# Decommissioned Warship to be transferred to DND



## Nfld Sapper (29 Jan 2009)

News Release
Decommissioned Warship to be transferred to DND
NR - 09.007 - January 29, 2009

BRIDGEWATER, N.S.– The Minister of National Defence and the Atlantic Gateway, the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, today announced plans for Fraser to be transferred back to the Department of National Defence from its current owner, the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia (ARSNS).  

Despite the best intentions and best efforts of the ARSNS, the significant scope of maintaining Fraser proved to be beyond the capacity of the Society’s resources. The vessel has been slowly deteriorating over the years.

Since DND has the capability and experience in managing large vessels, it was recognized that DND should play a role in improving Fraser’s situation. 

“We appreciate the hard work and dedication the ARSNS has shown over the years,” said Minister MacKay. “By both parties coming to an agreement, we are able to take this opportunity to do the right thing by acting now to prevent further deterioration of Fraser and to develop a longer term plan for its future.” 

A comprehensive survey of the ship’s condition will be conducted shortly. This will be accompanied by remedial work to address any immediate environmental, health or safety risks that are assessed during the survey. The work will also ensure that the ship is safe to move. 

The title, custody and liability of Fraser will be transferred to DND immediately before the vessel is moved from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, to a temporary berth.

DND is evaluating a number of disposal options, including preservation of the vessel for heritage purposes, sinking it to create an artificial reef or disposal as scrap.

Fraser has been in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, as a floating museum since 1997.


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## Harley Sailor (29 Jan 2009)

It would be nice to see it left in Bridgewater.  Maybe the Navy could fix it up and leave it there.


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## geo (29 Jan 2009)

Harley Sailor said:
			
		

> It would be nice to see it left in Bridgewater.  Maybe the Navy could fix it up and leave it there.



Trouble with that is that, if we fixed her up once... we'd be on the hook for fixing her up again & again & again.

Our budget isn't all that large - remember, we're still waiting to refit Chicoutimi after the fire.... and that ship's still commissioned


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## Navy_Blue (29 Jan 2009)

Well when we do get the subs running maybe we can have her as a target  >.  Not like the the last one either.  Clean her up leave her closed up and let us "test" a Mk48 on her.


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## gwp (29 Jan 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> News Release
> Decommissioned Warship to be transferred to DND
> NR - 09.007 - January 29, 2009


The headline begs the question whether this news release was written by someone other than a naval person or a naval person that should know better. We don't "de-commission" ships in this country ... they are paid off. !


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## Ex-Dragoon (29 Jan 2009)

Doesn't matter to me both terms mean the same what concerns me more is money possibly leaving our budget to help maintain a ship no longer in Canadian naval service. As was already said, I would prefer the money go to existing ships.


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## FormerHorseGuard (30 Jan 2009)

I guess they kept the sales receipt for this return. i did not know much about this ship, so i googled it, it has some very  interesting history , was involved in nuclear bomb testting not once but twice. was the first ship in its class to refitted for a new life. I hope some one has adeep pocket book to pay  for the upkeep as a floating museum, or treat it like a warshipand yake it to sea and sink her in a blaze of glory. i hate to see a piece of history  rust away  .  in my  other interests we call the locomotives behind fences and on display  as stuffed and mounted like a ZOO creature, captured behind a fence. A warship does not earn this, display  it with pride or sink her.


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## Michael OLeary (30 Jan 2009)

gwp said:
			
		

> The headline begs the question whether this news release was written by someone other than a naval person or a naval person that should know better. We don't "de-commission" ships in this country ... they are paid off. !



Maybe it was written by a bright PAO (who may or may not have been a sailor in a prior lifetime) who wisely chose a term that wouldn't require further explanation for public release.


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## Nfld Sapper (30 Jan 2009)

DND has used the term in their Audio Visual Data Base.

Stock Footage Information Sheet
  (add to order) Stock Code:    D941005H3    
Subject Matter:    DDH - Destroyers Helicopter/Destroyeur hélicoptères 
Date Shot:    10/5/1994 
Tape Number:    H3 
      
Source:    DND DIS - tape #3 
Location:    Halifax harbour, NS 
Synopsis:   Decomissioning of HMCS Fraser DDH 233 - ship mooring at pier - Admiral Murray & CO lowering ensign - lunch


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## 1feral1 (30 Jan 2009)

She was also in GW1.

A good mate of mine was a NWT on her, and deployed to the Gulf with her.

OWDU


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## Nfld Sapper (30 Jan 2009)

Interesting tidbit too...

Fraser was used as a testbed in the 1980s for technologies used on the Halifax-class frigate.


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## Nfld Sapper (30 Jan 2009)

Pics of the current condition of HMCS FRASER


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## Neill McKay (30 Jan 2009)

gwp said:
			
		

> The headline begs the question whether this news release was written by someone other than a naval person or a naval person that should know better. We don't "de-commission" ships in this country ... they are paid off. !



Agreed.  But there was a hell of a thread on that subject not too long ago, if you want to see both sides of that issue debated.


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## gwp (30 Jan 2009)

N. McKay said:
			
		

> Agreed.  But there was a hell of a thread on that subject not too long ago, if you want to see both sides of that issue debated.


Couldn't find anything

Here's one where it's right ... refering to the paid off PROVIDER

Backgrounder
The Joint Support Ship Project
BG–04.003 - April 16, 2004

INTRODUCTION
For the past 35 years, the Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessels have done more than just re-fuel and re-supply the fleet. HMCS PROTECTEUR, HMCS PRESERVER *and the paid off HMCS PROVIDER * have contributed to humanitarian aid missions in Florida and the Bahamas, peace-making off Somalia and East Timor, and have been poised for the evacuation of non-combatants from Haiti, to name but a few. Despite these accomplishments and their years of service supporting naval operations, these vessels are approaching the end of their service lives and the costs of maintaining and servicing this capability is increasing. The technology is outdated, and, despite several upgrades throughout their service life, they do not have the requisite environmental systems required by today's regulations.  etc.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=1346

There is no such thing as a "decommissioning penant"   Decommissioning is an american term just as honour guard and AWOL are.


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## Harley Sailor (30 Jan 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Pics of the current condition of HMCS FRASER



Nothing there a good crew, some beer, and a few weeks in Rosey couldn't fix.  How I miss them days.

Give it to a reserve unit and see how it looks at the end of the summer.  As for the cost... fund raising has worked in the past...


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## Fishbone Jones (30 Jan 2009)

gwp said:
			
		

> Couldn't find anything



Didn't look very hard, did you? http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/77163.0.html Found with a search using the word ..........drum roll please.........................'*decommissioning*'

Go plead your case there. Quit taking this thread off track.

Milnet.ca Staff


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## gwp (30 Jan 2009)

Harley Sailor said:
			
		

> Nothing there a good crew, some beer, and a few weeks in Rosey couldn't fix.  How I miss them days. Give it to a reserve unit and see how it looks at the end of the summer.  As for the cost... fund raising has worked in the past...


The Fraser story parrallels the Annapolis story.  A well meaning group wanting to turn the last of the cadillacs into a museum and discovering that keeping a ship alongside or even ashore is a very expensive proposition.   Annapolis languished in the boneyard of Esquimalt for seven years in anticipation of becoming a museum.  She was towed out of the harbour last June to become an artificial reef sometime this summer.  

http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/OurReefs/265_Annapolis/index.htm


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## Sub_Guy (30 Jan 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Pics of the *current condition * of HMCS FRASER



And here I thought Vancouver Island had mild winters!   >

It looks like it is in rough shape, too bad because I think we need to keep at least one of these around.  Hand it over to the Maritime Mueseum in Halifax.


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## Navy_Blue (30 Jan 2009)

It looks like its in worse shape than the 2 in Dartmouth.  But it looks like its complete.  To bad the Marine museum in Halifax couldn't afford a cold war exhibit.


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## Ex-Dragoon (30 Jan 2009)

Navy_Blue said:
			
		

> It looks like its in worse shape than the 2 in Dartmouth.  But it looks like its complete.  To bad the Marine museum in Halifax couldn't afford a cold war exhibit.



Now that would be really sharp.


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## Sub_Guy (30 Jan 2009)

The Sydney Naval Muesum has a good setup.

http://www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm


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