MANITOULIN—The HMCS Oriole, which is sailing through the Great Lakes this summer as part of the ship’s 101st anniversary, will be visiting Little Current as part of the tour.
“July 7 is our current scheduled date for arrival in Little Current,” said Scott C. Ferris, acting sub-lieutenant public affairs officer HMCS Oriole with the Royal Canadian Navy. “We will likely arrive the evening of July 6. Our intention would be to have the ship open for public tours from 10 am to 6 pm. Members of the public will have access to the upper deck. Our sailors will show the ship’s features and answer any questions.”
HMCS Oriole is the sail training vessel of the Royal Canadian Navy based at CFB Halifax in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a sailing ketch, currently the oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy, and also the longest serving commissioned ship. Originally the yacht Oriole IV, the vessel was acquired by the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, then returned to private ownership at the end. Oriole IV was reacquired during the Cold War for use on the East Coast of Canada before switching to the West Coast of Canada. In 2018, the training vessel returned to the East Coast.
Her Majesty’s ships HMCS Oriole and Glace Bay are the Royal Canadian Navy’s ambassadors on the RCN’s annual Great Lakes Deployment (GLD) this summer.
According to a Department of National Defence press release, “GLD provides Canadians with a unique opportunity to tour one of Canada’s naval ships and to learn about life in the RCN from our sailors. Canadians will be encouraged to stop by, say hello and speak to our sailors about their experiences on domestic and international operations and also provides a learning opportunity about the different trades available in the RCN and to hear stories and anecdotes directly from sailors who have chosen the challenge of a career at sea.”
As part of its 101st anniversary, HMCS Oriole began its tour in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island May 14-19. It is scheduled to visit Little Current on July 7 and Tobermory on July 20.
The vessel was launched on June 4, 1921 and commissioned June 19, 1952.
