True and Fascinating Canadian History
Mrs. Doreen Reidel, daughter of
O.347, Superintendent Henry Larsen
Skipper of the RCMP Vessel St. Roch
It was an absolute pleasure for me to respond to an invitation and to meet Doren [Larsen] and her husband Dr. Deiter Reitel, Ph.D in November, 2013. Doreen is a new friend and someone whom I had heard about through RCMP Vets for many, many years.
To meet Doreen was the equivelent of taking a independent Canadian history course. Her father, Superintendent Henry Larsen is a famous Canadian. Doreen spoke of her Dad very lovingly.
The RCMP Vessel St. Roch is a now retired RCMPolice ship. It was the first ship to fully circumnavigate North America and only the second vessel to ever complete a voyage through the Northwest Passage. The voyages of the St. Roch and her crew in the Arctic are lengendary. I can fondly recall reading about the St. Roch when I was a school boy in New Brunswick during the 1950's.
The St. Roch was the first ship to complete the Northwest Passage in an west to east direction, passing through the same route that Amundsen on the sailing vessel Gjøa went from east to west.
The St Roch was mostly Captained by Superintendent Henry Larsen. The vessel is now docked at the Vancouver Maritime Museum in Vancouver, BC.
Doreen continues to be active in the name of her father. Some of Superintendent Larsen's journals require translation and Doreen is also cataloging thousands of photos which are presently held at Library and Archives Canada.
