The decks have been cleared for HMCS Ojibwa to be donated to a new regional naval museum on Lake Erie at Port Burwell, Ont.
HMCS Ojibwa was the first of Canada’s Oberon-class submarines, launched in February 1964. She served the Royal Canadian Navy with Maritime Forces Atlantic in the North Atlantic, save for a brief stint in British Columbia before she was decommissioned in 1998. She was headed for the scrapyard when the Elgin Military Museum in St. Thomas, Ont., decided to make the submarine the centrepiece of a new museum in celebration of the 100th anniversary of The Royal Canadian Navy.
The story of how a land-locked St. Thomas museum came to acquire the submarine is detailed on the Project Ojibwa website. The Ojibwa Museum will be located near the lighthouse in Port Burwell, about 45 kilometres from St. Thomas. The submarine will be mounted on cradles to form the centre of a military history museum that will include a Walk of Honour to pay tribute to those who have served in the armed forces and in support roles.
The project is estimated to cost $6.5 million, and a three-tier fundraising program features sale of Walk of Honour commemorative bricks, memberships in the support group known as the Ship’s Company, and corporate sponsors.
Tours of the sub are expected to begin sometime in 2012.
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