HMCS Onondaga (S73)

HMCS "Onondaga" (S73) is an sclass|Oberon|submarine|1 that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces.

"Onondaga" was laid down on 18 June 1964 at Chatham Dockyard, Chatham and launched on 25 September 1965. She was commissioned into the RCN on 22 June 1967 with pennant number 73. She was decommissioned by Maritime Command on 28 July 2000 as the last CF "Oberon"-class submarine in operation.

Onondaga was assigned to Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) and served her entire career in the North Atlantic.

Museum ship

In May 2005 the "Halifax Chronicle-Herald" announced that Maritime Command was looking to sell "Onondaga" for scrap metal, along with three other Canadian "Oberons". MARCOM stated that the submarines were not in suitable condition to be used as museum ships, and predicted that each submarine would sell for between C$50,000 and C$60,000. [cite news |title=For sale: 4 submarines, not shipshape |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/05/25/subs050525.html |work=CBC Online News |date=May 25, 2005 |accessdate=2006-12-10]

The sale of "Onondaga" for scrap did not go ahead and the submarine was acquired in 2006 by the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père, Rimouski. [cite web| url = http://www.shmp.qc.ca/projet_ONONDAGA_b.pdf| title = Le sous-marin ONONDAGA
accessdate = 2006-12-10| year = 2006| month = February| format = PDF| publisher = Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père| language = French] "Onondaga" was towed from Halifax to Rimouski by way of the Canso Canal in July 2008.

References

* [http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1808 Rimouski Museum Acquires HMCS Onondaga]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/03/17/sub-060317.html Rimouski museum buys surplus sub for $4]