Hundreds of visitors patiently waited in line on Sunday, July 9, to tour the His Majesty鈥檚 Canadian Ship (HMCS) Edmonton.

Crew members greeted visitors of all ages and informed them about the ins and outs of the ship鈥檚 capabilities and purposes.

鈥淭his ship is constructed as a maritime coastal defence vessel,鈥� said Cmdr. Tyler Smith. 鈥淭he primary purpose of this ship is to be able to search the seaports for sea mines.鈥�

Versatile in nature, the ship is able to assume many roles and fulfil various functions.

鈥淲hen we鈥檙e not training for being able to defend against sea mines, we do search and rescue, maritime interdiction operations, and more,鈥� says Smith.

The HMCS Edmonton recently came back from a counter-narcotics operation. From January to April 2023, the 55-metre-long vessel patrolled the West Coast of the Americas in the hope of intercepting drug-smuggling operations.

鈥淭he (HMCS Edmonton), in partnership with the US Coast Guard, seized 755 kg of cocaine,鈥� says Smith.

Built in Halifax and commissioned in 1997, the boat is homeported in CFB Esquimalt near Victoria.

When not used for its defensive ability, the vessel can be utilized in research operations of all sorts.

In the past months, a historical association made a request for assistance from the Royal Canadian Navy with ongoing research near Yorke Island. Located north of Sayward, the island was used as an artillery site during World War II.

鈥淭he association wanted our assistance in searching to see if we can find some artifacts,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淭here was a vessel that had sunk with the person on board, and they asked to see if we could locate that.鈥�

Using the ship鈥檚 technologies, the crew search the sea floor of the surrounding island and collected data.

For more historical information about the HMCS Edmonton, visit

RELATED: HMCS Edmonton to be at the government wharf in Comox Sunday for public tours

olivier.laurin@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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