The bell from the Royal Canadian Navy ship the HMCS Nanaimo is home for ‘safe keeping’ while the ship undergoes maintenance.
According to a City of Nanaimo press release, tradition dictates that any time a Royal Canadian Navy ship goes into dry dock, the bell is brought to the ship’s namesake city. Former commander of the HMCS Nanaimo, Jason Bergen, presented the bell to Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
“The safe-guarding of the ship’s bell at the city is symbolic of the trust and the strong relationship and support between the city and the HMCS Nanaimo,” Bergen said in the press release.
The HMCS Nanaimo, a Kingston-class coastal defence vessel, is in Esquimalt Harbour at the moment but will go to Point Hope Shipyards in Victoria Harbour to be dry-docked for maintenance until the spring.
The city press release noted that the HMCS Nanaimo, since it was commissioned in 1997, has operated from northern Canada to the Galapagos Islands “and has provided coastal defence, search and rescue operations, and training opportunities … the vessel has also been an integral part of U.S.-led anti-narcotics missions.”
Krog said in the release that the city is aware of the long days at sea that the ship’s crew have put in and the work they’ve done to protect Canadian harbours.
“It’s a true honour to safe-guard the ship’s bell while it goes into dry dock. HMCS Nanaimo doesn’t just carry our city’s name, it holds our absolute respect,” the mayor said.
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editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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