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October 17, 2001
Ship to begin new life as artificial reef
By BRIAN HAYES -- Halifax Herald
While three Canadian warships are set to sail today for war duties in the
Middle East, a former navy destroyer quietly and unceremoniously was towed out
of Halifax Harbour on Tuesday destined for a far different fate.
Nipigon, stripped of her armaments and other sensitive military equipment, is on
its way to the St. Lawrence River, where it will be sunk off Rimouski, Que., to
become an artificial reef and site for recreational divers.
Paid off by the navy, the vessel was sold by Public Works and Government
Services Canada to an artificial reef society.
"Lots of sailors in the dockyard watched her go," harbourmaster Lt.-Cmdr. Jim
Ready said. "It's not a non-event.
"We feel a little bit of sentiment towards them because for most of the guys my
age . . . these are ships we spent most of our careers in," he said.
"They served us well and you can't see them towed out of the harbour as a hulk
without reflecting on that."
Seven other decommissioned naval vessels have been stripped and are ready for
sale, including former destroyers HMCS Gatineau and Terra Nova, the supply ship
Provider and four submarines.
With the exception of one of the submarines destined for the Canadian War Museum
in Ottawa, Lt.-Cmdr. Ready said the other vessels could all become artificial
reefs or be sold for scrap.
"We think a deal will be closed next week for the Gatineau," he added.
Lt.-Cmdr. Ready said his job is to make sure that when the deal is closed, the
vessels are prepared to be towed away.
"A lot of shipboard stuff - like wiring, engines and in some cases propellors -
makes them attractive to scrap dealers."
Lt.-Cmdr. Ready admitted the Provider will be difficult to sell because the ship
is about 40 years old and only another navy could afford to keep her running.
He said the vessel's steam plant is big and complex, when most modern naval
ships are now diesel-powered.
"No private operator would want to take that on," he said.
On the environmental side, he noted the Provider is single-hulled, while most
modern tankers are now double-hulled.
"That's why she's still sitting around unsold for so long," Lt.-Cmdr. Ready
said.
"She'll probably wind up being sunk as an artificial reef or sold for scrap.
"You got to remember we kept these ships in service far past their intended
life," he said. "They are really no good to anybody as working ships.
"But, we got our money's worth out of them. Those old steamers don't owe us a
nickel."
Lt.-Cmdr. Ready said Nipigon came into service in the mid-1960s and 35 years
later is finally being towed away.
"She was only designed for 20 years of service and we took her 10 to 15 years
beyond that."
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