MV G. B. Church
Coastal Freighter · Canada · Lost 1991 · The British Columbia Coast
Originally a wartime munitions carrier, the G. B. Church became the pilot project for BC's artificial reef program when she was sunk near Sidney in 1991.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1943 in England as the Cerium, this steel coastal freighter later served as the G. B. Church, hauling explosives along the British Columbia coast for decades after the Second World War. In 1989 the newly formed Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia selected her as its first project; after two years of preparation to strip hazards and open the hull to divers, she was scuttled within Princess Margaret Marine Park off Portland Island on August 11, 1991, becoming a proof of concept for the larger naval-vessel reefs that followed.
Vessel
- 1943
- Not established
- Goole, England
- Steel
- 175 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Diesel, single screw
- Not established
Loss
- August 11, 1991
- Intentional sinking
- Princess Margaret Marine Park, off Portland Island, near Sidney, British Columbia
- Haro Strait
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 85 ft
- Sits upright on a flat sandy bottom; a well-established artificial reef
- Upright
- Not established
- Lies within Princess Margaret Marine Park.
Position
- 48.72° N 123.35° W
- Approximate position
- Portland Island, near Sidney, British Columbia
Coordinates from a dive-resource site for the mooring location.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (82/100)
Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia
Build origin, preparation, and scuttling date and location.
Element Escapes dive-site guide
Depth, coordinates, and wreck description.
