Ship's History
The John A. Macdonald was known to Canadian Coast Guard personnel as "The Queen of the Fleet", and is also considered by many veteran Canadian and U.S. coastguardsmen to be the finest Canadian icebreaker ever built.
The CCGS John A Macdonald was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Unit Commendation "for extremely meritorious service in the support of United States Coast Guard operations during the period of 23 September 1967 to 08 October 1967", during the Arctic West Summer (AWS) 1967 cruise by Admiral (ADM) Willard J. Smith, Commandant, United States Coast Guard.
In 1969 John A. Macdonald, Captain Paul A. Fournier CCG, Master, assisted the then-new CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, Captain Wilfred Dufour CCG, Master, in rescuing the SS Manhattan, Captain Roger A. Steward, Master; during its transit of the Northwest Passage.
During the rescue, the John A. Macdonald broke her starboard propeller in heavy ice; the propeller is on display by the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The Canadian government representative in SS Manhattan was Captain T.C. Pullen RCN (Ret'd). The John A. Macdonald was assisted by the U.S. icebreakers USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) and the USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278).
In 1987 she underwent an eight month, $8-million (CAD) refit, only to be decommissioned four years later. She was transferred from the CCG to Crown Assets and was renamed 1201. She was sold for scrapping and towed from Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia to India in November 1993 and was broken up in the early months of 1994.
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