CCGS Ernest Lapointe facts for kids
Former CCGS Ernest Lapointe serving as a museum ship
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 Canada |
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| Name | Ernest Lapointe |
| Namesake | Ernest Lapointe |
| Operator | Canadian Coast Guard |
| Port of registry | Montreal, Quebec |
| Ordered | 1939 |
| Builder | Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon, Quebec |
| Yard number | 514 |
| Launched | 25 November 1939 |
| Completed | February 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 1978 |
| Homeport | Trois-Rivières, Quebec |
| Identification | IMO number: 5105829 |
| Status | Museum ship since 1980 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Light icebreaker |
| Tonnage |
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| Displacement | 1,675 long tons (1,702 t) full load |
| Length | 172 ft (52.4 m) |
| Beam | 36 ft (11.0 m) |
| Draught | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h) |
CCGS Ernest Lapointe was a special ship called a Coast Guard icebreaker. It helped clear ice for 37 years! Built in 1941, it stopped working in 1978. This ship worked along the East Coast of Canada and in the Saint Lawrence River. Since 1980, you can visit it as a museum ship in Quebec.
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Meet the Ernest Lapointe
The Ernest Lapointe was a light icebreaker. When it was full, it weighed about 1,675 tonnes. The ship was 52.4 meters (172 feet) long. It was 11 meters (36 feet) wide. The bottom of the ship went 4.9 meters (16 feet) deep into the water.
This ship was powered by a special type of engine. It used a compound steam engine. This engine turned two propellers. Together, they made 2,000 horsepower. This power allowed the icebreaker to go as fast as 24 kilometers per hour (13 knots).
A Change in Engines
The ship was first designed to have different engines. But during World War II, the ship carrying those engines sank. So, to finish building the Ernest Lapointe, they used engines from tugboats instead. These engines were compound engines. Each had four cylinders.
A Look at Its History
The Ernest Lapointe was ordered in 1939. It was built at Davie Shipbuilding in Lauzon, Quebec. The ship was launched on November 25, 1939. But building it took longer than planned. This was because other important ships, called corvettes, were being built there too. The Ernest Lapointe was finally finished in February 1941.
The ship was named after Ernest Lapointe. He was a very important person. He used to be a minister who looked after Canada's waters and fisheries.
Serving During Wartime
The Ernest Lapointe started working during World War II. It helped bring supplies to a base in Goose Bay, Newfoundland. It also helped another Coast Guard ship, the N.B. McLean, in the Saint Lawrence River.
After the War
After the war ended, the Ernest Lapointe mostly worked in the Saint Lawrence River. It broke ice and helped survey the waters. From 1955, it was also used for special events.
- In 1958, it carried a group of people to Godthaab, Greenland.
- In 1964, it helped re-create a famous moment in Canadian history. It showed how the Fathers of Confederation arrived in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
The ship stopped working in 1978. In 1980, the Maritime Museum of Quebec bought it. They turned it into a museum ship. Today, you can find the Ernest Lapointe in a special dock in L'Islet, Quebec.
