HMCS Montreal departs Halifax for Indo-Pacific operation
A Royal Canadian Navy frigate departed Halifax today as part of the federal government's wider strategy of boosting its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
HMCS Montreal steamed out of Halifax to become the first of three frigates to deploy in the region over a 12-month period, with the support of the naval supply vessel Asterix.
Defence Minister Anita Anand has touted the deployment of three -- rather than two -- frigates to the region as part of a wider strategy to demonstrate a bigger Canadian presence in the region, particularly in the Indian Ocean.
A news release says the ship and its on-board Cyclone helicopter detachment will work closely with allies in naval exercises during the deployment.
Anand says the frigate will also be part of Canada's contribution to multinational efforts to monitor sanctions imposed on North Korea by the United Nations Security Council.
The sanctions are designed to pressure North Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs.
The Halifax-class frigates carry anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare weapons and sensors, along with anti-air warfare defences.
Last fall, Ottawa announced it was earmarking $2.3 billion to form closer ties with countries that span Pakistan to Japan.
That included a half-billion dollars to deploy a third naval frigate to the area and boost collaboration on both cybersecurity and military training with allies.
Anand has said working with countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore represents a shift that goes beyond a naval presence in the region as Canada seeks to boost economic relationships with those nations.
However, the Indo-Pacific strategy did not include a registry of foreign agents. Some intelligence experts have been calling on Canada to follow the U.S. and Australia in compelling countries to register anyone engaging in domestic political activity.
The Liberals first promised the strategy in 2015 and had initially planned to launch it in late 2020.
It was announced after a period of rocky diplomatic relations with China and included a comment that, "China is an increasingly disruptive global power."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.