[lenaitch]

All valid points but the last. The largest warship operated by the RCN, the aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure would fit down the Seaway with room to spare.

Facts & Figures - Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System

Opened to deep draft navigation in 1959. Lock systems: Montreal to Lake Ontario - 2 U.S., 5 Canadian Welland Canal - 8 Canadian St. Mary's River - 4 U.S.

greatlakes-seaway.com

Slight pedant: Seaway max is 740' (L) x 78' (B) x 26 1/2' (D). According to Wiki, the waterline dimensions would have fit bit the flightdeck beam was 112 1/2'.

Some interesting info on shipbuilding in Ontario. Though our shipyards seem to focus on repair and maintenance rather than new construction.

I really not surprised. Our domestic green water fleet isn't particularly large, the ships live forever, and private, unlike governments, will chose a builder with the best price and product.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Slight pedant: Seaway max is 740' (L) x 78' (B) x 26 1/2' (D). According to Wiki, the waterline dimensions would have fit bit the flightdeck beam was 112 1/2'.

I saw that too. I thought the flight deck overhang would not preclude the use of the seaway, but now I see below that the entire ship sits below the top edge of the lock. Oh well.

I wonder if the new River class destroyers will be able to transit the Seaway. At over 8,000 tons, the Rivers are the largest warships ever produced in Canada. The River class is narrow and short enough to fit, but with a draught of 8 m (26 ft 3 in), or 3 in away from the max depth, they might be scraping the bottom. And that 8 m draught is presumably in sea water, meaning that the ship will displace about 2.5% more water, and thus sit deeper in fresh water. Perhaps they can lighten the ship for the transit. @kEiThZ thoughts?

 

[afransen]

I saw that too. I thought the flight deck overhang would not preclude the use of the seaway, but now I see below that the entire ship sits below the top edge of the lock. Oh well.

I wonder if the new River class destroyers will be able to transit the Seaway. At over 8,000 tons, the Rivers are the largest warships ever produced in Canada. The River class is narrow and short enough to fit, but with a draught of 8 m (26 ft 3 in), or 3 in away from the max depth, they might be scraping the bottom. And that 8 m draught is presumably in sea water, meaning that the ship will displace about 2.5% more water, and thus sit deeper in fresh water. Perhaps they can lighten the ship for the transit. @kEiThZ thoughts?

I imagine they could just manage the draught by carrying a bit less ballast in their tanks while traversing channels. It's not like they need the full ballast for stability while navigating calm internal waterways at low speeds.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I imagine they could just manage the draught by carrying a bit less ballast in their tanks while traversing channels. It's not like they need the full ballast for stability while navigating calm internal waterways at low speeds.

True. I just read that the 8m draught is the max, full load displacement. The British Type 26 frigates (same essential ship as the RCN's River class) have the same 8m max draught, and more importantly a 6.5m min/light draught. That should be fine then for the Seaway. Hopefully one of the River class will be named after an Ontario river and will come to Toronto for a visit. The Trent River is the longest river in Ontario that flows into Lake Ontario. Of course the Niagara River would make a good choice.

HMCS Trentonian - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

HMCS Niagara - Canada.ca

HMCS Niagara

www.canada.ca

 

[Towered]

Doug Ford urges Mark Carney to boost Ontario shipbuilding under new defence plan

It's time for Ontario's ship to come in, Premier Doug Ford says, calling on the federal government to give the province a bigger share of defence equipment spending.

www.thestar.com

https://archive.is/Y7GNL

The Welland yard have done some repair and refit work for the navy, but I think it's a stretch for Ontario to build anything for the RCN. AFAIK, Ontario shipyards have not built a warship or any vessel for the RCN since WW2. Here's some interesting history of Toronto's wartime shipyard. Fifty-Six Minesweepers and the Toronto Shipbuilding Company during the Second World War

Make Collingwood great again!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Make Collingwood great again!

Do they still make ships in Collingwood?

 

[lenaitch]

I imagine they could just manage the draught by carrying a bit less ballast in their tanks while traversing channels. It's not like they need the full ballast for stability while navigating calm internal waterways at low speeds.

Warships typically only carry enough ballast to maintain trim and seaworthiness, mostly to compensate for fuel consumption. The trim and balance of a warship is fairly constant, unlike a cargo ship that sails from full to the line to empty and everything in between.

I'm not a naval architect but most warships have some pretty expensive and fancy equipment, like sonar, in the area of their keels. I imagine they would want a significant draught safety margin.

Another angle is 'air draft' - height above water. The Seaway max is 116.5'. I don't think they have finalized the mast on the River Class Destroyers, but based on the RN Type 26, its air draft is 115'. Again, really expensive equipment involved, and if you make a ship sit lighter in the water, it's going to sit higher.

Do they still make ships in Collingwood?

Not since 1986. Now the site of waterfront redevelopment, and no rail.

As far as I know, the only Canadian 'large ship' yards on the Great Lakes are in Hamilton, St. Catherines and Thunder Bay - all owned by the same company and I don't know if they are all still operating. There is also a 'graving yard' in Port Colbourne. There are a couple of smaller builders, like Hike Marine, but their size capacity is limited.

 

[Admiral Beez]

As far as I know, the only Canadian 'large ship' yards on the Great Lakes are in Hamilton, St. Catherines and Thunder Bay - all owned by the same company and I don't know if they are all still operating. There is also a 'graving yard' in Port Colbourne. There are a couple of smaller builders, like Hike Marine, but their size capacity is limited.

Well, not Collingwood, but Hamilton just got a boost.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/mohawk-college-ontario-shipyards-hanwha-ocean-9.7096362

Major Development for Ontario’s Marine Sector Announced - Ontario Chronicle

Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Mohawk College in Hamilton has established a new international...

ontariochronicle.ca

The Koreans are really sweetening the deal to get their subs across the finish line.

 

[DSCToronto]

Another 'own goal' for CAF

KINGSTON — The commandant of a Canadian Army college in Ontario has been removed from his post.

Col. Fraser Auld was commandant of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College in Kingston.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence says the commander of the Canadian Army decided on Feb. 23 to remove Auld from his position.


The spokesperson said in a statement that the decision “follows a loss of trust in his ability to command.”

Lt.-Col. Don Dubois has been named acting commandant of the college.

The spokesperson says no further information will be released at this time because it’s a “personnel matter.”

The college is tasked with “developing in army officers the ability to perform command and staff functions in war,” according to the Canadian government website.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press

 

[guavadelic]

The idea of splitting the submarine order has been shut down.

Canada's secretary of state for defence procurement says the government is planning to choose just one company to build the country's next fleet of submarines.

Stephen Fuhr says the Canadian position has not changed, despite media reports this week suggesting the government might split the contract.

Speaking at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute on Thursday, Fuhr described the accelerated submarine procurement process as a success story.

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, the Royal Canadian Navy's commander, told the same audience it's more efficient to have a fleet from one provider and he believes that is what the government will do.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-submarine-contract-fuhr-9.7115986

 

[Admiral Beez]

The idea of the splitting the submarine order has been shut down.

Good. Let’s buy the Korean submarines, now. Their boats are bigger, more capable and available years before the German submarines (see comparison below). We can still source other kit from the Germans, including Main Battle Tanks, air defence systems and drones.

 

[guavadelic]

Hanwha taps in Peter Mansbridge to promote its bid.

OTTAWA — South Korean firm Hanwha Oceans has tapped former TV news anchor Peter Mansbridge to voice an ad as it looks to secure a multi-billion-dollar procurement contract from Ottawa.

Peter Mansbridge, the former voice of CBC’s The National, can be heard in a video posted to Hanwha’s YouTube page last week pitching the submarines as proven and reliable.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/...mer-news-anchor-peter-mansbridge-to-voice-ad/

 

[Admiral Beez]

Hanwha taps in Peter Mansbridge to promote its bid.

The Koreans are definitely keen.

They know that if they get the RCN contract it will open up potential sales in other Western-aligned and NATO states, same as the K2 Tank sale to Poland, right in KMW/Rheinmetall's backyard (makers of the Leopard 2).

Poland doubles down on South Korean tanks with $6.5 billion deal

Warsaw looks to benefit from South Korea’s mass production capacities and lenient policy toward technology transfers.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Admiral Beez]

Given the German proposal for a delay of years, and their smaller sub and the lack of commitment to tech transfer, I am rooting for the Koreans.

Me too. And we hear nothing from the Germans. Meanwhile the Koreans definitely are pushing the marketing of their capabilities and speed of delivery hard.

 

[guavadelic]

Me too. And we hear nothing from the Germans. Meanwhile the Koreans definitely are pushing the marketing of their capabilities and speed of delivery hard.

The CEO of Germany's TKMS was on the CBC a couple weeks ago and was pretty dismissive of the South Korean proposal, coming off as arrogant. Said they didn't need to publicize their bid like Hanwha was, because "we're the serious guys — we're Germans".