HMCS Nipigon
Rimouski, Québec, Canada
On July 22, 2003, HMCS Nipigon began
a new career as an artificial reef in
the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski,
Quebec.
Retired naval ships have been placed in British Columbia and Nova Scotia
for over ten years and with each placement, scuba tourism and ecological
opportunity have followed. Nipigon was acquired by Société
des récifs artificiels de l'Estuaire du Québec and prepared as by Canadian Artificial Reef
Consulting as the first artificial reef in the St. Lawrence estuary.
The ship is located near the famed wreck of the Empress of Ireland,
long a mecca for technical divers.
Canadian Artificial Reef Consulting did the technical preparation
on the Nipigon, cleaning the ship to the rigorous standards laid
out by Environment Canada. Cleaning primarily consists of removing
residual hydrocarbon, the electric wire and objects that could ensnare
a diver. Moreover, the ship is made diver safe, hatchways are removed
and diver access holes opened in the ship's superstructure.
In two minutes and 54 seconds, Canadian Artificial Reef Consulting
experts placed the Nipigon square on her keel in the St. Lawrence.
A successful project, a terrific dive and new opportunities await
you in Rimouski.
For more information:
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Vandenberg