1. Back in March 1970, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, then still a steamer, occupied pride of place in the graving dock at Halifax Shipyard. It now appears she won't be drydocking after all.
Word has reached me that the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent's drydocking will not take place, as the ship is urgently needed on the Saguenay River. Several other CCG icebreakers are out of service, and the remaining ships can't handle the amount of ice on the Saguenay and lower St.Lawrence.
This morning the Louis moved to Imperial Oil dock No.4 to fuel up, and will sail as soon as she gets all of her crew back aboard. In fact some may have to join the ship later since there are ships in actual trouble.
CCGS Martha L. Black, working out of Gros Cacouna is one icebreaker on the job, but she is doing urgent work off Méchins with the bulker Cedarglen which is beset in ice close to shore. Others, such as Terry Fox, tied up in Quebec City and Des Groseilliers in Trois-Rivières are apparently unserviceable.
Henry Larsen has also been brought in, and is working the Saguenay single handed at present.
Amundsen is in Port Weller to be re-engined, and Radisson is working its usual beat farther up river at Trois-Rivières.
The need for more than one large Canadian icebreaker is made again and again.. So far the feds have announced one sole replacement for the Louis. But what if she had been in pieces on the drydock and couldn't respond to this situation? In view of the physical features of its name sake, may I suggest it is time to plan for CCGS Brian Mulroney ?
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