The Elgin Military Museum is very pleased to announce the appointment of Rear Admiral (retired) Dan McNeil to the position of Project Coordinator for Project Ojibwa. Admiral McNeil will be filling the position left vacant following the sudden death of Alan Montgomery in November.

Dan has been an integral part of the Project team from the earliest days of the Project, functioning as the Museum’s “Senior Naval Advisor”. In this role, Dan attended all of the meetings with our contractors and the Department of National Defence, providing invaluable advice and expertise to help advance the Project, and worked very closely with the entire Project Team.

“My contribution to Project Ojibwa was energized by my association with Al Montgomery”, commented Dan on his appointment, “I dedicate my service to his memory”.
Deborah Jarvis, President of the Elgin Military Museum, said “We are all exceptionally pleased that Dan has agreed to take on this new role. His appointment will mean a minimal ‘downtime’ as Dan is fully familiar with all aspects of the Project”.

Dan joined the navy while attending the University of Western Ontario in 1970. In his 36 years of service he commanded several destroyers and Canada’s replenishment ship on the West Coast. As a Senior Officer he served in many bureaucratic positions in the federal system, including “business manager to the Department of National Defence” and “Senior Military Advisor in the Privy Council Office”. His last job was in Halifax commanding Canadian Naval Forces on the East Coast. Dan retired to Port Stanley in 2006, and currently serves as a Councillor with the Municipality of Central Elgin.

In November, the Museum received official notice from the Department of National Defence that the Museum had successfully completed phase one of a two phase process to obtain the decommissioned submarine HMCS Ojibwa for use as a naval monument and exhibit at a new site being developed in Port Burwell, Ontario. Phase one involved completion of all of the necessary technical, environmental and engineering studies and planning, while phase two, which the Museum is currently engaged in, involves finalizing the required financing for the project. (This last paragraph added as option for media to provide background, if desired).