Charlottetown- A local soldier was posthumously honoured for her bravery in serving her country.
Last month, the Canadian Coast Guard unveiled a patrol vessel named after Cpt. Nichola Goddard, a former Antigonish resident who served with the Canadian forces in Afghanistan and was the first woman killed in action since World War II.
“We knew about it (since) 2011,” said Nichola’s mother Sally. “We were told that one of the new hero class vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard was going to be named after her. Nichola’s ship was the last one (of the 9) to be made.”
A release from the Coast Guard states the mid-shore patrol vessels will perform security missions on the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and fisheries enforcement on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. The vessels can operate up to 120 nautical miles offshore and communicate securely with other Government of Canada vessels and national classified command and control networks. The will be able to conduct surveillance of fisheries operations to ensure all regulations and guidelines are being respected, seize, recover, store and transport illegal fishing gear, monitor and patrol coastlines and international boundaries and provide a Canadian presence, and discourage smuggling and fish poaching on the enforcement and compliance side of things. As for security, the vessels can Enhance national security, provide the ability to respond to potential threats, and safeguard and address federal on-water enforcement requirements.
“I think the fact a ship has been named after Nichol is really is lovely for us but I think it emphasizes the affect the 157 who have died in the Afghan campaign have had on the country,” she said. “We were honoured. We were thrilled. When you go to see it, it’s lovely.”
At the moment the ship is in Halifax but it is going to be based in British Columbia.