Historic Grand Banks schooner’s future being assessed at Lunenburg, N.S., shipyard

An assessment has been ordered to determine the options for a historic schooner that's been berthed at the site of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, N.S. 

An assessment has been ordered to determine the options for a historic schooner that’s been berthed at the site of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, N.S.

The 85-year-old Theresa E. Connor is being described by the province’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage as “showing signs of wear,” and having “some structural concerns.”

Department spokesman Rob Maguire said Monday the vessel was moved from its spot by the waterfront museum and taken to the Lunenburg Shipyard and hoisted onto a dry dock in February.

The vessel — which has been part of the museum since 1967 — has undergone regular repairs every three to four years, but the spokesman says on this occasion it will “be undergoing a full assessment” to help determine its options.

“This will help us better understand the vessel’s condition and what work may be required,” he wrote in an email.

“We know how important the Theresa E. Connor is to the Lunenburg community and to the many Nova Scotians and visitors who’ve experienced the vessel as part of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. That’s why we’re working closely with our colleagues at the museum and with the Department of Public Works to ensure the schooner is preserved in a way that honours its cultural and historical significance,” he said.

According to museum records, Theresa E. Connor is one of Canada’s oldest schooners, and the last to dory fish the Grand Banks out of the port of Lunenburg.

Built in 1938 at Smith and Rhuland Shipyard, it is one of only two remaining fishing schooners constructed by the shipbuilding firm, which constructed Bluenose and the majority of Lunenburg’s early 20th century fishing fleet.