Historic Canadian naval anchor unearthed in Halifax harbour

HALIFAX -- The federal Defence Department says an anchor believed to have been used on a Canadian military vessel in the early 1900s has been unearthed in Halifax.

The department says the anchor was found by an excavation crew working at a demolition site at HMC Dockyard on the Halifax harbour last Tuesday.

It says after consulting with a naval expert and comparing the anchor to documents and photos, it is believed to have been attached to HMCS Niobe, one of Canada's earliest navy vessels.

The anchor is about four metres tall and weighs roughly 2,000 pounds.

HMCS Niobe was purchased from Portsmouth, England, and arrived in Halifax on Oct. 21, 1910.

The Defence Department says the discovery comes just before an annual celebration for HMCS Niobe scheduled for Tuesday.

 

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  Rear Admiral John Newton, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, walks past an anchor, believed to from HMCS Niobe, at HMC Dockyard in Halifax on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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  The HMCS Niobe is shown at a depot in 1916. (Canadian Department of Defence)