HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258)

HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258) was a Restigouche-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1959-1996.

She was the fifth ship in her class and the second vessel to carry the designation HMCS Kootenay.

Kootenay was laid down on 21 August 1952 at Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver and launched on 15 June 1954. She was officially commissioned into the RCN on 7 March 1959 and carried the pennant number 258 as a destroyer escort.

On 23 October 1969 at 8:21 AM Kootenay suffered the worst peacetime accident in the history of the Royal Canadian Navy during routine full-power trials when her starboard gearbox reached an estimated temperature of 650 degrees Celsuis and exploded. The explosion and the ensuing fire killed 9 crew members and injured at least 53 others.

Kootenay was selected by the RCN for the Improved Restigouche (IRE) project and completed this refit on 7 January 1972. She was also selected as one of 10 destroyers in the Destroyer Life Extension (DELEX) project and completed this refit on 21 October 1983.

In 1989 Kootenay collided with a merchant ship and suffered damage to her bow which was repaired using the bow from her sister ship HMCS Chaudiere (DDE 235).

She was paid off from active service in the RCN on 18 November 1995.

She was reportedly sunk as an artificial reef off Mexico in 2001.

Ship's Bell
The Christening Bells Project at CFB Esquimalt's Naval and Military Museum includes information from the ship's bell of HMCS Kootenay (2nd) 1959 - 1995, which was used for baptism of babies onboard ship 1959 - 1988. The bell is currently held by the CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum, Esquimalt, BC.