HMCS Haida Tales

Life in general on HMCS Haida was similar to that on HMCS Huron, but with new shipmates. I had a few different experiences. For instance, I learned a little about fishing in the ocean, with a flashlight. I learned that some fish can actually fly well above the water in schools. During their brief flight if they see light, some will fly towards it. It doesn't take too long to have enough fish for a dinner. Simply pick them up from the ship's deck and grab a frying pan.

I also learned that although you're hundreds of miles out at sea, you are hardly ever alone. Sea creatures are always watching you. Namely, while sitting at the bow of the ship watching the waves one sunny day, I realized I was not alone. A pod of dolphins suddenly appeared in the ship's bow wake ahead of the ship. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves and were having no trouble with the wake. They swam for the longest time without tiring. Then suddenly, they were gone. I guess they had reached their planned destination. Their bow-riding was simply a means of enjoying a free ride. This is something dolphins love to do. Since that time, I've seen them repeat this behaviour more times than I can count.

The most interesting island I ever visited during my service was Bermuda. It was also the island I visited the most, especially on the Tribals. We visited during the winter as it was the first island (actually Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 islands) on our route to the Caribbean where we had winter NATO war games (WINTEX) with the British and American navies. Bermuda is a really flat island which you cannot even see until you are within about 5 miles of its shore. The highest elevation is only 249 ft. There is no water available on the island, homes have roof reservoirs to catch rainwater and regular shipments of water from the State of Georgia are required year-round.

The warmth of Bermuda lured us to this island in winter for the annual painting of our warships. On Ireland Island many of us got cracking and gave our ships a coating of red lead paint, finishing with a coat of the fleet favourite grey colour. When we were granted shore leave, we had soccer matches on Ireland Island with the locals who didn't even wear shoes during play. This was a fun experience for all.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the quaint capital of Hamilton, as well as the many beaches all covered in pink sand. I especially liked St. Georges Island which had some amazing features. In the main square they had some strange 1700's relics. There were "stocks" which was a wooden framework on a post with holes for hands and head. These stocks were used to lock up prisoners and to expose them to weather as punishment. Also, a "dunking stool" with a pool of water, for nagging or gossiping women.

We also visited a wonderful place on the St. George island, called the Gunpowder Tavern. It is located in a high natural cavern which was originally used to store gunpowder in the 1700's, before in modern days when it became a fancy restaurant. On my visits, the restaurant featured waiters in bright red uniforms who would escort you inside along an entrance lined with large live torches. Quite a spectacular experience! Bermuda is a marvellous island, one which I will never forget.

Another especially memorable experience on Haida was her final voyage. We sailed to the Great Lakes in the summer of 1963. It was quite a change sailing up the St. Lawrence Seaway in fresh water, through locks. But it was more than that. We stopped at various spots along the way, so the crew from the eastern Canadian provinces were especially thrilled. One of the highlights was sailing up the Saguenay River to Chicoutimi Quebec. We didn't need to pay for a whale watching tour, the river was full of Beluga whales along the way. We were allowed shore leave in Chicoutimi which was a delight.

Sailing south was a slow trip and we were soon berthed at HMCS Star in Hamilton Ontario. It was the first time I was on a ship where we welcomed people onboard, hundreds of them. I was able to invite my entire family onboard and sail out onto Lake Ontario for an hour. It was especially meaningful for my Father when I told him HMCS Haida and HMCS Huron had been in the English Channel guarding his company of soldiers as Canadians were pouring into Normandy in the days following D-Day in 1944. Our Captain took the ship up to at least 20 knots during our sailing on Lake Ontario.

We later sailed to Toronto where the visiting crowds were even greater that in Hamilton. When I left the ship for shore leave one evening, I had to wait a bit for a cab. I was waiting with a couple of guys who I recognized immediately. I almost fell over when they asked me if I wanted to share a cab downtown. They were none other than George Armstrong, the longtime Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, and their greatest coach, and the team's greatest player ever, Davy Keon (who was a rookie then). Their team was in the middle of the three sequential years as Stanley Cup Champions. In the cab for the next 15 minutes we had a nice chat about Haida and about George taking young Davy for a night out on the town. What a thrill.

As usual, good things come to an end, and we headed back to Halifax. But this time to Bedford Basin across from the Halifax Harbour where Haida would be decommissioned after 20 years of service. It was sad and everyone in the Canadian Navy felt it. It wasn't long before crew members began to disappear and join their new ships. I was sent to another wartime ship, HMCS Lanark.