Union Centre brook named after seaman who died on HMCS Kootenay

Able-Bodied Seaman Allan Bell, otherwise known as Dinger, was the guest speaker at a dedication ceremony for fellow seaman Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class William Alfred Boudreau of Pictou County who was one of nine men who died on the HMSC Kootenay on Oct. 23, 1969.

Bell was recording the main engine temperatures for full power trials at 8:10 a.m. when a fire broke out shortly after in the ship’s engine room, and Boudreau had just started his shift in the engine room. The fire happened quickly, and the men scrambled to get out of the engine room before being engulfed in flames.

“The ladder was about 15 feet high and 14 inches wide, and that was all we had to go up, and we were all on fire,” Bell said. “We really didn’t stand a chance. It was about 650 centigrade. It was hell. There was no other way to go about it. The flesh was dropping off our bodies the will to live supersedes everything.”

Boudreau was buried at sea near Plymouth, England leaving behind his wife Esther and five children, William, Michael, Daniel, Dana and Shelley. He was also survived by five sisters. In 2019, a request came into the provincial Geographic Information Services to have a brook named after Boudreau. That dedication ceremony took place Saturday, October 22 at the Union Centre Community Hall, a short drive from the newly named Billy Boudreau Brook.

Bell said for 30 years after the engine room explosion, no one spoke about the Kootenay, but this has changed, and now remembrance services are held in various locations in Canada.

Members of the Boudreau family were in attendance to accept a Certificate of an Official Place Name from the province’s Geographic Information Services for the official naming of Billy Boudreau Brook. The Municipality of Pictou County also donated two plaques placed on the Billy Boudreau Brook road signs, which detail his military history and cause of death on the HMCS Kootenay.

“The world needs to know this event was held today, but it is also important for this naming process to take place,” said MOPC Warden Robert Parker. “This is not just an event to remember Billy Boudreau and other folks who lost their lives on the ship that day, but we are having a brook named after Billy Boudreau. That will be remembered long after we are gone. People will ask who Billy Boudreau is. The fact that we name it after our natural environment and Billy Boudreau is very important. The onus is on us to ensure this signage is looked after. “

In addition to the naming of the brook, the Boudreau family was also given The Commander Royal Canadian Navy Commendation in recognition of Boudreau's time with the HMCS Kootenay.

Municipality of Pictou County District 9 Coun. Peter Boyles accepted a certificate on behalf of his late uncle Alex Boyles who was a leading seaman on the HMCS Kootenay at the time of the explosion.