Cold War-era sub open for tours this weekend
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The Museum of Naval History in Port Burwell quietly opened for two days at the end of December, letting visitors tour the HMCS Ojibwa submarine who might have missed it during the summer tourist season.
There was little fanfare for the opening and no advertising campaign, but 63 people showed up and 51 toured Ojibwa, an Oberon class sub the Royal Canadian Navy used during the Cold War.
“That made us realize there was a demand,” said museum executive director Ian Raven.
It also led the museum to open for general tours this weekend and on the final weekend in February, to see what kind of response it gets to a winter audience.
“The submarine is very cold,” Raven noted. “People should dress warmly, but it's pretty much the same as it would be (in the summer).
“We don't vary the tour a great deal in the winter vs. the summer, other than the fact it is much chillier.”
Nearly 30,000 visitors went through HMCS Ojibwa from early July to mid-November, its first summer season since arriving in Port Burwell in 2012.
That was about 15,000 short of estimates but in keeping with projections when adjusted for a shorter season.
The museum originally planned to open Victoria Day weekend but was pushed back in part because stairs needed to board the submarine weren’t ready.
Tours were offered on weekends only in October and the submarine been open by appointment since mid-November for groups of four or more.
There have been about 100 visitors so far this winter, exceeding expectations.
“We expected it would essentially die right off until the spring, and it hasn't,” Raven said.
The submarine is heated but the heat isn’t maintained when visitors aren’t on site, allowing the museum to keep costs down.
“It would be very expensive to heat it,” Raven said of the sub, which is nearly 300 feet long and five stories high.
“So the heat will be on while we're running the tours and it will take the edge off it.”
The museum will begin gradually ramping up for the 2014 summer season from March Break forward, likely opening all day for tours starting Victoria Day weekend, Raven said.
A special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of Canada’s submarine service is being planned, and workers will continue refurbishing HMCS Ojibwa, a process that’s expected to take several years.
“Some of the panels and things that had to be removed because of their secret nature,” Raven said.
“But we're making mock-ups and panels and things to fit that stuff in.”
IF YOU GO
The Museum of Naval History winter tours
WHAT: A chance to tour HMCS Ojibwa, a Canadian Cold War submarine
WHERE: Port Burwell
WHEN: Jan 25-26 and February 22-23 from noon to 4 p.m.
COST: $18.50 for ages 13 and over and $11 for children age six to 12 (taxes included). Children under six years old are not permitted.
PAYMENT: Cash only at the site in Port Burwell, or book ahead by calling 519-633-7641 or emailing info@projectojibwa.ca