Over the years, long-time Herald researcher/librarian Norma Marr prepared a feature called The H Files, in which she looked back at a variety of news events. Here are some of her instalments from October 1998, including a look at the Canadian schooner Bluenose. It became the most famous ship in our country, eventually becoming featured on the Canadian dime along with gracing three Canadian stamps over the years and being the first non-human inductee into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955.
Costing just $35,000 to build, Bluenose was both a fishing ship and a racing ship, which led to its entry in the International Fishermen’s Cup race, which saw real-life fishermen compete in their usual schooners. It first won the cup 103 years ago this month, winning a first race 103 years ago today and a second race two days later against the U.S. ship Elsie. That was followed by cup wins in 1922, 1923 and in later years. After being sold to the West Indies Trading Company in the 1940s, Bluenose hit a reef and sank. A replica (Bluenose II) was built in the ship’s original home of Nova Scotia in the 1960s; that replica was largely rebuilt in the 2010s and relaunched in 2015.
