Rare visit for Canada Day
U.S. sends massive aircraft carrier to Halifax to show ‘respect’ for Canada’s birthday
THE CANADIAN PRESS
HALIFAX — The massive aircraft carrier one of the largest weapons in the arsenal of the United States military, is steaming toward Halifax for a rare visit that will include a stopover extending to Canada Day.
“This is an acknowledgment of our respect and our celebration with you for Canada 150,” U.S. Rear Admiral Jim Malloy said from aboard the nuclear-powered ship, which at 333 metres is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall.
Named after the 34th U.S. president and launched on Oct. 11, 1975, the 86,000-tonne carrier is the second-oldest Nimitz-class vessel in the U.S. navy’s fleet. Its flight deck, which can carry about 60 aircraft, is larger than three football fields, and its crew can include up to 6,200 sailors and airmen.
On Tuesday, a select group of Canadian journalists, politicians and military officials were taken by aircraft to the carrier for a series of tours and a display of “air power.”
The spectacular 45-minute air show included takeoffs and landings by several aircraft, including some of the carrier’s FA-18 fighter jets.
The ship saw action in the Gulf War in 1990-91 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and it later helped enforce the United Nations embargo against Iraq.
Other operations have included deployments to the waters off Haiti and Bosnia in 1994, Iraq in 2000, Afghanistan in 2006 and several subsequent deployments to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, which started with the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The ship, known to its crew as the “Mighty Ike,” ended a seven-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf in December, having taken part in a series of missions in Iraq and Syria.
The ship’s arrival in Halifax is sure to attract big crowds to the waterfront. However, some critics are making it clear the warship is not welcomed by all.
Lyn Adamson, co-chairwoman of Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, said the ship may represent a marvel of technology, but it is really just a weapon of war.
“We need a world that’s good for people to live in, and we won’t get there by force,” said Adamson, whose group has been advocating for nuclear disarmament and a “culture of peace” since 1960. “We are distressed by the visit of this nuclearpowered ship. It’s not the way that we’re going to secure peace in the world.”
Adamson also suggested that this type of vessel, with its two nuclear reactors, is inherently dangerous.
“Big accidents can happen with these huge and dangerous ships,” she said. “It’s not something to be viewed as just a spectacle. It is actually a threat — a threat to our future.”
The last time an aircraft carrier visited Halifax was in 2010, when the former flagship of the Royal Navy,
took part in the Royal Canadian Navy’s 100th anniversary in Halifax harbour. The 221metre ship was accompanied by the
an amphibious assault ship.
However, it has been almost 18 years since an American aircraft carrier visited Halifax, leaving behind its share of controversy. On Aug. 18, 1999, the
— another Nimitz-class carrier — pulled out of port several hours after a crewman jumped or fell to his death in the harbour.
Despite a search by military and civilian sailors, the body of Tavius Butler, a 21-year-old apprentice airman, was never found. Halifax police said Butler had been drinking on shore leave before returning to the ship shortly before midnight. Butler was presumed drowned after he fell 27 metres into the frigid water.