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HMCS Chicoutimi Incident

HMCS Chicoutimi was the last of the four VICTORIA Class vessels delivered to the Canadian Navy. Commissioned on October 2, 2004 at Faslane, Scotland, she set sail two days later with a crew of 57 sailors for her new home port at CFB Halifax in Nova Scotia.

On October 5 a wave caused a large amount of water to ingress into the submarine, immersing the connectors joining the main power cables and causing arcing that started a fire in the electrical space that left the sub powerless and without propulsion. She was towed back to Faslane, Scotland and arrived on October 10.

HMCS Chicoutimi was sealifted across the Atlantic by the Norwegian sealift vessel, M/V Eide Transporter, departing Faslane, Scotland on January 13, 2005 and arriving in Halifax harbour on February 1. She currently rests at the HMC Dockyard at Maritime Forces Atlantic, Halifax where repairs will be conducted as part of her Extended Docking Work Period (EDWP) in 2010. This will provide for the most efficient and cost-effective use of limited engineering, material, and financial resources. HMCS Chicoutimi is scheduled to return to operational status in 2012.

This website has been established for information on the events surrounding the fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi and includes news updates, Public Affairs products, photos and transcripts of past news conferences. The site also contains links to the Board of Inquiry website and will be regularly updated as more information becomes available.