Two navy warships based at CFB Esquimalt – HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Protecteur – have made their last voyages and will be decommissioned, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman said last week Friday.
Two other ships based on the East Coast, HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Preserveur, will also be decommissioned. In addition to wear and tear from four decades at sea, Algonquin and Protecteur were involved in serious accidents recently. Given that they were slated for retirement soon, the navy determined there was no point in repairing them.
Algonquin was in a collision in 2013 and Protecteur suffered a major engine room fire last February and had to be towed home from Hawaii. The navy is left with a single destroyer, HMCS Athabascan, 12 of the newer Halifax-class frigates and a fleet of coastal defence vessels. About 1,400 sailors will be reassigned as necessary.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com