Ajax wants Canadian ship named for the town

AJAX -- It's nothing new to have a British warship to take the name Ajax.

There have been seven versions of the Her Majesty's Ship (HMS) Ajax, including the one that took part in the Battle of the River Plate in September 1939. It was from that HMS Ajax which the Town took its name.

Now, Ajax hopes to have a Canadian vessel named after the municipality.

Mayor Steve Parish has sent a letter to Peter MacKay, the minister of national defence, requesting one of the new naval ships be named Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ajax.

"The Town of Ajax is very rich in history and our residents take great pride in its historical significance," the mayor said in his letter. "It would be wonderful if we could commemorate this by having one of Canada's vessels named after the Town. It would be a true honour to be held in such esteem."

Mayor Parish has also started a letter-writing campaign, hoping Ajax residents will join in by jotting a few lines to Mr. MacKay. Residents can write a letter explaining why they think one of Canada's new ships should be named HMCS Ajax.

Letters should be sent to the mayor and all submissions will be forwarded to Mr. MacKay's office in late August.

In his letter to Mr. MacKay, sent June 11, Mayor Parish said the Town is hosting the 70th anniversary reunion of the HMS Ajax and River Plate Veterans Association next October and having a ship named after Ajax would highlight the event.

"In view of the 2009 reunion event, I ask that the request to have one of Canada's new planned ships named HMCS Ajax be seriously considered by your government and that you advise me what formal process is involved in pursuing this request," Mayor Parish said. "As you may know, there is a strong tradition within Britain, in this country and elsewhere, to name ships after towns and cities but to the best of my knowledge, the Town of Ajax is one of the only examples of a Town named after a ship."

No decision has been made on the naming of new ships, said Navy Public Affairs officer Lieutenant Commander Sue Stefko.

"We currently have a naming committee for the Joint Support Ships, the next ships planned to be built. While it has been active, no recommendations have yet been tendered by that committee for further approval," Lt.-Cmdr. Stefko said in an e-mail.

As for the process used in selecting a moniker, "a ship's naming committee is formed when new ships are to be acquired. The committee, normally five to 10 members large, will produce name proposals or evaluate suggestions and proposals put forward by interested parties for ships' names," Lt.-Cmdr. Stefko said. "A name will be recommended by the committee to the commander of Maritime command. The name must also be approved by the chief of defence staff as well as the minister of national defence.

"When proposing a name, there are many things that need to be taken into account. For instance, the name should be recognizable as Canadian, be relatively short and simple, be appropriate to the type and size of ship, where possible, have a historical or traditional past or connotations, be distinguishable from other (department of national defense) names, such as ships, bases or stations," Lt.-Cmdr. Stefko said.

Letters can be sent by mail to Mayor Steve Parish, 65 Harwood Ave. S., Ajax, Ontario, L1S 2H9.

They can be e-mailed to steve.parish@townofajax.com, or filled out on-line at www.townofajax.com. A sample letter is available at the website.

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