The Polar Prince reached Victoria on Saturday. Full story here: Ice breaker reaches Victoria, ends coast-to-coast-to-coast voyage around Canada
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The Canada C3 voyage, which saw a retired icebreaker hug the nation’s coast and connect its citizens, comes to an end today with the ship arriving in Victoria Harbour.
A flotilla is scheduled to usher the Polar Prince to the Wharf Street docks at the foot of Fort Street at 11 a.m.
Canada C3 plans to livestream its entry into the harbour at 11 a.m. on Saturday:
The ship left Toronto 150 days ago on June 1, sailing to the Atlantic Ocean, up to the Arctic, and then west to the Pacific Ocean on its 12,000-nautical mile voyage, undertaken to mark the country’s 150th birthday.
It carried a crew of 15 and an expedition staff of 25, plus 400 others who spent time on the vessel as it completed 15 legs on the trip through the Northwest Passage.
Expedition leader Geoff Green, founder of the non-profit Students on Ice Foundation, came up with the idea for the voyage three years ago. The foundation has been operating for 17 years, taking young people on trips to the Arctic and Antarctic.
This trip attracted a contingent of scientists from various disciplines, who have carried out research and collected samples on the way.
Not only has the trip allowed those on board to meet other Canadians, but it introduced them to residents of coastal communities. These visits gave passengers a first-hand look at how climate change has altered the environment and the way of life for many people in the North.
The public is invited to welcome the ship and its passengers to Victoria at the Wharf Street docks. It is expected to arrive at 11 a.m. Presentations and speeches follow at 12:15 p.m., with live music from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Alex Cuba, Rose Cousins, Hannah Georgas, Heather Rankin, Aaron Pritchett and Tim Crabtree will be performing.
Public tours of the ship are being offered on Sunday. Only 50 people are allowed on Dock D at one time.
