Canada's Naval History

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Birth of the Navy (1910-1914)
HMCS Niobe

HMCS Niobe, one of the Naval Service of Canada's first two ships, was intended in part to train Canadian sailors. A large, obsolescent cruiser, Niobe required many crew and was expensive to operate. Lengthy repairs after it ran aground in 1911, and subsequent budget cutbacks, limited the ship's activities.

Diver Going over the Side

This diver, wearing an ungainly suit and helmet and helped by other sailors, enters the water via a ladder.

Divers depended on external support and assistance, including a supply of air pumped through a hose. In addition to the weight of the equipment itself, additional weights counteracted the buoyancy of the air in the suit and helmet while divers were underwater, but made movement difficult above the water. After HMCS Niobe's 1911 grounding, divers investigated the extent of damage to the ship's hull. As highly trained specialists, divers inspected ships, harbour facilities, and defences.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20030174-055