First Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel Canada’s Pacific Fleet will be officially commissioned in a ceremony princess anneSister of King Charles.
Princess Anne will attend the event Friday in North Vancouver in her role as commodore-in-chief for Canadian Fleet Pacific.
national department protect The patrol ship, HMCS Max Bernays, arrived at its new home port in Esquimalt last month, calling it an “important milestone” in the fleet’s expansion.
It said the introduction of the ship, named after a Canadian naval hero during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II, would allow the navy to better meet future defense challenges in the North.
HMCS Max Bernays was built by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and launched into Atlantic waters on October 23, 2021.
The email you need for the day
Top news from Canada and around the world.
It is the first Harry DeWolf-class ship assigned to the Pacific Fleet, although HMCS Robert Hampton Gray is expected to become the second such ship to transfer between the shores, the Defense Department said in a statement released last month.
“These multifunctional ships will be at the core of the enhanced Arctic presence and will strategically complement the capabilities of our current and future warships through surveillance missions,” the statement said.
The office of B.C.’s lieutenant-governor said last week that the princess and her husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, will attend a series of events beginning with the ship’s commissioning ceremony in North Vancouver during a three-day visit to B.C. . ,
It said there would be an overnight trip to Esquimalt on Vancouver Island.
The Princess’s itinerary also includes a visit to the archives and collection space of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria, which was established with an initial donation by the Princess’s late father, Prince Philip.
He is scheduled to attend a memorial service marking the Battle of the Atlantic at the British Columbia legislature and lay a wreath, as well as visit the Military Family Resource Centre.
Princess Anne is also scheduled to meet with BC’s Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin and various community leaders from the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a modified story. A previous version stated that the ship was Canada’s first Arctic and offshore patrol vessel. In fact, it is the first such ship to join the Pacific Fleet.
© 2024 The Canadian Press