On August 29, the Canadian Coast Guard officially named the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel CCGS Sir John Franklin during a dedication to service ceremony held at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, British Columbia.
This welcome celebration for the Canadian Coast Guard’s first of three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy was marked by an official naming ceremony, a First Nations blessing, and sponsorship, which included the traditional breaking of a ceremonial bottle on the ship’s bow.
By tradition, a civilian is invited to sponsor a vessel for its well-being and continued service, and to wish the vessel “good luck”.
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The Canadian Coast Guard had Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe as the sponsor for the new ship. Dr. Tunnicliffe is a marine scientist and was the first woman to lead a deep sea science expedition on Canada’s West Coast.
The home port for the CCGS Sir John Franklin will be the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, British Columbia, where it will make sure that Fisheries and Oceans scientists are working with modern equipment to carry out crucial work and data collection in support of the marine ecosystem.
The ship will also support environmental response and search and rescue operations, when necessary.
What is more, Canada recently announced up to 18 new ships for the Coast Guard, while it also confirmed that it is revitalizing the shipbuilding industry, creating good, skilled jobs, and ensuring that Canada’s marine services have the modern ships they need to conduct their missions.
It also announced, on August 2, 2019, the construction of six new program icebreakers for the Coast Guard to replace its current aging fleet of icebreakers.
Days like today are an exciting time to be part of the Canadian Coast Guard. The CCGS Sir John Franklin is a welcome addition to our Western fleet, as it joins the roster on important missions to remote parts of the Pacific coast. Today’s official dedication to service is a proud moment for the women and men of the Canadian Coast Guard
Jeffery Hutchinson, Commissioner Canadian Coast Guard, said.