New York City Fleet Week 2010: HMCS Athabaskan taking a break from exercise

So it would appear. The exercise:

Canada - US Relations: Canadian, American and French Navy on task group exercise

Four Halifax-based warships, HMC Ships Athabaskan, St. John’s, Halifax and Ville de Quebec recently departed HMC Dockyard to participate in Canadian Fleet Operations (CFO) from May 18 until June 8. As part of this deployment the ships will also conduct operations with American and French vessels and aircraft.

Credit: WO Larry Graham, J5PA Combat Camera

HMCS Athabaskan is participating in Canadian Fleet Operations (CFO) with HMC Ships St. John’s, Halifax and Ville de Quebec.

CFO will test various aspects of Naval activities including seamanship and navigational training, weapons firing, international interoperability and communications. CFO is geared to maximize the fleet’s ability to deploy as a task group under various team-based scenarios and exercises.

Aerial, surface and sub-surface activities will test sailors’ abilities to search, detect and protect themselves from various threats.

NYC:

...
May 25, 2010

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, speaks on the deck of HMCS Athabaskan in New York City as Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General and Ambassador John McNee, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations look on. Minister MacKay praised the ship's crew for its recent humanitarian work in Haiti [more here]. The ship is in New York City as part of the US Fleet Week. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also thanked the crew of Athabakan for its contributions to reconstruction in Haiti .

From the Fleet Week website, at its right:

Visiting Ships
...
HMCS Athabaskan – Pier 88N*

*Please note the Athabaskan will arrive on Tuesday, May 25th and depart on the morning of Sunday, May 30th...

From the ship's commanding officer:

...
ATHABASKAN will finish its spring sailing schedule with a few stops in Baltimore and New York. The New York port visit will occur during their Fleet Week celebrations where a number of vessels from Canada and the United States will partake in the week long festivities. This well deserved rest and relaxation will give the crew a chance to share a few pints with our American partners and perhaps share a few salty dits...

And forthcoming on the west coast:

International Fleet Review June 9 to 14, Esquimalt

Update: Crew members recognized:

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanks the crew of HMCS Athabaskan

Three sailors from HMCS Athabaskan have been personally recognized by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for their efforts in earthquake-stricken Haiti during Canadian Forces’ Operation HESTIA earlier this year.

Lieutenant (Navy) Kyle Sexton, Master Seaman David Leblanc and Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Hoveland were largely responsible for the design of three orphanages in Haiti, as well as leading crew members from Athabaskan in the construction of two bunk houses with a kitchen/storage area for each...

Via David Pugliese's Defence Watch.