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HMCS Haida (G63)
Encyclopedia
HMCS Haida (G63) is a Tribal-class destroyer
that served in the Royal Canadian Navy
(RCN) from 1943-1963.
Haida sank more enemy surface tonnage than any other Canadian warship. She is also the only surviving Tribal-class destroyer out of 27 vessels that were constructed between 1937-1945 for the Royal Navy
, Royal Australian Navy
and the RCN.
She now serves as a museum ship
on the waterfront of Hamilton, Ontario
, and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.
and the vessels were ordered with modified ventilation and heating systems for North Atlantic winter service. Haidas design was modified after deficiencies were noted in the lead ship of the Canadian Tribals, .
She was launched on 25 August 1942 and commissioned into RCN service on 30 August 1943. She underwent workups under her first and most famous commanding officer, H.G. DeWolf
before reporting to the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
in October 1943.
garrison into Kola and Murmansk
.
On 10 January 1944, she was reassigned to the 10th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth
and took part in the Operation Tunnel sweeps in the Bay of Biscay
. Haida was damaged by the German Elbing-class torpedo boat
T-29 on the night of 25–26 April but pressed the attack and sank the T-29 in what was Haidas first victory.
Haida took part in Operation Hostile sweeps on 28–29 April in company of . Athabaskan was torpedoed by another Elbing, the T-24, with the loss of 128 crew while 83 became prisoners of war and Haida recovered 44 survivors. Haida is credited with attacking yet another Elbing that night when she forced the T-27 aground and set it afire with shelling; it was later sunk by rockets
fired from Bristol Beaufighter
s the following day.
Haida continued the Operation Hostile sorties in company of sister ship during the weeks leading up to Operation Overlord
. On the 8–9 June, Haida was part of Task Force 26 which is credited with sinking the destroyers ZH1 and Z32 in the Battle of Ushant
. On 24 June, Haida is credited with helping and aircraft in sinking U-971. On 15 July, Haida and two other vessels with the 10th Destroyer Flotilla intercepted a group of German ships at Lorient
. The battle saw two trawlers UJ1420 and UJ1421 destroyed, one merchant ship sunk and two others left afire.
On 5–6 August, Haidas now-famous luck continued while engaged in an Operation Kinetic
sweep. A shell exploded in one of the turrets and started a fire, killing two and injuring eight but not seriously damaging the ship.
Haida departed Western Europe on 22 September for Halifax, Nova Scotia
, arriving to a tumultuous welcome on 29 September. She returned to Scapa Flow
in mid-January 1945 after refitting to receive new radar sensors. She was declared operational again on 19 March and escorted aircraft carriers in minelaying operations off Granesund, Norway
and assisted in attacks on shipping in Trondheim
from 24–28 March. On 7 April, Haida escorted seven anti-submarine warfare
vessels from Greenock
, Scotland
destined for Soviet use at Vaenga.
Haida experienced one of the last RCN engagements of World War II when she escorted convoy JW66 in its return to the United Kingdom from Vaenga. The convoy was attacked and Haida and Huron received near-misses from torpedoes fired by U-boats. In the skirmish, two U-boats were sunk, along with the frigate , and the convoy escaped in a snowstorm. Haida and Huron returned to Scapa Flow on 6 May and was assigned to relief operations at Trondheimfiord, Norway
on 17 May.
Haida, along with Huron and Iroquois, left for Halifax on 4 June to refit as part of Canada's contribution to Operation Downfall
. They arrived on 10 June and Haida started a tropicalization refit but it was suspended after Japan
's surrender later that summer.
Haida was paid off on 20 March 1946 with the massive demobilization of the RCN World War II fleet.
Haida and her sister ship participated in exercises between the RCN's Atlantic Fleet and the United States Navy
and Royal Navy over the next several years. Haida was involved in assisting during the grounding of off Port Mouton
on 4 June 1949. That December, Haida was downgraded to a Depot and Accommodation Ship in Halifax.
The launch of the Korean War
on 25 June 1950 saw Haida once again activated for war duty. She was converted to a destroyer escort
and began refit in July 1950 which saw various new armaments and sensors and communications systems. She was recommissioned on 15 March 1952 and carried the pennant DDE 215. She departed Halifax on 27 September for Sasebo
, Japan
, arriving there on 12 November after passing through the Panama Canal
.
Haida relieved Nootka on 18 November off the west coast of Korea and had an uneventful patrol, returning to Sasebo to replenish on 29 November. She patrolled off the east coast of Korea beginning on 4 December and took part with in shelling of a railway yard in Songjin as well as a coastal battery and North Korean troops. On 18–19 December, Haida attacked an enemy train but missed the escaping locomotive which hid in a nearby tunnel, thus not joining the exclusive "Trainbusters Club". Haida returned to patrol on 3 January 1953 and escorted aircraft carriers as well as performing coastal bombardments. On 29 January, Haida entered the "Trainbusters Club" after attacking a train north of Iwon
and also detonated a drifting anti-ship mine
on her return to Yang do.
She departed Sasebo on 12 June, heading west through the Suez Canal
and arrived in Halifax on 22 July 1953.
Haida departed Halifax for a second Korean tour on 14 December 1953, passing through the Panama Canal. Despite the cease fire, infractions by North Korea
and China
were occurring, thus the need for a naval presence around South Korea. She departed the Korean theatre on 1 November 1954 and headed for Halifax via the Suez Canal once again.
Following the Korean operations, Haida embarked on Cold War anti-submarine warfare duties with other NATO units in the North Atlantic and West Indies.
Haidas aging hull and infrastructure proved troublesome and in January 1958 she went into refit for hull repairs and protection for electronic equipment. Further refits in 1959 corrected various problems and she sailed for the West Indies in January 1960; however, further equipment failures culminating in the 3 April failure of her steering gear forced her to return to Halifax. A hull survey in May found extensive corrosion and cracking, forcing her into drydock for the remainder of the year. She undertook further repairs in June–July 1961 after further cracking was found during operations in heavy seas that March. More cracks were detected in March 1962 which forced a refit through February 1963.
. She departed Halifax on 25 April 1963 with a mobile television studio onboard. She undertook various public tours and weapons training during the tour; one of the individuals to tour her was a civilian named Neil Bruce. Bruce foresaw that she was destined for scrapping and formed HAIDA Inc. as a means of attempting to acquire her for preservation.
Haida returned to Halifax and was placed in Category C reserve at the navy base in Sydney
. Crown Assets announced Haida would be scrapped in 1964 as part of cutbacks to the RCN. HAIDA Inc. placed a bid of $20,000 and won possession on the grounds of restoration. The RCN donated gear and towed her to Halifax for cleanup and fitting out, then to the Marine Industries Limited
shipyard at Sorel, Quebec where she became civilian property.
The Naval Reserve Division provided a skeleton crew for the Haida as she was towed to Toronto by 2 tugboats. She arrived on 25 August 1964 with guest of honour Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf
(Retired) who was her first commanding officer. Haida was restored and reacquired the pennant G63 while docked at the foot of York Street.
She opened as an attraction in August 1965 at the pier on York Street. Initially the city of Toronto had planned to build a "Serviceman's Memorial Park" near the Princes' Gates at nearby Exhibition Place
to link with the Haida preservation efforts. The organization HAIDA Inc. ran into financial difficulties during the late 1960s and title to the ship was transferred to the provincial government. In 1970, Haida was moved to a site at the west end of the Toronto waterfront where its amusement park Ontario Place
was located. The vessel was also used as a Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
training facility.
MP
Sheila Copps
, Parks Canada
purchased the Haida from the provincial government and towed her (with great difficulty) from her Ontario Place dock to a shipyard at Port Weller
for a $5 million refit to her hull. She was taken to a new home on the Hamilton waterfront and arrived to an 11-Gun Salute from 31 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Lion and her 12 pounder Naval Field Gun on 30 August 2003, the 60th anniversary of her commissioning into the RCN. She is now a National Historic Site of Canada and is a museum ship
on the Hamilton waterfront. Haida has become a focal point of a revitalized waterfront near Catharine Street North
.
In July 2006 the Haida was "twinned" with the Polish destroyer ORP Błyskawica in a ceremony in Gdynia, Poland. Both ships served in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla during World War II. The ceremony was attended by former crew members of both ships and the general public. The ship was visited in 2009 by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and on 29 June 2010, at Government House
in Nova Scotia
, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
, presented to representatives of HMCS Haida the World Ship Trust Certificate.
, CHIN
, Organization of Military Museums of Canada
and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Tribal class destroyer (1936)
The Tribal class, or Afridi class, were a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II...
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...
(RCN) from 1943-1963.
Haida sank more enemy surface tonnage than any other Canadian warship. She is also the only surviving Tribal-class destroyer out of 27 vessels that were constructed between 1937-1945 for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
and the RCN.
She now serves 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...
on the waterfront of Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.
Construction
Haida was among the first batch of Tribal class destroyers ordered by the RCN in 1940-1941. The RCN based this order upon the successful use of the Tribals in the RN during the early years of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the vessels were ordered with modified ventilation and heating systems for North Atlantic winter service. Haidas design was modified after deficiencies were noted in the lead ship of the Canadian Tribals, .
She was launched on 25 August 1942 and commissioned into RCN service on 30 August 1943. She underwent workups under her first and most famous commanding officer, H.G. DeWolf
Harry DeWolf
Vice Admiral Henry George "Harry" DeWolf was a Canadian naval officer who was made famous as the first commander of during World War II....
before reporting to the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
in October 1943.
World War II operations
Haida worked with the Royal Navy in Arctic Russia that fall, providing convoy escort for relief of the SpitsbergenSpitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
garrison into Kola and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
.
On 10 January 1944, she was reassigned to the 10th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and took part in the Operation Tunnel sweeps in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. Haida was damaged by the German Elbing-class torpedo boat
Elbing class torpedo boat
The Elbing class torpedo boats were a class of 15 small warships that served in the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Although classed as Flottentorpedoboot by the Germans, in most respects—displacement, weaponry, usage—they were comparable to contemporary medium-size destroyers...
T-29 on the night of 25–26 April but pressed the attack and sank the T-29 in what was Haidas first victory.
Haida took part in Operation Hostile sweeps on 28–29 April in company of . Athabaskan was torpedoed by another Elbing, the T-24, with the loss of 128 crew while 83 became prisoners of war and Haida recovered 44 survivors. Haida is credited with attacking yet another Elbing that night when she forced the T-27 aground and set it afire with shelling; it was later sunk by rockets
RP-3
The RP-3 , was a British rocket used in the Second World War. Though primarily an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. Its 60 lb warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60 lb rocket"; the 25 lb solid-shot armour piercing variant was referred to as the "25 lb rocket"...
fired from Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s the following day.
Haida continued the Operation Hostile sorties in company of sister ship during the weeks leading up to Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. On the 8–9 June, Haida was part of Task Force 26 which is credited with sinking the destroyers ZH1 and Z32 in the Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1944)
The Battle of Ushant, also known as the Battle of Brittany, occurred on the early morning of 9 June 1944 and was an engagement between a German destroyer flotilla, and an Allied destroyer flotilla off the coast of Brittany. The action came shortly after the initial Allied landings in Normandy...
. On 24 June, Haida is credited with helping and aircraft in sinking U-971. On 15 July, Haida and two other vessels with the 10th Destroyer Flotilla intercepted a group of German ships at Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
. The battle saw two trawlers UJ1420 and UJ1421 destroyed, one merchant ship sunk and two others left afire.
On 5–6 August, Haidas now-famous luck continued while engaged in an Operation Kinetic
Operation Kinetic
Operation Kinetic was the name given to the deployment of 1,400 Canadian soldiers to Kosovo as part of the overall NATO effort in 1999 to stabilize the region....
sweep. A shell exploded in one of the turrets and started a fire, killing two and injuring eight but not seriously damaging the ship.
Haida departed Western Europe on 22 September for Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, arriving to a tumultuous welcome on 29 September. She returned to Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
in mid-January 1945 after refitting to receive new radar sensors. She was declared operational again on 19 March and escorted aircraft carriers in minelaying operations off Granesund, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and assisted in attacks on shipping in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
from 24–28 March. On 7 April, Haida escorted seven anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
vessels from Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
destined for Soviet use at Vaenga.
Haida experienced one of the last RCN engagements of World War II when she escorted convoy JW66 in its return to the United Kingdom from Vaenga. The convoy was attacked and Haida and Huron received near-misses from torpedoes fired by U-boats. In the skirmish, two U-boats were sunk, along with the frigate , and the convoy escaped in a snowstorm. Haida and Huron returned to Scapa Flow on 6 May and was assigned to relief operations at Trondheimfiord, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 17 May.
Haida, along with Huron and Iroquois, left for Halifax on 4 June to refit as part of Canada's contribution to Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
. They arrived on 10 June and Haida started a tropicalization refit but it was suspended after Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's surrender later that summer.
Haida was paid off on 20 March 1946 with the massive demobilization of the RCN World War II fleet.
Cold War operations
Haida was in mothballs for approximately 1 year but was prepared for reactivation in 1947 and underwent a refit for updated armament and sensors. While in refit, fire gutted the wheelhouse and boiler tubes burst later during speed trials. She returned to the fleet, still carrying the famous pennant G63, in May 1947.Haida and her sister ship participated in exercises between the RCN's Atlantic Fleet and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and Royal Navy over the next several years. Haida was involved in assisting during the grounding of off Port Mouton
Port Mouton, Nova Scotia
Port Mouton is a small village along Highway 103 on the southwest coast of Region of Queens Nova Scotia, Canada. It is about ten miles from Liverpool, Nova Scotia, the nearest significant community, and 100 miles from the provincial capital of Halifax, Nova Scotia.On May 13, 1604, the French...
on 4 June 1949. That December, Haida was downgraded to a Depot and Accommodation Ship in Halifax.
The launch of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
on 25 June 1950 saw Haida once again activated for war duty. She was converted to 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...
and began refit in July 1950 which saw various new armaments and sensors and communications systems. She was recommissioned on 15 March 1952 and carried the pennant DDE 215. She departed Halifax on 27 September for Sasebo
United States Fleet Activities Sasebo
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy naval base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.- History :Sasebo...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, arriving there on 12 November after passing through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
.
Haida relieved Nootka on 18 November off the west coast of Korea and had an uneventful patrol, returning to Sasebo to replenish on 29 November. She patrolled off the east coast of Korea beginning on 4 December and took part with in shelling of a railway yard in Songjin as well as a coastal battery and North Korean troops. On 18–19 December, Haida attacked an enemy train but missed the escaping locomotive which hid in a nearby tunnel, thus not joining the exclusive "Trainbusters Club". Haida returned to patrol on 3 January 1953 and escorted aircraft carriers as well as performing coastal bombardments. On 29 January, Haida entered the "Trainbusters Club" after attacking a train north of Iwon
Iwon
Iwon may refer to:*Riwon, an alternative spelling of the North Korea province*iWon.com, an internet portal and search engine...
and also detonated a drifting anti-ship mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
on her return to Yang do.
She departed Sasebo on 12 June, heading west through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and arrived in Halifax on 22 July 1953.
Haida departed Halifax for a second Korean tour on 14 December 1953, passing through the Panama Canal. Despite the cease fire, infractions by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
were occurring, thus the need for a naval presence around South Korea. She departed the Korean theatre on 1 November 1954 and headed for Halifax via the Suez Canal once again.
Following the Korean operations, Haida embarked on Cold War anti-submarine warfare duties with other NATO units in the North Atlantic and West Indies.
Haidas aging hull and infrastructure proved troublesome and in January 1958 she went into refit for hull repairs and protection for electronic equipment. Further refits in 1959 corrected various problems and she sailed for the West Indies in January 1960; however, further equipment failures culminating in the 3 April failure of her steering gear forced her to return to Halifax. A hull survey in May found extensive corrosion and cracking, forcing her into drydock for the remainder of the year. She undertook further repairs in June–July 1961 after further cracking was found during operations in heavy seas that March. More cracks were detected in March 1962 which forced a refit through February 1963.
Preservation
With the writing on the wall, Haida undertook her last assignment, a summer tour of the Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. She departed Halifax on 25 April 1963 with a mobile television studio onboard. She undertook various public tours and weapons training during the tour; one of the individuals to tour her was a civilian named Neil Bruce. Bruce foresaw that she was destined for scrapping and formed HAIDA Inc. as a means of attempting to acquire her for preservation.
Haida returned to Halifax and was placed in Category C reserve at the navy base in Sydney
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
. Crown Assets announced Haida would be scrapped in 1964 as part of cutbacks to the RCN. HAIDA Inc. placed a bid of $20,000 and won possession on the grounds of restoration. The RCN donated gear and towed her to Halifax for cleanup and fitting out, then to the Marine Industries Limited
Marine Industries Limited
Marine Industries Limited was a Canadian ship building company, in Sorel, Quebec, with a shipyard located on the Richelieu river about 1 km from the St. Lawrence River. It employed up to 10,000 people during the post WWII boom....
shipyard at Sorel, Quebec where she became civilian property.
The Naval Reserve Division provided a skeleton crew for the Haida as she was towed to Toronto by 2 tugboats. She arrived on 25 August 1964 with guest of honour Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf
Harry DeWolf
Vice Admiral Henry George "Harry" DeWolf was a Canadian naval officer who was made famous as the first commander of during World War II....
(Retired) who was her first commanding officer. Haida was restored and reacquired the pennant G63 while docked at the foot of York Street.
She opened as an attraction in August 1965 at the pier on York Street. Initially the city of Toronto had planned to build a "Serviceman's Memorial Park" near the Princes' Gates at nearby Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
to link with the Haida preservation efforts. The organization HAIDA Inc. ran into financial difficulties during the late 1960s and title to the ship was transferred to the provincial government. In 1970, Haida was moved to a site at the west end of the Toronto waterfront where its amusement park Ontario Place
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
was located. The vessel was also used as a Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Forces and the civilian Navy League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, the program is funded through the Department of National Defence with the civilian partner providing support in the local...
training facility.
HMCS Haida National Historic Site
In 2002, at the urging of Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
MP
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
purchased the Haida from the provincial government and towed her (with great difficulty) from her Ontario Place dock to a shipyard at Port Weller
Port Weller, Ontario
Port Weller, Ontario is a community in St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Golden Horseshoe region. It is located north of the centre of St...
for a $5 million refit to her hull. She was taken to a new home on the Hamilton waterfront and arrived to an 11-Gun Salute from 31 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Lion and her 12 pounder Naval Field Gun on 30 August 2003, the 60th anniversary of her commissioning into the RCN. She is now a National Historic Site of Canada and is 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...
on the Hamilton waterfront. Haida has become a focal point of a revitalized waterfront near Catharine Street North
Catharine Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
Catharine Street, is a Lower City collector road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts off at Charlton Avenue East at Woolverton Park in the Corktown neighbourhood as a one-way street , tunnels underneath the Hunter Street Railway bridge and stretches up to Barton Street East where it then turns...
.
In July 2006 the Haida was "twinned" with the Polish destroyer ORP Błyskawica in a ceremony in Gdynia, Poland. Both ships served in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla during World War II. The ceremony was attended by former crew members of both ships and the general public. The ship was visited in 2009 by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and on 29 June 2010, at Government House
Government House (Nova Scotia)
Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, as well as that in Halifax of the Canadian monarch...
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, presented to representatives of HMCS Haida the World Ship Trust Certificate.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, Organization of Military Museums of Canada
Organization of Military Museums of Canada
The Organization of Military Museums of Canada is a national organization for the promotion of military museums in Canada.The OMMC was established in 1967 by a group of military museums, historians, and military history enthusiasts. It has over 40 individual and 60 institutional members including...
and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.
See also
- List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario
- Museum shipMuseum shipA 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...
- List of museum ships
- Ship replicaShip replicaA ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...
- Ships preserved in museumsShips preserved in museumsShips preserved in museums is list of preserved incomplete ships and smaller boats in museums around the world.* Dover Bronze Age Boat: remains of bronze age sewn plank boat preserved at the Dover Museum, England...