HMCS St. Boniface

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HMCS St. Boniface was a Canadian Navy minesweeper from World War II. It belonged to the Algerine class and was powered by two steam engines. Built in Port Arthur, Ontario, its keel was laid on 21 May 1942, it was launched on 5 November 1942, and commissioned on 9 October 1943. The ship escorted convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic, often serving as the Senior Officer Ship in escort groups W-5 and later W-4.

St. Boniface measured about 225 feet in length, with a beam of 35 feet 6 inches and a draft of 12 feet 6 inches. It displaced around 1,030 tons standard and up to 1,325 tons deep, and had a crew of about 85. It could reach about 16.5 knots and had a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots. Armament included one 4-inch gun and four twin 20 mm cannons, with depth charges for anti-submarine work (some ships later had additional 40 mm guns).

In April 1945, St. Boniface collided with the merchant ship Empire Chamois near Halifax but returned to port for repairs, which took about three months. After repairs, the escort group was disbanded in June 1945. In August 1945, St. Boniface became a training ship at HMCS Cornwallis and stayed there until January 1946. It was placed in reserve in Halifax and paid off on 25 June 1946, then decommissioned on 25 September 1946. The ship was sold for civilian use and, as Bess Barry M., was last registered in 1954 under a Panamanian flag.