WATCH: An old Canadian warship is preparing for its final voyage. Jeremy Hunka toured the HMCS Annapolis before its scheduled sinking next month.
After a lifetime on the sea, the former HMCS Annapolis is ready to go beneath it.
The warship has been given approval to be sunk in Halkett Bay, 10 kilometres north of Bowen Island, and is expected to go down sometime in January. Those who have been working on the project for years say the ship will become an artificial reef that will have benefits for underwater species and scuba divers alike.
READ MORE: A year ago, a new reef in Halkett Bay, B.C. remained a dream
“It’s terribly exciting to know we’re on the final phase of the project and the sinking is imminent,” says Howard Robins, president of the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia.
“We are going to have a living laboratory 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay. This will be a vessel of study, it will be a vessel of exploration.”
Around 500 metric tons of scrap metal has been removed from the ship by more than 1000 volunteers. There are some environmentalists opposed to the sinking because of concerns of paint contamination. But Robins says the process has received every permit needed.
GALLERY: A look inside the former HMCS Annapolis
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