CCGS George R. Pearkes country of registry Canada
CCGS George R. Pearkes is a Martha L. Black-class light icebreaker and buoy support vessel in the Canadian Coast Guard. Named for Victoria Cross-winner George Pearkes, the ship entered service in 1986. Initially assigned to Pacific region, the vessel transferred to the Quebec region. George R. Pearkes was assigned to her current deployment, the Newfoundland and Labrador region in 2004.Service history
The ship was constructed by Versatile Pacific Shipyards Limited at their yard in North Vancouver, British Columbia with the yard number 555. George R. Pearkes was launched on 30 November 1985 and entered service on 17 April 1986, the first active vessel in the class.  The ship is registered in Ottawa, Ontario, and homeported at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.The vessel was initially assigned to the Pacific region and then transferred to the Quebec region. In 2004, George R. Pearkes deployed to the Newfoundland and Labrador region, based at St. John's. The vessel is used for buoy placement, retrieval and monitoring, scientific research, construction programs, search and rescue, icebreaking, and pollution control. In December 2013, the ship was sent to recover oil from the sunken bulk carrier Manolis L which had sank in 1985 off the Change Islands.On 20 August 2015, the ship rescued four people and their boat after their engine had failed in Frobisher Bay, 50 nautical miles (93 km) from Iqaluit. Responding to the distress call on 19 August, drift ice threatened the rescue and the recovery of the boat and its occupants only took place the following morning on 20 August. George R. Pearkes returned them to Iqaluit. In March 2016, Canadian Coast Guard trials with the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 took place aboard George R. Pearkes off the Atlantic coast of Canada.
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