This week marks the 60th anniversary of the sinking of the Athabaskan

Ken Johnston

This year marks the 60th anniversary of several events that history will never forget.
At the end of the month a special documentary will be shown on the History Channel telling the story of the sinking of the HMCS Athabaskan, which happened April 25, 1944.
Rainy River resident Wilf Hendrickson was one of the survivors from that sinking. He has left for Hamilton, Ontario where several events will take place commemorating their valiant efforts 60 years ago. On April 25th there was a memorial service aboard the HMCS Haida, which fought along side the Athabaskan when she sunk. The Haida has been moved from Toronto to Hamilton and restored for the public to visit.
On the 28th Hendrickson along with other survivors will get a sneak peak at the documentary which will air the following day on television.
128 Canadian sailors were lost that day.
Also prevalent on history’s radar this year is the 60th Anniversary of D-Day (The Normandy Invasion). While the anniversary is not until June 6th, several documentaries have already aired and many events across the country are being planned for this spring.