CPL GARCIA ALVAREZ
‘Valiant ship’ HMCS Sackville receives ceremonial recommissioning
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Sackville, Canada’s Naval Memorial and the last surviving Flower-class corvette, was ceremonially re-commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at its summer home at Sackville Landing on the morning of May 15.
The event honoured the ship’s wartime service, the vital role of the Flower-class during the Battle of the Atlantic and its modern-day mission as a memorial and museum.
Rear-Admiral (RAdm) Josée Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic, speaking at the ceremony, said that Sackville and its Flower-class compatriots helped set many standards for how the modern RCN operates.
“HMCS Sackville helped not only shape wartime victories but also lay the professional foundations of the Royal Canadian Navy.”
During the Second World War, Sackville most notably served as an escort vessel on the North Atlantic convoy routes, protecting Allied supply ships from German U-boat attacks between 1941 and 1944. The ship was then kept in service as a research vessel and paid off in 1982.
RAdm Kurtz added that through the recommissioning “the Navy reaffirms its support to a valiant ship that serves as Canada’s Naval Memorial.”
Guests representing Sackville‘s early history were present at the waterfront. Frances McAvity, granddaughter of original ship sponsor Denise Oland, spoke about her grandmother’s role in the ship’s launch ceremony. Pat Estabrooks, Mayor of the town of Sackville, New Brunswick, the ship’s namesake town, attended as a guest of honour.
As part of the recommissioning, Sackville‘s commanding officer, Commander (Retired) Gary Reddy, was presented with a commissioning pennant, which was then hoisted on the Masthead. Members of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust (CNMT), the non-profit organization that owns and operates the ship, gave a traditional “three cheers,” from the ship’s deck.
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Chair of the CNMT, Lieutenant Commander (LCdr) (Retired) Greg Cottingham, said that the recommissioning was a result of talks between the organization and RCN leadership, giving particular credit to Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander RCN, for helping the initiative move forward.
The CNMT will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the ship. LCdr (Ret’d) Cottingham said he views the recommissioning as a strengthening of the bonds between the ship and the RCN in a way that will help HMCS Sackville better serve its mission.
“We cherish the link [to the RCN] and will do our best to represent to the people of Canada and the world what Canadians can accomplish in times of great trial.”
