The Navy: A Century in Art
A Canadian Navy

Canada's navy is an important national institution. It is an influential presence in many Canadian communities and is a historic and influential symbol of nationhood. For many Canadians, the navy is a focus of passion, pride, and service.

Halifax Harbour
Painted by Donald C. Mackay in 1944

During the Second World War, naval activity made Halifax one of the world's busiest ports.

This work, by war artist Donald C. Mackay, reveals much of the trans-continental network that kept convoys flowing across the north Atlantic. A military truck sits alongside a crowded railway siding where flatbed cars carry tanks to the dockside. Warehouses and industrial buildings store goods and equipment before derricks, visible at several points, load ships bound for Europe.

Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-4225