Tour a Royal Canadian Navy Ship

The Great Lakes Deployment is the voyage of a Navy frigate and two maritime coastal defence vessels to selected ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario.

The 2012 excursion provides an opportunity for Canadians in cities along the way to tour Her Majesty's Canadian ships (HMCS) Ville de Québec, Moncton and Summerside and discover career opportunities available with the Canadian Forces.

Climb aboard one of the Canadian Forces’ ships to speak with sailors, ask questions and hear their heroic, heart-warming and inspiring stories about their deployments around the world.

The three ships are staffed by impressive crews of highly trained personnel. The Canadian Forces have a wide range of careers available for the next generation of military personnel, and offer paid education to help you do the job you’ve always dreamed of.

Canadian Cities

Cornwall, ON

Hamilton, ON

Montreal, QC

Oshawa, ON

Quebec City, QC

Sept-Îles, QC

Thunder Bay, ON

Toronto, ON

Trois-Rivières, QC

Windsor, ON

American Cities

Buffalo, NY

Chicago, IL

Cleveland, OH

Milwaukee, WI

Toledo, OH

Welcome aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec. During your visit, you will have a glimpse into what life in the Navy is like aboard one of the Canadian Forces’ most prestigious ships. By touring the ship, handling sophisticated equipment and speaking with the sailors, you will have a first-hand experience of a world-class Navy.

Commissioned in 1994, HMCS Ville de Québec is one of 12 Canadian-built Halifax Class frigates in the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship is one of the seven frigates belonging to Canada’s East Coast Fleet based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The vessel possesses an advanced suite of weapons and sensors capable of detecting, tracking and engaging hostile air, surface and submarine threats.

The ship uses a combined diesel or gas propulsion system. The diesel cruise engine provides excellent fuel economy while the gas turbine engines enable the ship to travel at speeds as high as 30 knots (about 55 km/h).

The ship’s crew is highly trained, professional and committed, ensuring maximum readiness and efficiency. While the crew is comprised of many trades and positions, it operates the ship as a single team.

The Navy is made up of all types of people – women and men like you, who, through training and experience, have learned to accomplish extraordinary things. Navy life is rigorous, but it is also rewarding. Just ask the sailors aboard this ship, whose lives have been changed because of their experiences in Canada and abroad.

The Navy supports the Canadian Forces in fulfilling its three roles:

• Defending Canada
• Defending North America
• Contributing to International Peace and Security

In 2011 HMCS Ville de Québec emerged from a refit in its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, well-equipped to play key roles in supporting Canadian interests from counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and humanitarian support operations overseas to fisheries patrols in the North Atlantic.

Most recently, HMCS Ville de Québec conducted fisheries patrols on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, participating in multinational task group exercises, as well as playing a significant role in a major joint exercise off Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.

In 2009, Ville de Québec supported the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The ship provided maritime surveillance throughout the meeting.

In 2008, Ville de Québec escorted food-carrying cargo vessels between Mombasa, Kenya and Mogadishu, Somalia. The route took the freighters and the Canadian patrol frigate through waters well-known for pirate attacks. By the end of the mission, Ville de Québec and its crew ensured the delivery of 36 million kilograms of food.

Welcome aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Moncton. During your visit, you will have a glimpse into what life in the Navy is like aboard one of the Canadian Forces’ Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels. By touring the ship, handling sophisticated equipment and speaking with the sailors, you will have a first-hand experience of a world-class Navy.

HMCS Moncton is the 9th Kingston Class maritime coastal defense vessel, designed for coastal surveillance measures to protect national sovereignty. 

HMCS Moncton’s versatile deck capabilities allow it to adapt to a variety of equipment, enabling it to do naval mine countermeasures, bottom object inspection, sonar scanning of the seabed and remote underwater vehicle operations.

The first ship to bear the name Moncton was a Flower Class corvette that served the Royal Canadian Navy throughout World War II. She escorted 57 convoys across the Atlantic Ocean before being transferred to the Pacific Fleet at the end of the War.

The crew, primarily made up of Naval Reserve personnel, carries out operational tasks such as mine countermeasures, search and rescue and maritime domain awareness. HMCS Moncton’s other functions include anti-smuggling operations, resource protection, fisheries and environmental monitoring, counter-terrorism, disaster relief and scientific research.

The Navy is made up of all types of people – women and men like you, who, through training and experience, have learned to accomplish extraordinary things. Navy life is rigorous, but it is also rewarding. Just ask the sailors aboard this ship, whose lives have been changed because of their experiences in Canada and abroad.

The Navy supports the Canadian Forces in fulfilling its three roles:

• Defending Canada
• Defending North America
• Contributing to International Peace and Security

HMCS Moncton had a very busy year in 2011/12. She participated in Operation Caribbe, Canada’s contribution to the U.S.-led counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, followed by a Fisheries Patrol. She deployed soon after for Operation Nanook, Canada’s annual sovereignty mission in the High Arctic. Most recently, Moncton completed mine countermeasure duties as part of Exercises Bold Alligator and Frontier Sentinel, both of which were combined U.S.-Canadian naval exercises.

Welcome aboard Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Summerside. During your visit, you will have a glimpse into what life in the Navy is like aboard one of the Canadian Forces’ Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels. By touring the ship, handling sophisticated equipment and speaking with the sailors, you will have a first-hand experience of a world-class Navy.

HMCS Summerside is the 12th and final Kingston Class maritime coastal defense vessel, designed for coastal surveillance measures to protect national sovereignty. 

HMCS Summerside’s versatile deck capabilities allow it to adapt to a variety of equipment, enabling it to do naval mine countermeasures, bottom object inspection, sonar scanning of the seabed and remote underwater vehicle operations.

The first ship to bear the name Summerside was a Flower Class corvette that served the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, assisting with Operation Neptune, the code name for the Normandy Landings as part of D-Day (Operation Overlord).

The ship's company, primarily made up of Naval Reserve personnel, carries out operational tasks such as mine countermeasures, search and rescue and maritime domain awareness. HMCS Summerside’s other functions include anti-smuggling operations, resource protection, fisheries and environmental monitoring, counter-terrorism, disaster relief and scientific research.

The Navy is made up of all types of people – women and men like you, who, through training and experience, have learned to accomplish extraordinary things. Navy life is rigorous, but it is also rewarding. Just ask the sailors aboard this ship, whose lives have been changed because of their experiences in Canada and abroad.

The Navy supports the Canadian Forces in fulfilling its three roles:

• Defending Canada
• Defending North America
• Contributing to International Peace and Security

 

Both HMCS Summerside and Moncton participated in Exercise Bold Alligator 2012, conducting mine countermeasures off the coast of North Carolina in January and February 2012. The ships underwent repeated drills in areas like engineering emergencies, force protection and combat tactics, designed to expose the ships’ companies to realistic and sometimes stressful scenarios in preparation for this multinational exercise with the United States Navy.

HMCS Summerside, along with HMCS Moncton, took part in Exercise Frontier Sentinel held in Sydney, Nova Scotia in May 2012. HMCS Summerside used an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) to detect and identify training mines at the bottom of Sydney Harbour. The Navy's ability to use UUVs shows the impressive capabilities these ships possess.

June 2012 marks 200 years since the declaration of the War of 1812 which was a crucial event in the making of our great country. The War helped establish our path toward becoming an independent and free country, united under the Crown with a respect for linguistic and ethnic diversity.

The War contributed to define our unique relationship with our greatest ally, the U.S. – a relationship of peace and prosperity between our two countries. The events of 200 years ago remind us that the link between sea power and our nation’s security and prosperity is increasingly relevant today – as safe and secure sea lanes allow our economies to grow.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s most fundamental job is to protect the security and prosperity of Canada and Canadians. We do our job, in many cases, by contributing to continental and international operations alongside our allies, of which the U.S. is the most important. To celebrate this event the American vessels USS De Wert and the USS Hurricane will join Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Ville de Québec, Summerside and Moncton in the Great Lakes Deployment.

• Canadian Forces Recruiting
• The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces
• Royal Canadian Navy
• The Fleet
• Canada First Defence Strategy
• The War of 1812
  
• Bicentennial of the War of 1812