Arctic vessel named after local war hero
Rolette known for daring raids
Do you know who Frédérick Rolette is?
Known for his daring raids along the Detroit River and for bravery while under fire in the Battle of Lake Erie, Rolette was one of the most famous naval commanders during the War of 1812.
On Thursday, the federal government announced he’d be the namesake of one of the Canadian navy’s six new Arctic and offshore patrol ships at events in Windsor and Quebec City.
“Our challenge to maintain our sovereignty in the North will carry the name of someone from our community.”
“That’s very important,” Essex MP Jeff Watson said. “These ships will become very important to ensuring there’s an orderly presence in the North and one that respects Canada’s sovereignty.”
Originally from Quebec, Rolette was stationed in Amherstburg in 1812. As soon as war broke out, he took his crew on HMS General Hunter and captured the American vessel Cuyahoga — before the Americans even realized there was a war going on.
According to contemporary reports, he was an excellent sailor who “behaved like a lion” under fire. He took command of his ship after his captain died in the Battle of Lake Erie and continued fighting while the ship burned around him, eventually becoming a prisoner of war.
Through his actions, Rolette helped keep the American army out of Canada, playing a pivotal role in intelligence gathering during the Battle of Detroit.
“The War of 1812 was the definitional war that paved the way for Canada’s independence — where English, French and First Nations worked together to defend the territory that would come to define our nation,” Watson said.
Rolette’s surviving family participated in the ceremony in Quebec City, thanking the federal government for naming a vessel after their illustrious ancestor.
HMCS Frédérick Rolette is the second naval vessel to have a local name. The navy also has a submarine HMCS Windsor, which made headlines with its rusty hull — a $209 million-refit in 2007 and $18 million in repairs seven years later.
Frédérick Rolette won’t have the same issues though, said Lt.-Cmdr. Robert Head, the commanding officer of Windsor’s HMCS Hunter.
“They (the four submarines bought in 1998) were used ships to begin with, they were retrofitted,” Head said. “There was a huge investment in them, but they were older ships when we got them. These (Artic patrol) ves- sels are brand-new.”
As impacts from global warming open up sea ice in the Arctic, the Canadian government has repeatedly made claims to that territory — even going so far as to call it “our No. 1 Arctic foreign policy priority.”
With the ability to remain at sea four months at a time and cut through ice one-metre thick, Head said the Frédérick Rolette vessel will ensure a Canadian presence in the North.
“This is quite significant, both to the overall effectiveness of the Canadian navy but also to its infrastructure,” Head said. “If we don’t have those contracts we lose the indigenous capacity to build our own ships. It’s essential those shipyards are constantly producing vessels.”
The six ships and the infrastructure needed to hold them will cost $2.3 billion with construction expected to begin in Halifax this fall. As part of the federal government’s strategy for revamping Canada’s fleet, the six new patrol ships will be named after men and women who served on the water.
Rolette’s legacy should be an inspiration to the current generation of sailors in Canada’s navy, Watson said.
“It’ll create a good sense of connection to the people of our past. Our sense of identity is so critical,” Watson said, “It’s about understanding who we are, so we may face whatever uncertainties may loom ahead.”