Point of Interest
HMCS Inch Arran
Street Address: 200 Victoria St, Dalhousie, NB
HMCS Inch Arran was a river-class frigate, built by Davie Shipbuilding in Lauzon, Quebec. In October 1943, construction of the frigate started, it was launched in June 1944, and commissioned in November 1944. During the Second World War the Royal Canadian Navy named their ships after Canadian towns and cities. Since no two Allied warships could share identical names, if the name of the town to be honoured was already in use, the RCN then selected well-known landmarks associated with the community. HMCS Inch Arran was named for Inch Arran Point in Dalhousie. The point was named by John Hamilton, an early settler and native of the Island Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The word “inch” is also of Scottish origin and refers to a small point of land. In November 1945, HMCS Inch Arran was paid off and sold. In 1951, as the Cold War intensified, the RCN reacquired HMCS Inch Arran and in 1954 it was converted to a Prestonian-class frigate. In 1965, it was again decommissioned and sold to a consortium with plans to convert it into a museum and youth center. Unfortunately, these plans never materialized. After languishing in the harbour of Kingston, Ontario, for a number of years, she was finally sent to the wreckers in 1970.
