GCC-Niagara Visits HMCS Fredericton

As part of the 100th Anniversary Celebrations of the Royal Canadian Navy, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Fredericton paid a three-week-long visit to various ports along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

As part of her esteemed history, the Fredericton has seen recent duty patrolling Canada’s coastline; policing international waters against pirates in the Middle East; and delivering much needed humanitarian relief to the survivors of the recent disaster in Haiti.

For members of the Ship’s company, the trip up the river to Ontario was a different form of flag waving. It allowed Canadians from numerous communities to visit the ship and meet some of the men and women who serve in Canada’s Navy.

For the Garrison Community Council of Niagara, this was an opportunity to raise the profile of the navy within the Region, and expand the awareness of some of our citizens, on the important work being done on our behalf by our military.

The Commanding Officer, Commander John Zorz, extended an invitation, through the Minister of National Defence, for the members and guests of the GCC-Niagara and members of the St. Catharines City Council, to visit the ship for a familiarization cruise and a tour.

The day started with a bus ride to the pier in Toronto, where the group was received and invited on board. At 10:00 AM sharp the Fredericton ‘slipped her lines’ and set sail for Hamilton, via St. Catharines.

Commander Zorz is a native son of the City of St. Catharines, and a graduate of Brock University there. To honour his home town, the ship fired off a 5-gun salute as she stood off the pier at Port Dalhousie. Commander Zorz, accompanied by a few members of his crew from the Niagara Region, then boarded his launch and motored to the Pier for an official welcoming from St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullen and a very large crowd of local residents, wishing to extend their best wishes to the ship. Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 350, Port Dalhousie, through the efforts of Sergeant-at-Arms Murray Cohen had arranged an impressive welcoming colour (flag) party and naval piper to welcome the crew ashore.

As a special surprise for Leading Seaman Lindal, of the landing party, his parents; St. Catharines City Councilor Jennifer Stevens, her husband Jim, and LS Lindal’s sister Sharlotte, were also on the pier to welcome him.

After a customary greeting and exchange of gifts, the crew together with Mayor McMullen and the Stevens family returned with the Captain to the Fredericton for the cruise to Hamilton harbour. It was very interesting to see the Burlington Bay Skyway Bridge from the bottom up.

With police boat escort and after firing a salute to Hamilton, the Fredericton was ushered into her berth to the stern of another heroic vessel of Canadian Naval history, the HMCS Haida, “the Fightingest Ship in the Navy” of World War II fame.

Without exception, the ship’s visitors were impressed not only with the technologically advanced ship, but also, with the professionalism and hospitality of the ship’s crew. It was clear to all that Canadians are justified in feeling proud of our Navy, her ships and their crews. It was noted that within the next year this ship and crew will spend eight months away from home answering Canada’s call, whether that be to protect our shores, to meet our commitments to international peace and security or to provide readily available resources to relieve pain and suffering in the event of further natural disasters.

We offer our most sincere thanks to the Officers and Crew of the Fredericton for an outstanding day.

A special thank you goes out to Mr. Rob Roy of Breakout Educational Network, on behalf of the GCC-Niagara for filming this incredible day’s events. Stay tuned to the website for footage of this amazing day.

Images From GCC Niagara Trip aboard HMCS Fredericton