Royal Canadian Navy returns to Far North with commissioning of HMCS Harry DeWolf

HMCS Harry DeWolfwas commissioned ata naval base in Halifax on Saturday,the first Royal Canadian Navy vessel built for Arctic military operations in decades.

The ship is designed to patrol Canada's Far Northand offshore waters in addition to having global capabilities.

Named after the late Admiral Harry DeWolfof Bedford, N.S., it is the first navy vessel to be named after aCanadian naval hero.

DeWolf's family were present for the commissioning on a jetty at CFB Halifax.

In a recorded video, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjansaid the vessel was built to perform multiple functions includingsurveillance and search and rescue.

Sajjan thanked the people of Halifax for their hand in building the ship, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"You're the latest in a proud shipbuilding lineage dating back over one hundred years," he said. "You showed dedication, determination and flexibility as you carry on your critical work."

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, who spoke in-person at the event, said it was time to celebrate the work of sailors who carried on the naval tradition in Halifax.

The navy took possession of the vessel on July 31, 2020,the first armed warship under the federal government's multibillion-dollar shipbuilding plan.

The vessel has been undergoing trials including cold weather and ice trials off the coasts of northern Labradorand Nunavut.

It has already been to sea for 111 days and sailed 19,814 nautical miles.

Now that it has been commissioned,HMCS Harry DeWolfwill continue with training before embarking on a circumnavigation of North America in August. It is scheduled to return to Halifax in December.

Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax is slated to build five more similarvessels for the navy and two for the Canadian Coast Guard in the next few years.

Then-prime minister Stephen Harper first announced plans to build up to eight armed Arctic patrol vessels in July 2007 and Irving was selected in October 2011 to produce them before building replacements for the navy's frigates and destroyers.

The following years saw several cost overruns and delays in the program.

Technical problems were also blamed forpushing the delivery date back several times. Then Irvingclosed its Halifax shipyard in March2020for several months because of COVID-19.

It's the first vessel specially built for military operations in the Arctic since the 1950s.

The Royal Canadian Navy will be the latest naval force with a presence in the Far North. Russia, the United States, China and some European countries have been increasing their maritime capabilities in the region in recent years.