September 30, 1899

September 30, 1899

Henry Larsen born in Norway.

May 7, 1928

May 7, 1928

St. Roch launched in North Vancouver, built by Burrard Dry Dock.

June 26, 1928

June 26, 1928

St. Roch left Vancouver for the Arctic on her maiden voyage. She wintered at Langton Bay and returned to Vancouver in the fall of 1928.

1930-1934

1930-1934

The longest voyage in history of the ship. St. Roch provided service to the Coronation Gulf area of the western Arctic. Returned to Vancouver after spending 4 winters there.

1935-1937

1935-1937

St. Roch wintered at Cambridge Bay for 2 years.

1938-1939

1938-1939

Sent back to Cambridge Bay, St. Roch returned to Vancouver at outbreak of WWII.

June 23, 1940

June 23, 1940

St. Roch left Vancouver on a mission to travel from the Western Arctic to the Eastern Arctic.

October 11, 1942

October 11, 1942

St. Roch reached dock in Halifax Harbour after 2 year voyage. She was the first vessel to successfully navigate the Northwest Passage from west to east. Members of the crew were awarded the Polar Medal.

1943

1943

St. Roch on 3-month supply voyage to RCMP detachments in the eastern Arctic.

July 22, 1944

July 22, 1944

St. Roch left Halifax, N.S. on second trip through the NWP (East to West).

October 16, 1944

October 16, 1944

St. Roch arrived in Vancouver, taking a total of 86 days. Used a more northerly route considered the true Northwest Passage, and was also the first to navigate the passage in a single season.

1944-1948

1944-1948

St. Roch patrolled Arctic waters for the last time. October 19, 1948, St. Roch arrived in Vancouver, vessel retired and laid up in the naval dockyard in Esquimalt. Crew assigned to other duties.

1950

1950

Henry Larsen, then Commanding the RCMP’s Arctic division, got permission to send St. Roch through the Panama Canal to support the RCMP’s operations in the eastern Arctic. Became the first vessel to circumnavigate North America.

1950-1951

1950-1951

St. Roch on patrol to resupply RCMP detachments in Newfoundland and Labrador.

July 22, 1954

July 22, 1954

St. Roch sailed back to Vancouver via the Panama Canal with Henry Larsen in command. St. Roch sold to the City of Vancouver for $5,000, arrived October 12, 1954.

October 13, 1954

October 13, 1954

Formal ceremony held at City Hall to transfer the St. Roch to the City of Vancouver from the RCMP.

1954-1958

1954-1958

St. Roch moored at Gore Avenue Wharf, no decision on what to do with vessel.

April 8, 1958

April 8, 1958

St. Roch pulled ashore using a heavy winch into a cradle in a drydock at Vanier Park. City of Vancouver removed deckhouse and restored her to the 1928 configuration.

1959

1959

Vancouver Maritime Museum construction completed, St. Roch remained in a concrete drydock, open to the elements.

May 15, 1962

May 15, 1962

St. Roch designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

October 29, 1964

October 29, 1964

Henry Larsen passed away in Vancouver.

1965

1965

Federal government and City of Vancouver entered into an agreement to preserve and interpret the story of the St. Roch.

1966

1966

Construction began on a $200,000 enclosed A-frame shelter built over St. Roch.

1971

1971

Canada Parks Service started restoration project to return St. Roch to her 1944 appearance, including a complete reconstruction of the deckhouse, replacement of some timbers and deck.

October 12, 1974

October 12, 1974

St. Roch opened to the public, Parks Canada interpretive staff provided guided tours of the ship.

1977

1977

The replica of the 1928 cabin was removed in order to recreate the 1944 structure which Parks Canada considered an historically and structurally richer source for interpretation.

1991-1992

1991-1992

St. Roch wooden cradle replaced with an all steel structure that better fit the contours of the ship and allowed the hull to settle back into shape.

1992

1992

City of Vancouver, working with Parks Canada, replaced the roof of the A-frame shelter.

1995

1995

Parks Canada closed St. Roch National Historic Site as a result of federal budget cutbacks, temporary grants received to keep vessel open until 1997, but questions about long-term preservation and need for new shelter remained.

1997

1997

VMM launched the St. Roch Preservation Campaign to start an endowment fund for the ship and to raise money for a new shelter.

2000

2000

VMM & RCMP together plan & launch the “St. Roch II Voyage of Rediscovery”. On July 1 a high-speed catamaran Nadon (renamed St. Roch II) set out to recreate & follow Larsen’s 1940-42 trip.