Canadian Navy’s newest vessel commissioned

SLt Simon Gonsalves, 

MARPAC PAO 

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His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Max Bernays, the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel, was formally welcomed into naval service on May 3 during a formal commissioning ceremony in North Vancouver.

 

A ship’s commissioning ceremony is both a long-standing naval tradition and an incredibly special event for the ship’s company and the attending honoured guests – including Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, members of Canadian Fleet Pacific, and senior naval leadership.

 

The ship’s crew, who completed the coastal transfer to its permanent homeport of Esquimalt in April, is now the first ship’s company to commission a ship on the West Coast in over 20 years.

 

The commissioning of HMCS Max Bernays included remarks from the ship’s sponsor Shannon Bernays, granddaughter to the ship’s namesake, as well as a presentation of the commissioning pennant by Princess Anne to Commander (Cdr) Collin Forsberg, Commanding Officer.

 

“Just being here and doing our commissioning is amazing. It’s been two and half years of very hard work for the crew of Max Bernays,” he said.

 

The commissioning ceremony was a pivotal milestone in the expansion of the RCN  with HMCS Max Bernays as the first Harry DeWolf-class vessel to be permanently attached to Canada’s Pacific Fleet. The Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will strategically complement the strengths of other Canadian warships through their unique and impressive capabilities. Max Bernays will be eventually joined by HMCS Robert Hampton Gray on the West Coast.

 

Cdr Forsberg said welcoming Princess Anne to the ship for the ceremony was extremely special.

 

“It’s a huge honour to be welcomed into the fleet by Her Royal Highness,” he said. “It really hits home for the history of our ship.”