The Canadian War Museum has purchased the wheel from one of Canada’s first two naval warships, HMCS Niobe. The item is one of the few surviving artifacts from the historic ship.
The ship played a significant role in responding to the 1917 Halifax Explosion and served in the First World War. For Stephen Quick, the Director General of the Canadian War Museum, the significance of the wheel is immense.
“HMCS Niobe represents the beginning of Canada’s navy and it played a crucial role in its development,” Quick said. “In addition to being a rare and visually striking artifact, the wheel is a tangible reminder of Niobe’s place in Canadian naval history.”
The museum purchased the wheel from the Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum with the support of the National Collection Fund. The wheel was displayed at the Merchantville Country Club before being donated to the Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum.
HMCS Niobe was launched in 1897 and served with the Royal Navy until 1910. It became the first Canadian warship to enter Canada’s territorial waters when it arrived in Halifax after being purchased from the Naval Service of Canada — now known as the Royal Canadian Navy.
The ship saw active service early in the First World War before it became a depot ship in Halifax in 1915. When the Halifax Explosion occurred in 1917, HMCS Niobe led a rescue attempt and was damaged in the process. It later resumed its duties as a depot ship, but was sold as surplus after the war and scrapped in the United States in 1920.