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.

British Ships in Halifax, 1901

The Royal Yacht HMS Ophir (left) and British warships (right) float in Halifax Harbour during a 1901 royal visit.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, later King George V and Queen Mary, visited Canada as part of their tour of the British Empire. Royal Navy (RN) warships like those seen on the right accompanied the liner Ophir, which had been chartered for use as a royal yacht. Halifax had long been an important British naval base but, in 1905, the RN moved its North American headquarters to Bermuda. The Canadian government subsequently assumed responsibility for the Halifax dockyard, and transferred it to the Canadian navy in 1910.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20070061-032