Blackadder1916
Army.ca Fixture
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Unhoused sailors in Halifax is not exactly a new thing. As of at least two years ago emails have periodically come from the formation chief to canvas everyone to see if anyone was couch surfing based on members on the WC doing the same. Some of the issue is pers coming off course and expected to get out of single quarters, that was expanded but I'm sure there there are other situations. Not sure that helped or not. We used to have buildings such as Normandy block and St Laurent block, those were pulled down long ago. All PMQ's or at least ones that are habitable are full including Shearwater. Letting sailors live on the ships was looked at and dismissed as duty watches would have to expand as when they were reduced living onboard was stopped.
On twitter the Kracken just said that they are investigating after the article was published, not sure why this is all news to him because it was well known.
I guess they could reach out the universities and see if there is any accommodations available in Fenwick towers or something similar. As was previously mentioned a workcamp could be set up in Halifax at the former site of St Laurent block where there is water and sewer already available and close to the dockyard, just takes money and seems we're all out.
What about a "barracks ship"? Eighty years ago, it was one of the solutions for housing sailors at St. John's.
It was an interim solution for the rapidly expanded need for quarters until additional barracks could be built on land, though they continued to use the ship.
The barracks on the Southside (that's the hillside) were demolished after the war and were gone by the time I came along (1950s). The primary naval barracks was up from the harbour on the city side as shown in the aerial photo of St. John's from 1942. (the red X is where I later grew up)
The US Navy makes much use of accommodation barges and are having new ones built.
Future APL 69 Conducts Builder’s and Acceptance Trials
The Navy’s newest berthing barge, Auxiliary Personnel Lighter (APL) 69, recently conducted Builder’s and Acceptance Trials in Pascagoula, Mississippi.Builder's Trials consist of a series of in-port
www.navsea.navy.mil
I am, however, unfamiliar with both Halifax and Esquimalt so I don't know if there would be space to moor such a vessel.