HMCS Labrador

HMCS Labrador, seen here against the backdrop of an iceberg, was the Royal Canadian Navy's only icebreaker.

Built in Canada and based on an American icebreaker design, Labrador was the result of studies and plans that started in the late 1940s. Design features included a flight deck (left) and hangar (centre left) for helicopters to transport personnel and examine ice conditions, and a small launch called Pogo for surveying shallow, poorly charted waters. Labrador was tangible evidence of the increasing military importance of the Canadian Arctic and of the Canadian government's interest in asserting national sovereignty.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19920085-1004