HMCS Margaret Brooke pulls into Kingston for visit

The Canadian naval ship is on its Great Lakes tour.

One of Canada's active military ships spent the day in Kingston.

The HMCS Margaret Brooke arrived on Tuesday and was anchored about 500 metres from shore near Kingston General Hospital to deliver tours to members of the public.

Commanding Officer Teri Share says people were able to take a look inside the vessel.

The HMCS Margaret Brooke was commissioned in 2022. It is the second of six arctic and offshore patrol ships under the Royal Canadian Navy.

The vessel was named after the nurse who was on the SS Caribou that was torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II. Brooke was honoured for her bravery when she tried to save the life of a colleague.

The ship is fully-equipped to carry up to 85 crew members and Share says it is built to handle the arctic conditions.

But Share also says it has travelled through tropical climates. She says the vessel has been all over the world.

HMCS Margaret Brooke is going around visiting cities and towns around the Great Lakes to not only show off the ship but also trying to recruit young people to join the Royal Canadian Navy.

Naval Combat Information Operator Reshon Beals has been on the HMCS Margaret Brooke since 2023. He says his time on board the ship has been quite the experience.

The ship will sail along the St. Lawrence River where they will continue their tour with a stop in Montreal this week.

Story by Ken Hashizume