Canada's Naval History

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Birth Of the Navy

First World War

Between the Wars

Second World War

Early Cold War

Later Cold War
- - From RCN to Maritime Command
  - A Changing Fleet

Navy Today
- - The Gulf War
  - Continuing Commitments

First World War (1914-1918)
The Home Front

The war at sea affected Canadians in a variety of ways. While extensive recruiting efforts at home sought men to become sailors in the Canadian and British navies, Canadian shipyards built warships and merchant ships to expand Allied navies and to replace vessels lost to submarine attack.

Ship Building, J. Coughlan & Sons Shipyard, Vancouver

To replace the increasing number of vessels sunk by German U-Boats, Canada took part in a massive shipbuilding program relying on facilities across the country.

This photograph shows a cargo vessel during a relatively early stage of its construction at the J. Coughlan & Sons shipyard in the False Creek area of Vancouver. Coughlan's was one of several Canadian companies that built cargo vessels for the Imperial Munitions Board (IMB). An agency of the British Ministry of Munitions, the IMB by 1917 was encouraging and financing Canadian industry to build ships.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20070035-004