HMCS Halifax

There have been 2 vessels named Halifax in the Royal Canadian Navy.

HMCS Halifax (1st of the name) (K237)

Commissioned on November 26, 1941 at Montréal, Quebec, the Flower Class HMCS Halifax was the first Royal Canadian Navy corvette to be completed with a long forecastle. Assigned to Western Local Escort Force on her arrival at Halifax, Nova Scotia, she was transferred in July 1942 to Halifax Force (Aruba Tanker Convoys). On August 14, she was assigned to escort a Trinidad-Aruba-Key West convoy that developed into the only major convoy battle of the war in those waters. Later that fall, she was placed under United States control for New York-Guantanamo convoys. In March 1943, she joined Western Local Escort Force and from May to October, underwent an extensive refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia. On New Year’s Day 1944, she arrived at St. John’s, Newfoundland, to join Escort Group C-1. In January 1945, she briefly joined Halifax Force, transferring in February to Escort Group C-9 for the rest of the war. Paid off on 12 July at Sorel, Quebec, she was sold for conversion as a fruit carrier. She survived into the late 1950s.

HMCS Halifax (2nd of the name) (330)

First of her class to enter service, and the first warship built in Canada since 1971, the Halifax Class frigate HMCS Halifax was commissioned on June 29, 1992, in her namesake city. In 1994, she assisted in the multinational arms embargo of the former Yugoslavia. In the spring of 1995, she visited several European ports in connection with the 50th Anniversary of Victory-in-Europe Day. In 1996, she departed for another tour of duty in the Adriatic. In March 1998, she took part in Exercise Strong Resolve off Norway. That fall, she assisted at the scene of the crash of a Swissair jetliner in the sea near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. In 2000, she served another tour with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) fleet and, on August 15, 2001, she left Halifax to join the NATO fleet but was detached to join in Operation Enduring Freedom – the multi-national coalition against international terrorism. The years 2003 and 2004 saw her conducting fishery patrols as well as training and exercises. In 2005, she took part in Operation Active Endeavour, patrolling the Mediterranean, monitoring shipping and providing escort to non-military vessels through the Straits of Gibraltar to help detect, deter and protect against terrorist activity.

HMCS Halifax continues to conduct operations in support of Canada’s domestic and international objectives.

Motto: “Sior Gaisgeil” (Ever Brave)

Battle honours

Atlantic 1942-1945