Before the CCGS Samuel Risley started making regular visits to Midland harbour to break up the winter’s ice, the icebreaker CCGS Alexander Henry helped ensure marine traffic could get back to normal.
In the accompanying photo from 1960, one can notice the ship’s “bow etched with the silvery lines of ice and water she plowed through to get here,” Huronia Museum and Huron Ouendat Village notes.
“The ice-breaker Alexander Henry pulled into Midland dock last Thursday afternoon. She is now reported to be in Parry Sound but is expected to return to Midland.”
The ship found new life after being decommissioned and is now the centrepiece of the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay.
According to the Thunder Bay museum, the ship was named in honour of the fur trader, who from about 1803 led summer expeditions to the Thunder Bay area. Originally the ship was to be named Griffon, but was changed to Alexander Henry just prior to launching.
Alexander Henry was built by the Port Arthur Ship Building Company in 1959 for the Federal Department of Transport at a cost of $2,259,750.001959 as a replacement for the CGS St.Heliers.
The ship was designed by the Montreal firm of Milne Gilmore & German as design #865 in the early 1950s and was assigned builders #119. Construction started July 25th, 1957 and the vessel was launched July 18, 1958. Alexander Henry was delivered to its owners on July 30th, 1959.
