Canadian navy names new vessels in honour of B.C. naval history, Halifax Explosion

The new vessels, which are currently under construction in Quebec as part of Canada's national shipbuilding strategy, will be named Haro, Barkerville, Canso and Stella Maris. (Department of National Defence)

The Canadian navy announced Thursday the names of four new tugboats due for delivery to the Pacific and Atlantic fleets starting next year.

The vessels, which are currently under construction in Quebec as part of the federal government's National Shipbuilding Strategy, will be named Haro, Barkerville, Canso and Stella Maris.

The naval tugs enable the movement of warships near shore and also provide fire protection for fleet vessels.

The first two tugs, Haro and Barkerville, are slated for delivery to Maritime Forces Pacific in Esquimalt, B.C., in the fall of 2022.

The name Haro is taken from the Haro Strait, a busy shipping channel between southern Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands in Washington state. The channel is frequently transited by Royal Canadian Navy vessels, the Department of National Defence noted in a statement announcing the vessel names Thursday.

The Barkerville is named after a Second World War-era tug that capsized and sank near the entrance of Bedwell Harbour, B.C., on Dec. 17, 1945.

The last two tugs, Canso and Stella Maris, are expected to be delivered to Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax in 2023 and 2024.

Canso is named for the Canso Strait separating mainland Nova Scotia from Cape Breton Island. The name also recalls HMCS Canso, a Second World War-era minesweeper that participated in the D-Day invasion of Europe.

The Stella Maris takes its name from a tug that came to the aid of the French munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc, which erupted in 1917 in the disaster that came to be known as the Halifax Explosion.

"The tug crew tried to fight a fire on board Mont-Blanc, and recognizing that they had insufficient water to quench the fire, selflessly attempted to tow the burning vessel away from shore," National Defence said in the statement. "The tug was severely damaged and 19 personnel on board perished when Mont-Blanc then erupted."

“Today’s naming announcement marks another important milestone for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet of naval large tugs," National Defence Minister Anita Anand said in the statement.

"These tugs represent a significant investment into the future operational capability of our navy, while also sustaining and creating up to 140 jobs in Canada’s marine industry," Anand added.

Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Craig Baines said the new vessels provide an important link to Canada's maritime history while protecting the naval fleet of the future.

"By supporting this future fleet, these new tugs will provide an important capability to help us to continue to meet Canada’s defence requirements over the decades to come," Baines said.

The four new vessels will replace the navy's five Glen-class tugs and two Fire-class rescue boats at a projected cost of $102 million.