THUNDER BAY —The federal government is recognizing the historical significance of the museum ship Alexander Henry.
Parks Canada has designated the decommissioned Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker as a national historic site, a decision welcomed by the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay because it opens the door to new funding opportunities.
The announcement was made Wednesday by Steven Guilbeault, the minister of environment and climate change and minister responsible for Parks Canada.
The Alexander Henry retired from service in 1985 after 26 years on the Great Lakes.
According to Parks Canada, it is one of the best surviving examples of the federal icebreaker construction program of the late 1950s.
The ship was the main Canadian icebreaker committed to Lake Superior, but also maintained navigational aids, brought lighthouse keepers and supplies to various light stations, maintained buoys during the shipping season, and performed search-and-rescue missions.
"This vessel stood witness to an era of increased industrial marine navigation," Guilbeault stated.
The minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, said the Alexander Henry played an integral role in supporting the shipping industry and mariners on the Great Lakes.
"It is wonderful to see CCGS Alexander Henry be designated a national historic site, in recognition of its contributions to Canada's maritime history."
Wally Peterson, chair of the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay, said the board is "honoured" that the ship, which was built in Thunder Bay, has been designated a national historic site.
But the recognition is much more than just symbolic, as Peterson said "it's great news for us...it opens up all kinds of new funding opportunities for us with the Henry."
He expects the museum will apply for money to pay for ongoing improvements and maintenance, and said the designation as a national historic site will also add clout to the marketing program.
Charlie Brown, former president of the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society (renamed the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay earlier this year), said that as the person who nominated the Alexander Henry for the designation, he's "tremendously pleased" with the outcome.
The ship was designed by the Montreal naval architectural firm German & Milne, and launched at the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company on July 18, 1958.
After being decommissioned in July 1985, it was first exhibited at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston, where it was well-maintained for over three decades.
In 2017, the vessel was purchased by the transportation museum society and towed to Thunder Bay to serve as a museum ship.
