity to connect the dots between our forefathers and the next generations of sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy," Norman said.
During the demolition of a building at CFB Halifax, an anchor believed to be more than 100 years old was found buried beneath the parking lot. (Royal Canadian Navy)
Anchor from Canadian Navy's first ship believed found in Halifax | Halifax | Can
QMI Agency
First posted: Monday, October 20, 2014 06:39 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, October 20, 2014 06:50 PM EDT
Officials are nearly certain they've found the anchor of HMCS Niobe -- the first ship commissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy and the first Canadian warship to enter the country's territorial waters.
"This fantastic finding gives us a chance to reflect on our collective accomplishments since 1910, on the values in which we anchor our service as members of the profession of arms, and on what is required of us to ensure we continue to deliver excellence, both at sea and ashore, in the years to come," Vice-Admiral Mark Normand, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said in a release.
The anchor was discovered at the Halifax Dockyards after a building was demolished recently. Experts told a press conference they are 85-90% certain the 2,000-lb. anchor belonged to the warship.
Niobe was an 11-tonne armoured cruiser purchased from the Royal Navy following its use in the Boer War. It entered the Halifax Harbour on Oct. 21, 1910, and was used, in part, to train Canadian sailors and in contraband patrol. The upper works of the ship were wrecked in the Halifax explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, but it continued to serve as a depot ship until 1920. The Navy celebrates Niobe Day every Oct. 21.
"This is a true blessing and a rare opportunity to connect the dots between our forefathers and the next generations of sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy," Norman said.
During the demolition of a building at CFB Halifax, an anchor believed to be more than 100 years old was found buried beneath the parking lot. (Royal Canadian Navy)
Anchor from Canadian Navy's first ship believed found in Halifax | Halifax | Can
