HMCS Labrador

The HMCS Labrador was Canada’s first heavy icebreaker and the Royal Canadian Navy’s first vessel capable of reliably operating in the waters of the Arctic. For three seasons in the mid-1950s, the ship served as Canada’s workhorse in the Far North – charting sea lanes, conducting research, and aiding in the construction and supply of joint defence projects. As the Canadian Navy builds the capacity to sustain its modern Arctic presence, the early operations of HMCS Labrador offer an instructive history and a fascinating glimpse back into the RCN’s early forays into the frozen waters of the Canadian North.