WHAT THE SUB…? (What’s in My Bag – Series #10.)

8/30/2025

WHAT THE SUB…? (What’s in My Bag – Series #10.)

I have experienced more than my share of strange and weird occurrences in my life. Many of you probably have as well.

Having said that, an event occurred on Friday 8/22/2025 that still has me shaking my head for both its scope and overall absurdity.

We went for an afternoon visit and dinner with Group member Alan and his wife Debra while en route to a planned-theatre visit to Stratford, Ontario.

A+ D reside near Aylmer, Ontario. The plan was for us to have dinner in the beach community of Port Stanley. I have never been to Port Stanley.

Alan indicated he wanted to share something interesting he described as “military” in another beach town- Port Burwell.

I can’t say I knew anything about Port Burwell other than I had heard the name.

As you can see on the map below here is the area of travel just SE of London, Ontario.

As we drove into this typical Ontario beach town – we were greeted with plenty of modest white clapboard residences/ cottages etc. until this became the view out of the right side of the vehicle…

There it was. Behind a row of residences down by the water was a submarine.

Huh?

We drove down a side street into the haphazard parking lot of what is called THE ELGIN MILITARY MUSEUM.

My mind was boggled.

There was the OJIBWA on dry dock display.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e6vnrOkruaL7yBzYl2QPoM1g

This thing is 300 feet in length? It was one of four constructed in Chatham, England.

Originally named The ONYX, it was transferred to The Royal Canadian Navy and renamed OJIBWA

It is electric. Engines charged the batteries allowing the sub to silently enter Russian waters during the Cold War. It was operational from 1965 to 1998.

How it came from Halifax to this tiny Ontario town is amazing and there is plenty onthe internet if you are interested. Tours are offered and I will be returning to do that.

As you know, I have a musical references for just about anything. Two came to mind immediate. Neither of them related to an annoying ditty invoking the colour “yellow” – not here- not on gwrex/ug/365.

Anyway, I purchased a bag from the museum and two things fit immediately. As they were both from the early 90’s I don’t have them in vinyl.

First up for when the engines are charging the sub is this-

HMCS OJIBWAY canvas tote with WHIPPING BOY debut- “Submarine” (1992)

WHIPPING BOY 🇮🇪 entitled their debut LP “Submarine”. I am more partial to the song “Favourite Sister” than the title track.

SPOTIFY-

https://open.spotify.com/track/6cOH0k2vBj1cnfECIU9FqT?si=tmjzkLMsScivOO9nTADl8w

(SONG 1213)

And for the quiet, electric mode I immediately thought of this-

Tote with THE CHILLS- “Submarine Bells” (1990)

Here is “Submarine Bells”- the title track of the fine 1990 LP by Kiwi stalwarts THE CHILLS 🇳🇿 They were led by the recently departed MARTIN PHILLIPPS.