CSS ''Acadia'' is a former
hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/ offshore oil drilling and related activities. Strong emphasis is placed ...
ing and oceanographic
research ship of the Hydrographic Survey of Canada and its successor the
Canadian Hydrographic Service
''Retired Canadian Hydrographic Service logo or crest''
The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is part of the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is Canada's authoritative hydrographic office. The CHS represents Canada in t ...
.
''Acadia'' served Canada for more than five decades from 1913 to 1969, charting the coastline of almost every part of Eastern Canada including pioneering surveys of
Hudson Bay. She was also twice
commissioned into the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
(RCN) as HMCS ''Acadia'', the only ship still afloat to have served the RCN in both World Wars. Today she is a
museum ship, designated as a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
, moored in
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbo ...
at the
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...
.
History
''Acadia'' was designed in
Ottawa by Canadian naval architect R.L. Newman for the Hydrographic Survey of Canada and built by
Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at
Newcastle-on-Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...
in England. Named after
Acadia
Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...
, the early colonial name for
Atlantic Canada, she was
launched on May 8, 1913. ''Acadia'' arrived in
Halifax on July 8 and was
commissioned that July upon her first voyage using the prefix CGS, which stood for "Canadian Government Ship." She saw extensive use prior to 1917 surveying the waters along Canada's Atlantic coast, including tidal charting and depth soundings for various ports. Her first two seasons were spent charting in
Hudson Bay at
Port Nelson and the entrance to Hudson Bay to open the way for a
grain port for
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
. In her first year she also made the first Canadian surveys of notorious
Sable Island
Sable Island (french: île de Sable, literally "island of sand") is a small Canadian island situated southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island ...
and rescued the crew of the
steamship ''Alette'', crushed by ice in Hudson Bay, the first of several rescue operations the ''Acadia'' would perform. Among her more enduring work was a survey of the
Bay of Fundy which became her longest assignment prior to entering military service in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
World War I
After the outbreak of war in 1914, ''Acadia'' was among the government vessels used to patrol the Bay of Fundy during the winter months, sailing between
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries.
History
Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...
and
Grand Manan
Grand Manan is a Canadian island in the Bay of Fundy. Grand Manan is also the name of an incorporated village, which includes the main island and all of its adjacent islands, except White Head Island. It is governed as a village and is part of t ...
. CGS ''Acadia'' was commissioned into the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
on January 16, 1917 as a patrol vessel, replacing the CGS prefix with
HMCS, thus becoming .
[Macpherson and Barrie, p. 17] The vessel was armed with one gun placed forward. From 1917 until March 1919, she conducted
anti-submarine patrols from the Bay of Fundy along
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
's Atlantic coast and through the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
.
[ On December 6, 1917, less than twelve months into her wartime service, HMCS ''Acadia'' survived the ]Halifax Explosion
On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond ...
. ''Acadia'' was serving as guard ship at the entrance to Bedford Basin
Bedford Basin is a large enclosed bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada's Atlantic coast. It is named in honour of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford.
Geography
Geographically, the basin is situated entirely within th ...
but suffered only minor damage. Near the end of the war she served as a platform for experiments with anti-submarine balloons.
Inter-war period
Following the armistice, HMCS ''Acadia'' was returned to the Hydrographic Survey of Canada (renamed the Canadian Hydrographic Service
''Retired Canadian Hydrographic Service logo or crest''
The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is part of the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is Canada's authoritative hydrographic office. The CHS represents Canada in t ...
in 1928) where she regained her original prefix CGS ''Acadia'' and resumed hydrographic survey work throughout the inter-war period of the 1920s and 1930s. Lack of survey funds suspended her operation in 1924 and 1925. In 1926 she resumed surveys and became the first Canadian research vessel to be fitted with an echo sounder. A major achievement were surveys to establish the port of Churchill, Manitoba. ''Acadia'' also performed pioneering Canadian oceanographic
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...
research. In 1929 ''Acadia'' rescued the crew of a crashed Sikorsky amphibious aircraft named "Untin Bowler" who were attempting a round-trip to Europe across Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...
and Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
sponsored by the Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
until the aircraft was destroyed by ice off the tip of Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
.
World War II
CGS ''Acadia'' was recommissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in October 1939, once again becoming HMCS ''Acadia''. She was first used as a training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...
for HMCS ''Stadacona'', a shore establishment
A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land.
"Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04. ...
in Halifax. From May 1940 to March 1941 she saw active use as a patrol ship off the entrance of Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbo ...
, providing close escort support for small convoys entering and leaving the port from the harbour limits at the submarine nets off McNabs Island
McNabs Island (formerly Cornwallis Island) is the largest island in Halifax Harbour located in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. It played a major role in defending Halifax Harbour and is now a provincial park. The island was set ...
to the "Halifax Ocean Meeting Point". After a refit, HMCS ''Acadia'' was assigned in mid-1941 for use as an anti-aircraft training ship and serving as a gunnery training vessel for crews of the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships
Defensively equipped merchant ship (DEMS) was an Admiralty Trade Division programme established in June 1939, to arm 5,500 British merchant ships with an adequate defence against enemy submarines and aircraft. The acronym DEMS was used to descri ...
(DEMS) fleet.[ In June 1944, HMCS ''Acadia'' was assigned to the training base and stationed at the nearby port of Digby, Nova Scotia where she was used for gunnery training for recruits and advanced gunnery training for petty officers and officers. Her wartime name of HMCS ''Acadia'' continues in use today for the Sea Cadet summer training camp held at the ship's old base at Cornwallis.
]
Later years
With the end of the war, HMCS ''Acadia'' was paid off
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship in ...
by the RCN on November 3, 1945, and returned for the second time to the Canadian Hydrographic Service as CSS ''Acadia'', the new acronym standing for Canadian Survey Ship. A major post-war assignment was updating and expanding the nautical charts of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...
after the province joined Canada in 1949. In 1962, ''Acadia'' rescued hundreds of people from forest fires in Newfoundland, evacuating two towns. In addition to her work with the CHS, CSS ''Acadia'' participated in military survey assignments for the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, Royal Canadian Navy, and United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. By the end of her career, ''Acadia'' had charted almost every region of Atlantic Canada as well as much of the Eastern Arctic.
Museum ship
She was retired from active service on November 28, 1969, and was transferred to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography
The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) is a major Government of Canada ocean research facility located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. BIO is the largest ocean research station in Canada. Established in 1962 as Canada's first, and currently la ...
(BIO) for use as a museum ship. ''Acadia'' was declared a National Historic Site in 1976.[ On February 9, 1982, the BIO transferred CSS ''Acadia'' to the ]Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...
for preservation and interpretation. She is moored at the Museum's North Wharf and open to visitors from May to October. ''Acadia'' is known for being one of the last ships in Halifax that was home to an official ship's cat used for rodent control. ''Acadia'' is dry docked every five years to preserve her hull, formerly at the Dartmouth Marine Slips The Dartmouth Marine Slips was an historic shipyard and marine railway which operated in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia between 1859 and 2003. It was noted for important wartime work during the American Civil War as well as during the Battle of the Atlantic ...
and at Halifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Founded in 1889, it is today a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and is that company's largest ship construction and repair facili ...
in more recent years.
In the summer ''Acadia'' is joined at the Museum wharves by , operated by the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust. The two nearly identically sized ships present a contrast in shipbuilding eras and offer an ironic comparison as ''Sackville'' is a warship which became a part-time hydrographic ship and ''Acadia'' is a hydrographic ship which became a part-time warship.
''Acadia'' is the only known vessel still afloat to have survived the Halifax Explosion in 1917. Every year on the December 6 anniversary of the explosion, ''Acadia'' hoists the same signal flags
International maritime signal flags are various flags used to communicate with ships. The principal system of flags and associated codes is the International Code of Signals. Various navies have flag systems with additional flags and codes, and ...
she flew on the day of the explosion.
Film roles
''Acadia'' has been used in a number of films to depict other vessels. These include:
* A Japanese destroyer in the 1982 Salter Street Film production ''South Pacific '42''
* A Scottish immigrant vessel in the 1990 film ''The Little Kidnappers''
* in the 1992 Halifax Explosion film ''Morning of Armageddon''
* A World War II merchant ship
A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
in the 1992 television show ''Lifeline to Victory''
* in the 1996 docudrama ''Lusitania''
* The ocean liner in the 1996 PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
American Experience
''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...
show ''Rescue at Sea''
* A hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...
in the 1998 short film ''Halifax 1917''
* A 19th century ocean liner in Alexander Keith's Brewery
Alexander Keith's is a brewery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a holdings company based in Leuven, Belgium, which owns over 400 beer brands globally.
The brewery was founded in 1820 by Alexander Keith who ha ...
beer commercials in 2000
* in a 2009 NOVA/ National Geographic docudrama '' Darwin's Darkest Hour''
* A San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
ferry and steam-powered sealing ship in the 2009 miniseries ''Sea Wolf''
* As both and the cable ship
A cable layer or cable ship is a deep-sea vessel designed and used to lay underwater cables for telecommunications, electric power transmission, military, or other purposes. Cable ships are distinguished by large cable sheaves for guiding cabl ...
in the 2011 docudrama ''Waking the Titanic''.
Crew
Most of ''Acadia''s crew came from the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Many served their entire careers aboard, an indication that she was regarded as a "happy ship". Many of her officers were from Newfoundland. As a hydrographic ship, the Hydrographer in Charge was the senior officer, deciding where ''Acadia'' went and what she did, while the Captain ran the ship's day-to-day operations. In wartime, naval officers took over.
Hydrographers in Charge
*Capt. Frederick Anderson 1913–1916, 1919–1923
*R.J. Fraser 1926
*J.U. Beauchemin 1927–1939
*H.L. Leadman 1946–48
*S.R. Titus 1948–1950
*C.H. Martin 1950–1955
*H. Furuya 1955–1962
*J.E.V. Goodwill 1962–1964
*L.P. Murdock 1965
*R.C. Amero 1966, 1969
*P.L. Corkum 1967
*T.E. Smith 1968
Captains
*Capt. S.W. Bartlett 1913
*Capt. W.A. Robson 1914–1924
*Capt. J. Roach 1926
*Capt. F.V. Ryan 1927–1939
*Capt. D.M. Snelgrove 1948–1949
*Capt. R.J. Ball 1949–1952
*Capt. E.A. Codner 1953
*Capt. W.N Kettle 1954–1957
*Capt. J.W. Taylor 1958–1969
Naval Commanding Officers
* Lt J.O. Boothby, ( RCN) 20/2/1940 – 1/4/1940
* LCdr H.G. Shadforth (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 12/4/1940 – ?
*Lt S. Henderson (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 29/4/1941 – 11/11/1941
*LCdr J.L. Diver (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 12/11/1941 – 19/9/1943
*LCdr R.V. Campbell (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 20/9/1943 – 15/12/1943
*LCdr J.C. Littler (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 16/12/1943 – 30/3/1944
*LCdr R.A.S. MacNeil (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 31/3/1944 – 6/6/1944
*Skipper/Lt F.W. Durant (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 7/6/1944 – 4/3/1945
*Skipper/Lt C.C. Clattenburg (RCNR-Later renamed RCNVR) 5/3/1945 – Decommissioning[
]
Erik the Red
Named after the famous Viking, Erik the Red was a tabby cat
A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, d ...
, born about 1997, that served on ''Acadia'' as the rodent control officer. He is believed to have been a stray that found his way aboard the ship as a stowaway on Canada Day in 2000. He initially worked alongside the existing rodent control officer, Clara, until Clara's retirement and quick decline in health. Erik the Red survived three abductions or disappearances, which were particularly worrisome for the community because Erik had medical concerns requiring daily medication or he would not eat. Erik became a well known local attraction on the boardwalk near ''Acadia'', welcomed up and down the waterfront and into stores. Erik retired in 2015 during a party in his honor on September 20 and died in July 2017 after a short illness.
See also
* List of museum ships
*Ships preserved in museums
There are numerous notable ships preserved in museums around the world. These are distinct from museum ships, which are ships where visitors can go aboard to see the ship.
List
This list is in date order, starting with the oldest ships.
* Khufu ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic CSS Acadia web page
Canadian Navy Heritage – Acadia Photo Archive and Specs
Haze Grey and Underway – Converted civilian vessels
* ttp://www.blurb.ca/b/2416798-grand-old-lady ''Grand Old Lady: A personal tribute to the CSS Acadia''by Rod Desborough (2010), , published by author: an illustrated history written by a former crew member
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acadia
Research vessels of Canada
Museum ships in Canada
Museum ships in Nova Scotia
Ships preserved in museums
History of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Military history of Nova Scotia
Transport in Nova Scotia
Water transport in Manitoba
Military history of Newfoundland and Labrador
Maritime history of Canada
National Historic Sites in Nova Scotia
Steamships of Canada
1913 ships
Acadia
Ships built by Swan Hunter
Halifax Explosion ships
Auxiliary ships of the Royal Canadian Navy
Canadian Government Ship