.gif)
HMCS Fraser (DDH 233)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Fraser (DDH 233) is a St. Laurent-class destroyer
that served in the Royal Canadian Navy
and later the Canadian Forces
from 1957–1994. Fraser was the last survivor of the St. Laurent-class destroyer which were the first Canadian designed and built warships.
DDE 233 as a destroyer escort
, based until 1965 at Esquimalt, British Columbia
. She began conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort (DDH) in 1965 and was officially reclassed with pennant DDH 233 on 22 October 1966. The DDH Fraser served repeatedly as a demonstration platform for new naval technology in the Canadian Navy. She demonstrated the Canadian "beartrap" helicopter haul-down system
in 1967 during a visit to Washington, DC. In 1968, Fraser was the first Canadian ship to carry the Experimental Towed Array Sonar System and was the first to test the NIXIE
torpedo decoy system.
Fraser was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) project and completed this refit on 28 May 1982. The destroyer was decommissioned from active service in the Forces on 5 October 1994 and placed in category C reserve.
where she was stored for possible use as a museum ship
.
ARSNS had purchased the government wharf in Bridgewater on the east bank of the Lahave River
, which became Frasers home for close to 12 years. The society made the vessel available to for possible conversion to a museum ship
, should funding be secured. The ship never opened as a museum, although guided tours were offered by appointment in 2003 and 2004. During that period, some groups such as the Sea Cadets, LaHave River Tourism Association, Atlantic Lighthouse Council, Bridgewater Fire Department, and Katimavik
used the ship for events and the wardroom hosted meetings with visiting politicians. Former crew members and their families were rarely turned away. The ship was also used for some years as the site for the annual Canada Day fireworks display in Bridgewater.
In 1997, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the St. Laurent Class as being historically significant to Canadians and in 2000 installed a bronze plaque aboard HMCS Fraser which reads:
The Government of Nova Scotia
and the Town of Bridgewater were taken to court by the ARSNS over Fraser being assessed for commercial property taxes. ARSNS fought this litigation in Supreme Court and then Appeals Court, arguing that vessels could not be assessed as commercial property. Although the society was legally successful in its argument, the court challenge caused significant financial hardship and resulted in the vessel's exterior paint deteriorating considerably in the absence of funding over this 12-year period. The vessel became an irritant to local residents whose waterfront properties faced the former warship and the "deplorable state" of the ship brought complaints from residents, municipal politicians, and naval veterans. The condition of Fraser became a local issue in the Nova Scotia's 2009 provincial election when signs appeared around Bridgewater criticizing ARSNS chair Rick Welsford who was running as a Liberal candidate for the neglect of the ship.
Peter MacKay
announced in a press release on 30 January 2009 that DND had reached an agreement with the ARSNS to re-purchase the ship and transfer ownership of the warship back to the federal government. The release stated that ""DND may sink her to create an artificial reef, or scrap her, or move her to preserve her for heritage purposes."
At the time, DND indicated that it would purchase the vessel from ARSNS by 1 June 2009. Rick Welsford, chairman of the Society, as well as being the ship's strongest supporter and a constant target of criticism relating to the vessel's appearance, stated in February 2009 that the ship could still be restored for less than the cost of scrapping.
On the morning of 21 July 2009, two MARCOM
tugboats from CFB Halifax
entered the Lahave River
. While a Canadian Forces officer exchanged a cheque in the amount of $1.00 from the Government of Canada to the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia, receiving a ceremonial key to the vessel, the 2 tugboats took Fraser in tow and returned her to Halifax Harbour
in approximately 12 hours. Fraser was secured in the Bedford Basin pending further discussions over her fate; she was subsequently moved to the Shearwater Jetty
.
for scrapping; historic artifacts had been removed from the ship by DND and placed at the Maritime Command Museum at CFB Halifax
.
Later that day, ARSNS filed a lawsuit against DND in the Federal Court of Canada
citing breach of contract. A clause in the December 2008 agreement between DND and ARSNS had stated that should DND decide to scrap the ship, the society would receive "first consideration" to present a proposal to turn it into an artificial reef and that DND must find the proposal acceptable. ARSNS stated that its claim exceeded $50,000 not including interest and court costs. As a result of the lawsuit, the Federal Court of Canada ordered that the former HMCS Fraser be arrested at its berth at Jetty Lima at HMC Dockyard Annex in Dartmouth. DND was given 30 days to file its defence.
On Wednesday, 1 September 2010 the Federal Court of Canada quashed the arrest warrant, allowing DND to move the ship, however, the towing operation which was originally scheduled to begin on 2 September was interrupted by the passage of Hurricane Earl
. On the morning of Tuesday, 7 September 2010 the former HMCS Fraser was taken under tow by the civilian tug Tony MacKay and departed Halifax Harbour. Fraser arrived at her destination in Port Maitland, Ontario
on the afternoon of 19 September 2010. The scrapping process should be complete as of March 2011. At that time HMCS Fraser will cease to exist.
St. Laurent class destroyer
The St. Laurent class destroyer was a class of destroyers that served the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s....
that served in the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
and later the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
from 1957–1994. Fraser was the last survivor of the St. Laurent-class destroyer which were the first Canadian designed and built warships.
Military career
Fraser was commissioned into the RCN on 28 June 1957 and initially carried the pennant numberPennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
DDE 233 as a destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
, based until 1965 at Esquimalt, British Columbia
CFB Esquimalt
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters....
. She began conversion to a destroyer helicopter escort (DDH) in 1965 and was officially reclassed with pennant DDH 233 on 22 October 1966. The DDH Fraser served repeatedly as a demonstration platform for new naval technology in the Canadian Navy. She demonstrated the Canadian "beartrap" helicopter haul-down system
Beartrap (helicopter device)
The beartrap is the Canadian name of a device invented for smaller warships, like frigates and destroyers, that carry helicopters. While not essential to enable embarked helicopters to operate from small escort vessels, it enables them to operate in a wider range of weather conditions.In the...
in 1967 during a visit to Washington, DC. In 1968, Fraser was the first Canadian ship to carry the Experimental Towed Array Sonar System and was the first to test the NIXIE
AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
The AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and its variants are towed torpedo decoys used on US and allied warships. It consists of a towed decoy device and a shipboard signal generator...
torpedo decoy system.
Fraser was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) project and completed this refit on 28 May 1982. The destroyer was decommissioned from active service in the Forces on 5 October 1994 and placed in category C reserve.
Purchase by Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia
Fraser was declared surplus in the late 1990s by the Canadian Forces and given to the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia in 1998. ARSNS had never considered sinking Fraser as an artificial reef diving attraction and she was towed to BridgewaterBridgewater, Nova Scotia
Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. It is the largest town in the South Shore region. While the majority of the South Shore's economy is based upon the tourist trade, Bridgewater is more a commercial and industrial centre and...
where she was stored for possible use as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
.
ARSNS had purchased the government wharf in Bridgewater on the east bank of the Lahave River
LaHave River
The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its way, it splits the communities of LaHave and Riverport and bisects the town of Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River estuary .The river and various spots in the area...
, which became Frasers home for close to 12 years. The society made the vessel available to for possible conversion to a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
, should funding be secured. The ship never opened as a museum, although guided tours were offered by appointment in 2003 and 2004. During that period, some groups such as the Sea Cadets, LaHave River Tourism Association, Atlantic Lighthouse Council, Bridgewater Fire Department, and Katimavik
Katimavik
-Overview:Each Katimavik program consists of groups of 11 youths aged 17 to 21 who are drawn from all across Canada. They travel together to one or two different places in Canada for a period of six months. During the 2007-2008 program year there were 99 such groups spread across Canada...
used the ship for events and the wardroom hosted meetings with visiting politicians. Former crew members and their families were rarely turned away. The ship was also used for some years as the site for the annual Canada Day fireworks display in Bridgewater.
In 1997, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the St. Laurent Class as being historically significant to Canadians and in 2000 installed a bronze plaque aboard HMCS Fraser which reads:
The Government of Nova Scotia
Government of Nova Scotia
The Government of Nova Scotia refers to the provincial government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
and the Town of Bridgewater were taken to court by the ARSNS over Fraser being assessed for commercial property taxes. ARSNS fought this litigation in Supreme Court and then Appeals Court, arguing that vessels could not be assessed as commercial property. Although the society was legally successful in its argument, the court challenge caused significant financial hardship and resulted in the vessel's exterior paint deteriorating considerably in the absence of funding over this 12-year period. The vessel became an irritant to local residents whose waterfront properties faced the former warship and the "deplorable state" of the ship brought complaints from residents, municipal politicians, and naval veterans. The condition of Fraser became a local issue in the Nova Scotia's 2009 provincial election when signs appeared around Bridgewater criticizing ARSNS chair Rick Welsford who was running as a Liberal candidate for the neglect of the ship.
Purchase by Government of Canada
After a year of negotiations and a proposal made to the Department of National Defence by the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia, Minister of National DefenceMinister of National Defence
*Minister of National Defence *Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China*Ministry of National Defense *Ministry of National Defense *Minister of National Defence *Minister of National Defence...
Peter MacKay
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defence in the Cabinet of Canada....
announced in a press release on 30 January 2009 that DND had reached an agreement with the ARSNS to re-purchase the ship and transfer ownership of the warship back to the federal government. The release stated that ""DND may sink her to create an artificial reef, or scrap her, or move her to preserve her for heritage purposes."
At the time, DND indicated that it would purchase the vessel from ARSNS by 1 June 2009. Rick Welsford, chairman of the Society, as well as being the ship's strongest supporter and a constant target of criticism relating to the vessel's appearance, stated in February 2009 that the ship could still be restored for less than the cost of scrapping.
On the morning of 21 July 2009, two MARCOM
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
tugboats from CFB Halifax
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base Halifax is Canada's east coast navy base and home port to the Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic....
entered the Lahave River
LaHave River
The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its way, it splits the communities of LaHave and Riverport and bisects the town of Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River estuary .The river and various spots in the area...
. While a Canadian Forces officer exchanged a cheque in the amount of $1.00 from the Government of Canada to the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia, receiving a ceremonial key to the vessel, the 2 tugboats took Fraser in tow and returned her to Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
in approximately 12 hours. Fraser was secured in the Bedford Basin pending further discussions over her fate; she was subsequently moved to the Shearwater Jetty
CFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality....
.
Scrapping
On 27 August 2010, DND announced that Fraser would be sold to the Marine Recycling Corporation and towed to MRC's facility in Port Colborne, OntarioPort Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...
for scrapping; historic artifacts had been removed from the ship by DND and placed at the Maritime Command Museum at CFB Halifax
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base Halifax is Canada's east coast navy base and home port to the Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic....
.
Later that day, ARSNS filed a lawsuit against DND in the Federal Court of Canada
Federal Court of Canada
The Federal Court of Canada was a national court of Canada that heard some types of disputes arising under the central government's legislative jurisdiction...
citing breach of contract. A clause in the December 2008 agreement between DND and ARSNS had stated that should DND decide to scrap the ship, the society would receive "first consideration" to present a proposal to turn it into an artificial reef and that DND must find the proposal acceptable. ARSNS stated that its claim exceeded $50,000 not including interest and court costs. As a result of the lawsuit, the Federal Court of Canada ordered that the former HMCS Fraser be arrested at its berth at Jetty Lima at HMC Dockyard Annex in Dartmouth. DND was given 30 days to file its defence.
On Wednesday, 1 September 2010 the Federal Court of Canada quashed the arrest warrant, allowing DND to move the ship, however, the towing operation which was originally scheduled to begin on 2 September was interrupted by the passage of Hurricane Earl
Hurricane Earl
The name Earl has been used for six tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.* Hurricane Earl — drifted over the central Atlantic Ocean without affecting land* Hurricane Earl — drifted over the central Atlantic Ocean without affecting land...
. On the morning of Tuesday, 7 September 2010 the former HMCS Fraser was taken under tow by the civilian tug Tony MacKay and departed Halifax Harbour. Fraser arrived at her destination in Port Maitland, Ontario
Port Maitland, Ontario
thumb|Grand River, OntarioPort Maitland is a small community in the province of Ontario Canada.It is on the North shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Grand River.At one time a canal connected the Welland Canal to the Grand River....
on the afternoon of 19 September 2010. The scrapping process should be complete as of March 2011. At that time HMCS Fraser will cease to exist.