A volunteer Board of Directors has come together for the purpose of bringing artifacts and archival information surrounding the Ocean Ranger disaster back home to Newfoundland.
The Ocean Ranger Legacy Foundation’s inaugural meeting is tomorrow evening at the Marine Institute Conference Centre and is open to the public.
The Ocean Ranger disaster in 1982 claimed the lives of all 84 men on board the rig. Items in storage include lifejackets, oars, and panels from the ballast control room.
Board member Rob Strong, a long-time analyst in the province’s offshore oil industry, says the Ocean Ranger Families Foundation would like to see the items returned.
“We think it’s important; it’s important for the families and the children of the families, and it’s also very important to re-emphasize the need for safety offshore.”
The aim is to bring the items, which have been stored in Ottawa for the last 42 years, back to Newfoundland to be put on public display in a respectful manner.
Tomorrow’s meeting gets underway at 7 p.m.