The former Canadian Coast Guard Ship Alexander Henry served many functions on the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1985
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Alexander Henry as a national historic site under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration. National historic sites illustrate the nation's defining moments, contributing a sense of time, identity, and place to our understanding of the story of Canada.
The former Canadian Coast Guard Ship Alexander Henry is a retired light icebreaker, buoy tender, and navigational aid ship that served on the Great Lakes from 1959 to 1985. The vessel is one of the best surviving examples of the government's icebreaker construction programme of the late 1950s and represents the Government of Canada's commitment to marine navigation during a time of increasing industrial shipping and trade.
As the main Canadian icebreaker committed to Lake Superior, CCGS Alexander Henry provided exemplary service to marine navigation and served many functions. One of the ship's roles was to extend the shipping season as long as possible, breaking channels in the ice from the Lakehead at the northernmost ports in the system during the freeze-up in early winter and around break-up in the spring. Alexander Henry also maintained navigational aids, bringing lighthouse keepers and supplies to the various light stations, maintained buoys during the shipping season, and performed life-saving search and rescue missions.
The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped Canada. Sharing these stories helps foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present.
