A Canadian Navy ship named HMCS Protecteur will set sail again, nearly a decade after the last supply ship with its respected heritage was retired from service.
The new joint support ship, the longest warship ever built in Canada, was launched in a rainy ceremony at shipbuilder Seaspan’s shipyard in North Vancouver, BC, attended by dignitaries including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It is the first of two joint support ships being built in British Columbia for the Canadian Navy, and Seaspan says work is “well underway” for a second ship, HMCS Preserver, scheduled for delivery in 2025.
The previous supply ship of that name was taken out of service in 2015 after a devastating engine room fire in waters off Hawaii the previous year, marking the end of service for nearly 46 years in conflicts, including the War of the Gulf.
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Trudeau took part in the traditional christening ceremony on Friday, but it was Teri McKinnon, patron of the HMCS Protecteur, who swung and broke a bottle of champagne on the ship after several previous attempts failed to break the bottle.
As the new ship towered over attendees, Trudeau called the launch a “historic moment” and praised the workers who built the ship as an example of Canada’s biggest selling point in attracting global investment.
“In a world so interconnected and so full of opportunities and great places to go, people continue to choose to come and invest in Canada,” Trudeau told attendees.
“People keep showing up because of our biggest competitive advantage: Canadians themselves,” he said. “Our workers are the best in the world. Intelligent, ambitious, motivated, hardworking. “They are the argument we make when people around the world want a reliable partner.”
Speaking after the ceremony, Royal Canadian Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee said it was an emotional day for naval officers to see the ship’s name return to sea.
“There is a tremendous legacy of 45 years of service from the original HMCS Protecteur, so we are very proud to continue that tradition,” Topshee said.
“It was difficult for us to have the fire aboard the Protecteur, but it is also a reminder that the task of going to sea is difficult, risky and at times dangerous. “We always have to be vigilant and prepared for fires, floods or other challenges at sea, not to mention the threat and potential of war.”
The Protecteur is the fifth ship designed and built by Seaspan under the National Shipbuilding Strategy launched in 2010.
Joint support ships, such as HMCS Protecteur, supply fuel, food, water and ammunition to other Navy ships, allowing them to remain at sea for long periods of time without needing to return to port.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
