Birth of the Navy (1910-1914)
Creating the Navy

Created in 1910, the Naval Service of Canada was renamed the Royal Canadian Navy in 1911. It was the product of an intense Canadian political debate driven by Great Britain's efforts to bolster its naval defences against the rapidly growing German navy.

HMCS Niobe, Stern View

Seen here bristling with guns to fight other ships and dwarfing the small boats alongside, HMCS Niobe formed part of Canada's response to Britain's request for naval support.

Niobe was transferred from Britain to serve as a training ship for Canada's new navy, for which Sir Wilfrid Laurier's ambitious plans envisaged a fleet of locally-built cruisers and destroyers under Canadian control. In 1910, Laurier's Liberal government established a distinct Naval Service of Canada in the face of intense opposition from Sir Robert Borden's Conservatives, who preferred direct financial support to Britain.

George Metcalf Collection
CWM 20030174-045