RCN News

ESQUIMALT, BC – On January 29, 2025, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) achieved a historic milestone as all eight Orca Class training vessels sailed together in a coordinated display off the coast of Esquimalt. Known as the Photographic Orca Deployment Exercise (PODEX) 2025, this event underscored the RCN’s commitment to training and naval prowess. The…

In a move that has reignited discussions on maritime freedom and sovereignty, the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa transited the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, drawing a sharp rebuke from China. On Sunday, February 16, HMCS Ottawa conducted what Ottawa described as a “routine transit” through these geopolitically sensitive waters, a passage that has…

At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was a modest maritime force, with only 13 warships and approximately 1,775 personnel. However, this would change dramatically over the course of the conflict, as the RCN grew to become one of the largest navies in the world by the war’s…

HMCS Bonaventure holds a unique place in the annals of Canadian naval history as the last aircraft carrier to serve in Canada’s Navy. Originally commissioned by the Royal Navy during World War II under the name HMS Powerful, her construction was postponed after the war due to shifting naval priorities. However, in 1952, work on…

In a surprising move, the Royal Canadian Navy has relieved Commander Adriano Lozer of his duties as the Commanding Officer of HMCS Ottawa mid-deployment. The ship, currently stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, has been central to Canada’s naval operations aimed at promoting stability and enforcing international maritime law. The decision, described by the Navy as…

HMCS Mackenzie, a destroyer of the Mackenzie class in the Royal Canadian Navy, was a vessel that not only bore the name of one of Canada’s largest and most significant rivers but also left a lasting legacy in its maritime history. As the lead ship of her class, named after the Mackenzie River, which spans…

                        The courage and bravery of Chief Petty Officer Max Leopold Bernays will forever be remembered with one of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship named in his honour. Last Monday, the Bernays family and naval personnel gathered in front of  the…

On 30 March 1972, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) marked a poignant moment in its history with what became known as “Black Tot Day.” This date signified the end of a long-standing naval tradition: the daily issuance of a rum ration to sailors. The tradition of the daily rum ration, or simply “the tot,” dates…

Photo: HMCS LA HULLOISE. On March 7, 1945, with Strathadam and Thetford Mines, she took part in sinking U1302 in St. George’s Channel.The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest, largest, and most complex naval battle in history that started with Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on September 3, 1939 and ended with Germany’s…

Niobe Day is celebrated by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) on the 21st day of October each year. Niobe Day marks the arrival of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Niobe in Halifax on October 21, 1910, the first Canadian warship to enter Canada’s territorial waters and a landmark event in the beginnings of the Naval…