Come Aboard Mates!!

PROJECT OJIBWA IS UNDERWAY!

We are launching our membership drive and we need you to come aboard.  The engineering and environments studies have been completed .Our Project Manager - BMT Fleetech  along with Mammoet and Heddle MarineServices, are working on the transit plan. The Navy has the final release at the top of the pile, major grants  from CANDEV/Communities Adjustment Fund and SandPlains Fund are in process.  A group of volunteers is being mobilized to prepare Ojibwa for her final voyage.

All that is missing is a reasonable bank balance to cover the day to day expenses of the project, until major funds begin to flow....that's were you come in..

Please view the video here and go to www.projectojibwa.ca and get your membership application underway

Work Party HO!

Well, we finally found the right people and things are moving.   All is well when the submariners take charge of things.  We are on for the week of  Dec 5 to 10 and longer if necessary.

I plan to fly into Halifax late thursday, do a recce with my mate Lucky Gordon on Friday the 3rd,  attend the SAOC AGM on Saturday and talk with as many people as possible after the meeting about the Project.

Work can begin Sunday as we now have access on weekends and after hours.  If you didn't volunteer because you weren't available days  contact me.

I'm excited to get this phase of the project underway and looking forward to meeting some old shipmates...its been too long

Cheers

HURRY UP...WAIT!

Ojibwa sits in Halifax harbour,  she is in a poor state of repair with many of her essential parts now being stored on the two other OBoats due to go to the wreckers.  The Navy issued us  with a Nov 30 deadline to recover these parts and find replacements on the scrappers.  Having been given a start date and organized a volunteer crew to commence work beginning Monday the 22nd, we now hear that DND requires more time to prepare for our arrival...Maybe the 29th would be better.  That leaves us 2 days to accomplish 6 days worth of work....this math doesn't add up.

Does DND understand this is a big problem?   We obviously need them to extend the deadline or Ojibwa will end up as very poor representation of what was once the pride of the Navy...cardboard cutouts and photos of the parts we were forced to leave behind are a poor substitute for the real thing.  .let's hope reason prevails

ROAD TRIP???

Looks as if your humble blogger will be making a Road Trip to Slackerfax this week to help whip Ojibwa into shape for the trip to Ontario next spring.

I'm wondering if I can snag any Members for OJ's New Ship's Company while I'm there......If  you're wondering how to get one of those caps..signing on is the only way.. I'll be bringing a whole bagful of caps along with my receipt book.  So look for me next weekend!! I'm sure I can find some convenient location that serves refreshments.....sure do love that PROPELLER  IPA!! (If I can't find that I guess Keith's 'll do too)   Man I miss the east coast!

Will advise a time, date and location.........For those that I don't connect with. we'll be posting a Membership page on www.projectojibwa.ca with instructions on how to join up soon.  Please bear with us, some things take a bit of time

A good day at Project Ojibwa

Today I  did something I hadn't done in over 40 years...spent some quality time with another submariner.  Bill Horn, former Sonar Rating and crew member of HMCS Ojibwa came by the Elgin Military Museum and we spent some time getting acquainted and talking about the project.  Bill's coming aboard as a member of the team...with two ex submariners actively involved some good things are going to happen!

Welcome aboard Bill!

Action Stations!!

The Navy says "All spares and replacement for Ojibwa to be removed from Okanagan, Olympus and the spare, Yesterday.   Any volunteers for a work party??

Hey.....cool caps!

We have it on good authority that the Navy is FINALLY getting close to signing off on the release for Ojibwa and our application for  funding to cover the cost of the move to Port Burwell is advancing. 

The project will be going into membership campaign mode soon.  Just received our initial order of sample caps from the embroidery shop today....WOW!    These will be available to members of our "Ships Company" only.  The campain will be rolling hopefully next week or as soon as our web developers can get the site ready.

Funds will be used to  fund a promotional video to help the fundraising team. and of course buy more caps to help grow the membership.

It will be expensive to get the Museum building constructed and in operation.   We are still about 40% to 50% away from our projected target.    In any event we have secured a temporary building in Port Burwell  that will serve as an operations base and at least allow us to run tours and generate cash next season. Hopefully we will be able to get her down here and mounted before too much of the tourist season is lost.

  Things will move quickly once the navy signs off

Delays expected

One might think with the winter weather fast approaching that Project Ojibwa is dying on the vine.  No Such luck mates.  No doubt OJ will not make it home before freeze up,  A major complication is that OJ's draft far exceeds safe navigation depths on the South Shore of Lake Erie so she will have to be barged at some point. With a rumoured lack of drydock space on the east coast, there may be delays in getting her home if the work has to be done in Hamilton, since we will have to wait for the seaway to open before work can begin.  Hopefully some yard on the salt can be found to do the work over the winter.  I'll let you know when I know   Meanwhile we will continue to crank up the fundraising

Artifacts for Sub Museum wanted

WANTED FOR PORT BURWELL SUBMARINE MUSEUM - 

 One Jr Rank or PO Number 1 uniform circa 1965, complete w RN Style dolphin badge & cap w/ OJ tally. Non pusser enhancements ie Dragon Motif inside cuff patches and ultra Med blue collar a bonus. Extra points for tiddly tally bow. Will pay shipping and provide tax receipt ... reply to me if you can help 

Any other related artifacts or photos will be appreciated

 

 

Time to get serious about this Blog thing

I set up this blog because I was hearing quite a bit of negative commentary from sources that have no real knowledge of what's happening with the project.

Now that I'm working with the team as a project consultant I think I'm in a good position to let you dear reader, in on the real poop!

Where are we now???  a long way from the finish line but there is a lot of activity and momentum is building.  We have major grants in process, although money has yet to start flowing....we have the Navy's blessing, although they have yet to throw us the keys and say "Good Luck Mates"   When dealing with bureaucracies you learn to hurry up and wait.... Well anyone who ever spent anytime in the military knows that story very well.

Stay tuned in shipmates, the next few months are gonna be real interesting.  I cant wait!!