The Sea Scout Ship Fraser
HMCS FRASER (DDE-233, later DDH-233)
 
HMCS Fraser is the last surviving ship of the St. Laurent-class destroyer escorts. The seven ships of the class represented the Royal Canadian Navy’s most successful design of ships, specifically tailored to the requirements of Canada’s NATO tasking. When first operational, they were known as the “Cadillacs” of the NATO fleet. their unusual underwater surface and rounded hulls allowed them to actively hunt submarines at speeds of up to 18 knots, in any weather or sea condition. They were each converted to carry a helicopter housed in a fully enclosed hangar.
 
 
The Lakefield Scouting Hall
 
While scouting in Lakefield goes back to 1911, the present Sea Scout Group started in 1946. Meetings were held in the old depot on the dock where trains met the steamships. This was leased to the Scouts by the Trent Canal for $1 per year. The building was on Lakefield Village property and when the Trent Canal Authority put the building up for sale, the village purchased it, then leased it to the Lakefield Scouts for the same #1 per year. The Scouts used the same building for almost 40 years. Following the Sea Scout naval tradition the building became known as a land ship and with permission of the government was named the Sea Scout Ship Fraser (S.S.S.Fraser) after the HMCS Fraser, a Canadian Navy Destroyer Escort.
 
When the village council notified us that the building was to be moved to Elizabeth Morris Park and returned to its original open pavilion construction, the Lakefield Scout Group Committee met with the Lakefield Council and it was agreed that if we constructed a new Scout Hall the Village would take possession and give Scouts a $1 per year lease. A lease was drawn up and approved by the Village Council and the Ontario Provincial Council for Scouting. The Village through the Park Board, provided a site, drew up a set of plans and helped in getting the plans approved by the various authorities involved. We started raising funds and received a donation of $5,000 from the Lakefield and District Branch of the Canadian Legion, and another for $6,000 from our sponsor the Lakefield and District Lions Club. In a snow storm on November 11, 1979, members of the Scouts and Village turned the first sod.
 
The building was constructed by the Scout Troop, leaders, members of the group committee and many other friends of Scouting. Many contractors and building supply companies proved willing to provide material and labour free of charge. For instance, Lee Grant approached businesses who supplied all the insulation, drywall, chipboard, fire protection equipment and more, all free of charge.
 
Thanks to all this support, we were able to complete the building at a cost of less than $20,000 and on May 14,1990 the building was officially opened, with the name SSS Fraser transferred to the new building. The building was debt free. We didn’t owe a cent, but we did owe gratitude to the organizations and businesses listed below, and to many individuals, too many to mention.
 
                                     ● Lakefield Branch, Royal Canadian Legion    
                                     ● Aluminum 84
                                     ● Canadian Backhoe
                                     ● Capers Tapers
                                     ● Doughty Aggregates
                                     ● Garret and Jones Aluminum
                                     ● Hargrave Mechanical Limited
                                     ● Heritage Canoe Club
                                     ● Herb Halls Building Supplies
                                     ● Hoey Doors
                                     ● Katchiwano Golf & Country Club
                                     ● Kingdon Lumber
                                     ● Lakefield & District Lions Club
                                     ● Lakefield Rental
                                     ● McLeod’s Electric
                                     ● Miles Macdonald Plumbing
                                     ● Muttart Building Supplies
                                     ● Rehill Building Supplies
                                     ● Robertson Surveying
                                     ● Sargent Hardware
                                     ● Tim Hatton Concrete
                                     ● Trent Security
                                     ● Westburn Electric