During a tour of Halifax harbour in Nova Scotia aboard a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on a foggy 3 July 2009, the rusting, grey hulks of two ex-RCN destroyers were spotted on the Dartmouth side of the harbour. Awaiting their departure for the scrappers, ex-HMCS Terra Nova (DDE 259) and ex-HMCS Gatineau (DDE 236) were tied up at a jetty at the Canadian Forces Base Halifax Dockyard Annex just northeast of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge that spans the harbour. A request to take a closer look at these naval relics of the RCN's Cold War fleet was accepted by the RHIB's pilot and we motored over behind and alongside the two disarmed former warships.
Terra Nova and Gatineau were two of the seven Restigouche-class destroyers ordered for the RCN in the 1951-52 budget, built between 1953 and 1957, and commissioned in 1958-59. Optimised for anti-submarine warfare, in keeping with the RCN's Cold War responsibility for defending the North Atlantic sea lines of communication, the Restigouche-class ships were equipped with anti-submarine mortars, homing torpedoes and 3-inch gun mountings. Between 1965 and 1972, four of the seven ships, including Terra Nova and Gatineau, were upgraded with variable depth sonar and RUR-5 anti-submarine rocket systems and designated as Improved Restigouche Escorts (IRE); the remaining three non-upgraded ships were paid off and placed in reserve. Later, between 1982 and 1985, the four Restigouche-class ships were further upgraded with new sensors, weapons, and communications systems under the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) project.
In August 1990, HMCS Terra Nova was hastily refitted with Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, a Phalanx close-in weapon system, 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft mountings, and new chaff, electronic, and communication systems in order to join a task force of three Canadian naval vessels being dispatched to the Persian Gulf in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The task force departed on 24 August 1990 and formed part of the international coalition maritime interdiction force assigned to the central Persian Gulf. Following the launch of Operation Desert Shield in January 1991, the Canadian task group, including Terra Nova, escorted hospital ships and other coalition vessels. During her deployment to the Persian Gulf, Terra Nova undertook more escort missions through the Strait of Hormuz than any other coalition warship.
Following the retirement of HMCS Restigouche and HMCS Kootenay in 1994 and 1995, respectively, Terra Nova and Gatineau were left as the only Restigouche-class destroyers until they too were placed in reserve in May 1996 (Gatineau) and July 1997 (Terra Nova). Both were decommissioned from the Royal Canadian Navy on 1 July 1998. Tied up on the Dartmouth side of Halifax harbour while the Government of Canada sought bids for scrapping, the two retired destroyers were eventually sold in October 2009 to Aecon Fabco for $4,258,529. Gatineau was towed from Halifax harbour on 17 November 2009, followed by Terra Nova on 20 November, with both ships taken to Aecon Fabco's scrapping facility in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Scrapping of both ships was carried out in 2009-2011.
Photos taken 3 July 2009
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| Ex-HMCS Terra Nova, as seen from a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat in Halifax harbour. The faint remnants of the number '942' can be seen on the bow under a thin coat of grey paint, a reminder that Terra Nova played the American destroyer USS Bigelow in the 2002 movie K-19: The Widowmaker, parts of which were filmed in Halifax. |
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| Looking forward along the rust-stained port side of ex-HMCS Terra Nova. The tall lattice masts of both Terra Nova and Gatineau, berthed to starboard, are prominent. The lattice masts were installed as part of the Improved Restigouche Escort (IRE) upgrade program carried out on four of the class in 1965-72. As part of the decommissioning process after July 1998, the masts were stripped of all radar antennae and other sensors and the ships' weapons and sonar systems were removed. |
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| Ex-HMCS Gatineau, with a pronounced list to port, tied up alongside ex-HMCS Terra Nova. In the centre of the stern is the well where the variable depth sonar system was once installed. |