HMCS Cape Breton (ARE 100)

HMCS Cape Breton (ARE 100) was a RCN Cape-class escort maintenance ship. Originally built for the Royal Navy as HMS Flamborough Head in 1944 she was transferred in 1952.

Construction
Flamborough Head (pennant F88) was one of the 21 Beachy Head class repair ships.

Royal Canadian Navy
It was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1952 and served till 1975. It was used as a floating machine shop until the late 1990s. Except for a short section of the stern and her engines, which may eventually go on display in North Vancouver BC, the ship was sunk in the waters of British Columbia in 2001 by the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia after extensive cleaning to meet Environment Canada requirements.

It now lies near Snake Island in Nanaimo harbour and is a popular scuba diving site.

Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton was formed in 1996 at CFB Esquimalt from the amalgamation of three shore-based units: Ship Repair Unit (Pacific), Naval Engineering Unit (Pacific), and Fleet Maintenance Group (Pacific). FMF Cape Breton took its name from HMCS Cape Breton.

Ship's bell
The Christening Bells Project at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum includes information from the ship's bell of HMCS Cape Breton (2nd) 1959–1993, which was used for baptism of babies onboard ship 1959–1971. The bell is currently held by the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum, Esquimalt, BC.