HMCS Alberni Museum’s poignant exhibit

This summer, the HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial (HAMM) in Courtenay is shining a spotlight on a pivotal moment in Canadian naval history with its compelling new exhibit, simply titled ‘59’.

The exhibit, which culminated in a commemorative ceremony on Aug. 21, pays tribute to the 59 Canadian sailors who lost their lives when HMCS Alberni was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-480 on Aug. 21, 1944.

The exhibit ‘59’ could never have been produced without the inspiration of Lewis Bartholomew, founder of The Alberni Project Society (TAPS) and the driving force behind HAMM, to find out everything he could about the 59 Canadian sailors who died Aug. 21, 1944.