Join us for a commemorative ceremony to mark the anniversary of the sinking of HMCS Esquimalt
The public is invited to attend and honour the service and sacrifice of the crew of HMCS Esquimalt at the HMCS Esquimalt Memorial at Memorial Park in Esquimalt.
Please note that there is limited parking for the ceremony is available in the lot adjacent to Memorial Park. The park is also well-served by BC Transit.
HMCS Esquimalt was the last Canadian warship lost to enemy action in World War II. It was torpedoed in the approaches to Halifax on the morning of April 16, 1945, just three weeks before the end of the war. The vessel sank with heavy loss of life within sight of the coast. The survivors endured six hours in the frigid water before rescue arrived. Only 27 of the minesweeper's 71 crew survived.
For more information on the HMCS Esquimalt, read Within Sight of Shore - The Sinking of HMCS Esquimalt at the website of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum