The Navy: A Century in Art
The Navy at Sea

The Canadian navy is a creature of the sea. Its ships, equipment, tactics, and experiences have been conditioned by the major environments in which it serves. Historically, the most important of these have been Canada's long and ragged coasts and the storm-tossed northern waters connecting Canada to the world.

Snowberry K-166
Painted by Fred Thearle in 1988

Wind and weather constantly challenged Canada's navy in its wartime roles.

In this work, the Flower-class corvette HMCS Snowberry crashes through heavy seas. Large numbers of corvettes were produced during the Second World War and used as convoy escorts. Their simple design made it possible to build them quickly in smaller shipyards, like the one at Lauzon, Québec, where the Snowberry was launched in 1940.

Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 20060128-003