A Lambton College classroom now bears the name of His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Sarnia.
A dedication ceremony was held on campus Thursday, May 9.
President and CEO Rob Kardas said the Bangor-class minesweeper, named after the city of Sarnia, served with distinction during the Second World War in the Battle of the St. Lawrence [1942] and the Battle of the Atlantic [1942-1943].
"Perhaps one of its most historical days of service came on April 16, 1945," said Kardas. "In the frigid waters of the Halifax Harbour, another minesweeper HMCS Esquimalt went out on a routine anti-submarine patrol. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank within minutes."
The ship had been scheduled to rendezvous with HMCS Sarnia.
"In the wake of the attack, HMCS Sarnia attempted two depth charge attacks on the German U-boat, then went on to rescue 27 survivors from HMCS Esquimalt, the last Canadian warship lost to enemy action in World War II," Kardas said.
Kardas said the classroom naming is part of Lambton College's commitment to reduce barriers for military-connected students.
In April 2023, Lambton partnered with four other Ontario colleges to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a framework to offer members of the Canadian Armed Forces who move interprovincially due to service.
Naval reserves Captain Sean Batte appreciated the classroom naming and said the response by HMCS Sarnia would have required a tremendous amount of skill and courage.
"How reassuring it would have been for those sailors to know that their sister ship, the Sarnia, was there to pull them out of the water and bring them home," Batte said. "So, thank you very much for this honour to have an important classroom dedicated to the memory of those sailors."
Batte said navy reservists receive a $2,000 tuition credit each year toward their post secondary education and accommodations can now be made for students to continue their studies if they have to move or are deployed.
