Museum Of Naval History - HMCS Ojibwa — Attraction in Bayham

Saw an article on this pre-pandemic and was very interested to check it out....and after waiting a couple of years I was thrilled to have had a most wonderful experience. We had a lovely drive of almost 3 hours to arrive at the north shore of Lake Erie to the quaint town of Port Burwell and we were most certainly not disappointed at all. Our scheduled time was 2pm for our booked tour and we started right on time. I was fully expecting to have a quick pass through the submarine, maybe half an hour. By the time we exited the sub and I got to my vehicle ( mere steps away ) it was 3:44... a very surprising amount of time. Our tour guides, Doug and Connie were so gracious with their time and shared with us considerable information about the sub, its's history and countless entertaining stories about it that I cannot nearly remember everything that was discussed. They allowed us huge amounts of time in each area of it and allowed us to explore, touch items, ask many questions and did their best to answer everything. As an added bonus, as we were on our tour a retired submariner who had served on both the Ojibwa and on another sub ( the Okanagan ) happened to come aboard with another group behind us. He spent some time with our group also telling stories and sharing some spectacular memories about his time. It seems that having vets who served come aboard is not a rare occurrence so if you happen to stumble on one of those times please enjoy the interaction. After visiting I'm now inclined to go back and watch a couple of movies where scenes were filmed on board as well. After finishing the tour I had the chance to talk to Connie and Doug about their struggle to get the Ojibwa drydocked in Port Burwell and of the community involvement necessary to maintain this attraction. It really does appear to be a passion of the local community to have the sub available for the area to share as evidenced by the tremendous amount of donations of materials and time to keep it in shape for visitors..... if you go, , and you most certainly should, make sure to ask about keeping beer in the torpedo tubes and about the damage to the outer hull... and be prepared to see Captain Caveman piloting the vessel. This may not be the cup of tea for everyone due to the casual nature of the operation ( which I kinda thought was a nice change from stuffy run venues ) and the claustrophobic nature of being inside the vessel, but i found it fascinating and thoroughly entertaining and it will not be my last trip there. My three boys ( ages 9 - 21 ) all found it really interesting and informative. As well, the sub is mere steps away from a spacious sandy beach on the shore of Erie as well as Port Burwell Provincial Park so making the day stretch out was really simple. I highly recommend this for anyone who has even minimal interest in naval history. Our thanks go to Connie and Doug for all of their efforts in bringing this opportunity to life and to sharing so much of the story with us, and to all of the other volunteers who pitched in to keep this piece of Canadian...

HMCS Ojibwa was an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and later the Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM). Originally intended for service with the British Royal Navy as HMS Onyx, the submarine was transferred to Canadian ownership before completion, and entered RCN service in 1965. Ojibwa operated primarily with Maritime Forces Atlantic until her decommissioning in 1998. In 2010, Ojibwa was laid up at CFB Halifax awaiting disposal, with the Elgin Military Museum planning to preserve her as a museum vessel. The submarine was towed to Port Burwell, Ontario in 2012, and was opened to the public in 2013. She is now the new focal point of a planned Museum of Naval History to be built alongside.

The Oberon class were considered an improved version of the preceding Porpoise-class submarines, with a different frame of the pressure hull2] and constructed from a better grade of steel. These build differences allowed the Oberons to have a deeper diving depth at roughly 1,000 feet (300 m).

The submarines displaced 2,030 tonnes (2,000 long tons) surfaced and 2,410 tonnes (2,370 long tons) submerged.[4 They measured 295 ft 1⁄4 in (89.922 m) long with a beam of 26 ft 1⁄2 in (7.938 m) and a draught of 18 ft (5.5 m).

The boats were powered by a two shaft diesel-electric system. The Oberons were equipped with two ASR 1 16-cylinder diesel engines creating 3,680 brake horsepower (2,740 kW) and two English Electric motors creating 6,000 shaft horsepower (4,500 kW). This gave the submarines a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a submerged speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). The boats carried 258 tons of oil giving them a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 12 knots.

The design was armed with eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, six in the bow and two in the stern. They carried 24 reloads for a total of 30 torpedoes. Canadian boats differed from the original design by being equipped for the US Mark 37C torpedo. The longer, wire-guided Mod 2 version was carried in the forward tubes and the non-guided Mod 0 for the rear tubes.

The Oberons were equipped with Type 187 active-passive sonar, Type 2007 passive sonar and...

This tour is the absolute gem of Port Burwell, and in fact, of Ontario. The tour is conducted by a knowledgeable tour guide who is passionate about the history of HMCS Ojibwa. Nothing is rushed. The tour progresses at the pace appropriate for those taking the tour, and insights are constantly described by the tour guide, which elicit more questions from those on tour. The submarine itself is fascinating, but stories of how the submarine was used during the Cold War makes the tour much more fascinating. The tour opens the window of what the Canadian Special Forces used to do around the world, and it opens the imagination towards what the Canadian Special Forces might be doing, today. At the end of the tour, those in our group who came with absolutely no expectations, and whom were simply seeking some mild amusement, were so surprized to reflect that the tour was such fun, and was so engaging. Everyone on the tour felt that they had received tremendous value for the fee paid, and was very happy that the tour was such a wonderful part of our day. Just a note to keep in-mind: If the online booking service seems to be sold out, send the office a message. We sent a message via FB Messaging, and they responded to tell us that they would find space for us on the same day, even though it seemed that all of the tours were booked for the day. It never hurts to ask, and the people who run the tours are very friendly and helpful. Don't miss this great opportunity for a unique, fascinating, and fun experience. It will create wonderful lasting memories for you and your family...