 Second Through the Passage - First West to East Between 1940 - 1942 the Canadian RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) vessel St. Roch sailed through the Northwest Passage (Map). It left Vancouver in June 1940, and after spending two winters frozen in the ice, finally docked at Halifax on October 11, 1942. It was the second ship to navigate the passage, and the first to go from west to east. In 1944, St. Roch returned to Vancouver by way of a more northerly Northwest Passage route - cutting the time down to just 86 days. These epic voyages demonstrated Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic during the difficult years of World War II, and extended Canadian control over its vast northern territories. The ship was built as a supply ship to service isolated, far-flung Arctic RCMP detachments. When frozen in for the winter, St. Roch itself became a floating detachment, with its constables mounting dog sled patrols from the ship. After it was retired from service, the ship went from Vancouver to Halifax by way of the Panama Canal - making it the first ship to circumnavigate North America. It returned to Vancouver for preservation as a museum ship in 1954 and was eventually restored to its original 1944 appearance. Today, the St. Roch is a Canadian National Historic Site, and is the centerpiece of the Vancouver Maritime Museum.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Arctic Library: Arctic, Boats/Ships/Submarines, Sled Dogs St. Roch II, Canadian Rangers Sverdrup Claims Canadian Islands Northwest Passage Map Arctic Maps & Weather Reports News Story: St. Roch II Expedition Links: Northwest Passage, Arctic, Boats & Ships
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