The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed today that the HMCS Cormorant which sat in Bridgewater for nearly fifteen years has been fully disassembled.
The derelict vessel had long been a nuisance for residents as well as an environmental hazard.
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Bernadette Jordan says it was an issue she heard about regularly from her constituents, and in her campaigning, she promised to have it removed.
The job can now be considered fully complete now that the ship no longer exists but Minister Jordan says getting to this point was not easy, “There were issues with the ship legally, then we learned about the environmental risks it posed so hundreds of liters of chemicals and fuel needed to be removed,” Minister Jordan said.
Minister Jordan championed the issue in Ottawa for many years but in doing so she discovered other situations similar to the Cormorant, “In my research, I found there are literally thousands of ships like this all around the country.”
Since discovering that information the government has installed new legislation that prohibits ships from being abandoned like the Cormorant was. They are now working on plans for other derelict vessels around the country though Minister Jordan says because of the scope of the issue it will take a while.
Additionally, the government assists local governments trying to remove derelict vessels through the Small Craft Harbours Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program.
Although the Cormorant was fully disassembled 1,000 tonnes of its materials were recycled and will be repurposed for future uses.