Defence minister welcomes warships home to B.C., highlights Pacific defence strategy
Canada's defence minister was in British Columbia on Monday to welcome home sailors aboard a pair of returning warships and to highlight the federal government's half-a-billion-dollar commitment to Pacific security.
Defence Minister Anita Anand described the western Pacific region, where HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Vancouver were deployed since August, as a critical zone for Canada's economic and security interests.
"The Indo-Pacific is the fastest growing economic region in the world, and virtually every single security issue in the future will run through this region," Anand said in a statement marking the frigates' arrival at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt.
"Wherever I go, our allies and partners say that they want to see more of Canada – and through Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, that is exactly what we will deliver."
The strategy includes a multiyear investment of $493 million to strengthen Canada's naval presence in the Asia-Pacific region, most notably through the deployment of a third frigate annually from the West Coast.
While overseas, the two frigates visited eight countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The deployment also yielded the first-ever Canadian naval visit to Cambodia, according to the defence ministry.
HMCS Vancouver also participated in Operation Neon, the Canadian Armed Forces' ongoing mission to monitor and enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
The vessel was joined on the mission by a CP-140 Aurora patrol plane, which was subjected to multiple midair intercepts by Chinese warplanes, as CTV News first reported.
"These operations are some of the Canadian Armed Forces' most critical endeavours abroad," Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, said in a statement Monday.
"The Indo-Pacific region represents incredible challenges and opportunities both for the peace and prosperity of the globe," he added. "The CAF is committed to taking an active role alongside our friends and partners. Our sizable contribution highlights the enduring commitment of the CAF to ensure that the rules-based international order is respected."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.