Hop aboard and tour the Royal Canadian Navy's oldest commissioned vessel this weekend.
The HMCS Oriole arrived in Windsor Friday morning, anchoring along Dieppe Gardens. This stop is just one of many during a three-month tour of Canadian port cities along the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.
Not only is the HMCS Oriole the RCN's oldest commissioned vessel — it is also the longest-serving commissioned ship.
The HMCS Oriole is both the RCN's oldest commissioned vessel the longest-serving commissioned ship. (Photo by Alyssa Leonard)
According to the Sail Training International's website, the HMCS Oriole, originally the Oriole IV, was in service as a flagship for the Royal Canadian Yacht Club of Toronto before being selected during World War II by the RCN as a training vessel. She was chosen again in 1949 during the Cold War for new recruit training.
The ship was officially named the HMCS Oriole in 1952, and two years later it became a training vessel for the Naval Officer Training Centre at CFB Esquimalt.
The ship will be open to the public for tours on Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
