Yellowknife (Nov 17/06) - HMCS Yellowknife crew members were in the city Friday to pass the ship's bell to Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem for safe keeping until the ship finishes upgrades and repairs in approximately a year.

The special ceremony took place at City Hall.

About 50 people were in attendance including the mayor, Ndilo Chief Fred Sangris and NWT Premier Joe Handley.

"The ongoing support of the city of Yellowknife is appreciated," said HMCS Yellowknife commander James Vasey.

"The passing of the bell for safe-keeping is a very old and important tradition," he added.

Before Mayor Van Tighem formally took possession of the bell, a special presentation between Vasey and Sangris occurred. For the past eight years, HMCS Yellowknife has had possession of the Dene First Nation flag - a very high honour, according to Sangris.

Vasey passed the flag back to Sangris for the Yellowknives Dene to guard until the ship is afloat once again at the end of 2007.

"It's a very important day here," Sangris told the audience.

"When the Nation was asked many years ago to have our flag as part of the ship, we gladly did so."

Vasey also gave a special mention to Pat McMahon, a former mayor of Yellowknife, and the co-chair of the HMCS Yellowknife Namesake Committee.

McMahon is in charge of getting billets for crew members when they visit Yellowknife.

"I'm going to miss all the crew members in the next year," she said. "But I know they will be back."

Yellowknife Royal Canadian Legion president Lloyd Lush briefly spoke, wishing the crew and ship good luck in the future.

The mayor then officially took the bell into possession. He said the city is proud of the ship and the crew.

"The bell will be in good hands, until you're ready to get it again," he told Vasey.

The current HMCS Yellowknife is the second Canadian Navy ship to bear this city's name.

It was built in 1983, and was christened HMCS Yellowknife on June, 5, 1997.

It began official duty for the Canadian Navy in 1997 in a ceremony held in Esquimalt, Vancouver Island, B.C.