CCGS John A. Macdonald

CCGS John A. Macdonald was a Canadian Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. She was named after The Right Honourable, Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC (Cananda), the First Prime Minister of Canada.

She was commissioned into the Canadian Department of Transport's Marine Service in 1960 using the prefix "Canadian Government Ship" (CGS). She was transferred in 1962 into the newly created Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and served with distinction until being decommissioned in 1991, and replaced by the then-chartered (but later purchased) CCGS Terry Fox.

Ship's history
The John A. Macdonald was known to Canadian Coast Guard personnel as "The Queen of the Fleet", and is also considered by many veteran Canadian and U.S. coastguardsmen to be the finest Canadian icebreaker ever built.

The CCGS John A Macdonald was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Unit Commendation "for extremely meritorious service in the support of United States Coast Guard operations during the period of 23 September 1967 to 08 October 1967", during the Arctic West Summer (AWS) 1967 cruise by Admiral (ADM) Willard J. Smith, Commandant, United States Coast Guard.

In 1969 John A. Macdonald, Captain Paul A. Fournier CCG, Master, assisted the then-new CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, Captain Wilfred Dufour CCG, Master, in rescuing the SS Manhattan (1962), Captain Roger A. Steward, Master; during its  transit of the Northwest Passage. John A. Mcdonald made a double transit from the east to west and returned west to east.

During the rescue, the John A. Macdonald broke her starboard propeller in heavy ice; the propeller is on display by the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The Canadian government representative in SS Manhattan was Captain T.C. Pullen RCN (Ret'd). The John A. Macdonald was assisted by the U.S. icebreakers USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) and the USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278).

In 1975 John A. MacDonald, Captain G. Yarn In Command, made a partial transit of the Northwest Passage, westward, through Lancaster Sound, Peel Sound and Victoria Strait.

During 1978 John A. MacDonald, Captain G. Yarn In Command made an east to west partial transit of the Northwest Passage, traveling on charter to Dome Petroleum, through Lancaster Sound, Prince of Wales Strait and the Beaufort Sea.

In 1979 John A. MacDonald Captain S. Goodyear In Command, made another partial transit of the Northwest Passage, west to east, returning eastward from a charter operation.

During 1985 John A. MacDonald with Captain G. Barry In Command made a further partial transit of the Northwest Passage traveling westward, through Peel Sound, Victoria Strait, Amundsen Gulf and back.

1988 John A. MacDonald Captain G. Barry In Command made another partial transit of the Northwest Passage traveling westward, through Lancaster Sound, Peel Sound and Demarcation Point then back.

In 1987 she underwent an eight month, $8-million (CAD) refit, only to be decommissioned four years later. She was transferred from the CCG to Crown Assets and was renamed 1201. She was sold for scrapping and towed from Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia to India in November 1993 and was broken up in the early months of 1994.

Awards and honours

 * Queen of the Fleet
 * U.S. Coast Guard Unit Commendation, 1967