In 1919, the Royal North West Mounted Police became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Questions about Canadian Sovereignty in the Arctic led the government to establish RCMP detachments on Ellesmere Island in 1920. Using chartered vessels, the RCMP opened Arctic detachments between 1920 and 1927. To best serve these outposts, the RCMP decided to build their own ship capable of travelling into and remaining in the Arctic.
Thomas Halliday, a Vancouver-based naval architect, designed the ship and the federal government contracted the schooner’s construction to the Burrard Dry Dock Company of North Vancouver. Toward the end of construction, the RCMP named the ship St. Roch after a parish in the constituency of the Federal Minister of Justice.
As part of their year-long, St. Roch 90th Anniversary celebrations, the Vancouver Maritime Museum is presenting ‘St. Roch – 90 Years Of Adventure’.
This exhibition celebrates the St. Roch’s 90th birthday with images and artifacts from the collection that have rarely been on display. The St. Roch Exhibition runs May 2018 to April 2019.
The exhibit opens with a public reception on Friday, June 8th from 6:30pm – 8:00pm.
Last modified: June 4, 2018
