Yellowknife (July 12/06) - The HMCS Yellowknife's bell is coming to Yellowknife to grace the council chambers of City Hall on display.

The Canadian Navy coastal defence vessel, which was named after the NWT capital, has been in commission for eight years and is due for a complete retrofit.

"There will be a special ceremony at the City Hall upon (the bell's) arrival," Lt.-Cmdr. Jim Vasey said.

"It will be shipped to Yellowknife when the ship has been docked for the retrofit and will stay here for the remainder of the retrofit."

The ship will receive a new paint job on the hull, turning blue from red and every part of the ship will be updated, Vasey said.

The ship is a part of 12 in the Canadian Navy's Kingston-class fleet of mine sweeping vessels named after cities across Canada.

It was built in Halifax in 1995, launched in 1997 and commissioned in Victoria, B.C. in June of 1998.

"Over 200 Yellowknifers came to the commissioning," said Pat McMahon, former Yellowknife mayor and official sponsor, and also affectionately called the ship's mom.

"There were even ex-Yellowknifers there from all over Canada. It was a big Yellowknife party."

Described as an ambassador for the city, the HMCS Yellowknife brings the attention of the world to the city, said Vasey.

The ship has been involved in various sailing missions along the Pacific coast, having sailed as far as Mexico.

Right now the ship is taking out officers in training for real-life experience in monitoring boats along the coast.

For the training exercises, the ship is circumnavigating Vancouver Island clockwise, starting in Richmond, B.C., and will sail around the outside of the island, returning through the inside passage.

The officers and crew visit Yellowknife a couple of times a year to keep their connection to the city alive.

"We have people asking wherever we sail where Yellowknife is," Vasey says.

"We have a Yellowknife display on board ship and give out Yellowknife pins."