On June 12, 2026, Canada’s Ministry of Defence announced the ceremony for the keel-laying ceremony of the first River-class destroyer in Halifax.
Canadian MoD press release
Today, the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on behalf of the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, along with the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, attended the ceremonial keel laying for the first River-class destroyer (RCD), the future His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Fraser.
Keel laying is a centuries-old tradition signifying the formal start of a ship’s construction and is believed to bring good fortune to the ship and its crew. The ceremony involves welding a symbolic coin onto the ship’s keel, which serves as the structural spine, running along the entire bottom length of the ship. The coin for the first RCD features a design of the explorer Simon Fraser traversing a gorge forged by the river that later became his namesake. Today’s milestone follows initial construction activities that began on the ship’s production test module in June 2024, enabling the start of full-rate production in April 2025.
Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the RCD Project will provide the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) its major surface combat power. Full-rate construction of the first RCD has been underway since April 2025, with delivery of the future HMCS Fraser expected in the early 2030s. Once in service, the RCD will replace the capabilities of the retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates with a single, modern, combat-capable ship. Consolidating capabilities in one platform will streamline training and maintenance, and enable the RCN to respond to diverse and evolving threats in open oceans and highly complex maritime environments.
Beyond strengthening the RCN’s operational readiness, the RCD Project demonstrates how investments in industry reinforce Canada’s defence industrial base and generate downstream economic benefits for Canadians—a key objective of the Defence Industrial Strategy. Between 2025 and 2039, the RCD implementation contract is estimated to contribute almost $720 million to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) and support approximately 5,250 jobs annually. At the same time, consumer spending by employees is estimated to contribute an additional $191 million to Canada’s GDP and support a further 1,545 jobs per year.
The Ministers also recognized progress on the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) Project during the ceremony. In addition to six in-service Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV) delivered to the RCN between 2020 and 2025, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is expected to deliver two AOPV to the Canadian Coast Guard by the end of 2027, marking the culmination of the AOPS Project.
Shipbuilding projects translate defence investment into real capabilities: delivering modern ships for the RCN and CCG to safeguard national sovereignty and security, while growing employment, industry and the economy across Canada.
Quotes
“Reaching the concrete start of construction on the first River-class destroyer, our next-generation maritime capabilities, coupled with the steady delivery of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels, is an encouraging step forward in strengthening our national resiliency and revitalizing our domestic shipbuilding industry.”
The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
“The future HMCS Fraser is a nod to the historical importance of British Columbia’s Fraser River and to the people, ingenuity, resilience and determination that helped build modern-day Canada. The River-class destroyers will help protect Canadians against diverse threats in an unpredictable marine environment. Seeing our future warships materialize and watching the capacity of our industry grow truly inspires confidence in Canada’s ability to continue protecting and defending our sovereignty.”
The Honourable Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
“As we honour a tradition steeped in history that recognizes our progress in moving forward, today’s keel laying marks more than the start on construction, it also embodies our commitment to learning from our past to prepare for our future. We are building a resilient maritime force in step with growing a stronger industrial base and economy for today and tomorrow.”
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
“In an increasingly dangerous and divided world, investing in our maritime capabilities is essential for defending Canada’s sovereignty and strengthening our shipbuilding industry. Today’s keel laying marks an important milestone in our plan to protect well-paying jobs across the country, reinforce our economic security and ensure Canada is equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global landscape.”
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
“This is a great day for the Royal Canadian Navy as it marks a major milestone in the production of the destroyers the Royal Canadian Navy urgently needs to protect Canadian waters and Canadian interests in an increasingly unpredictable and threatening world.”
Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
“Today’s keel laying reflects the strong partnership between National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Canadian Coast Guard. As we modernize our fleets together – from the AOPV to next‑generation combatants – we are building complementary capabilities that strengthen Canada’s maritime readiness, enabling our personnel to continue to protect our waters, and serve Canadians across every region.”
Kevin Brosseau, Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence and Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard
Quick facts
- The RCDs will be named after important waterways to honour the RCN’s role in Canada’s maritime heritage. The first RCD is named after the Fraser River—the longest river in British Columbia.
- In March 2025, an initial contract valued at $8 billion (including taxes) was awarded to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to fund the first six years of construction on the RCDs and support the construction and delivery of the initial three ships. It will also support the development and delivery of necessary training, spare parts, and maintenance required to sustain the ships once in service.
- The National Shipbuilding Strategy is a long-term program focused on renewing the RCN and CCG fleets to provide Canada’s maritime agencies with the modern ships they need to fulfill their missions, while revitalizing Canada’s shipbuilding industry, creating skilled jobs and economic benefits across the country.
- The Government of Canada pledged $81.8 billion in Budget 2025 to increase investments in defence, with $6.6 billion of this funding allocated for the Defence Industrial Strategy to support Canadian industry to reinforce the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces.
