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Oakville Historical Society
Model of HMCS Oakville
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Oakville Historical Society
Model of HMCS Oakville
The town of Oakville’s namesake warship, HMCS Oakville, is being honoured with an exhibit which features items recovered from or related to it at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre. Artifacts, medals, historical accounts, and archival photographs will remain on display for the public till September 2023.
Named "Oakville's Flower," the display shares it's name with naval historian Sean E. Livingston's definitive book on the warship - “Oakville’s Flower: The History of HMCS Oakville.” The exhibit was made possible due to a partnership between Livingston and the Oakville Museum.
HMCS Oakville was a flower-class corvette which served during the Battle of the Atlantic and played a part in sinking a German U-Boat (U94) during an escort mission near Cuba in 1942.
Among the artifacts you can see up-close are the ship's bell, its chronometer, a uniform, and more.
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Jay Pugazhenthi
Ship's bell
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Carolyn Cross, the curator, cherished the amount of work that went into the exhibit as "it is such an important part of Oakville’s history" and revealed that the HMCS Oakville was “one of the very few ships that was christened in Lakeside Park on Nov. 5, 1941. At that time, the mayor officially adopted the officers and the crew as honorary citizens.”
The inaugural event was peppered with speeches from National Defence Minister Anita Anand, Mayor Rob Burton, and several distinguished guests.
Anand reserved heavy praise for Livingston, who was moved to tears, as she recounted that the HMCS Oakville's history may have been lost had it not been for his work. Livingston then presented Anand with a personal copy of his book.
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Jay Pugazhenthi
Sean E. Livingston presents Anita Anand with a copy of his book.
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You can explore the exhibit at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre.
