Canadian Navy in the 911 trenches
I’m not so sure that the Canadian war ship HMCS Montreal would have attracted the attention of as many people last week while on display in the Toronto harbour if the events of 911 a decade ago had not triggered a war on terror in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. Commanding officer M.J. Tennant told me while I was on board for a tour that prior to 911, few Canadians knew very much about the Navy but they do now.
HMCS Montreal is one of seven Canadian Frigates on the high seas and apart from serving as bedroom and water taxi for the young royal couple this summer, and drug/pirate busting stints in the Caribbean and Cape Horn, she was deployed to the Persian Gulf to intercede ships that were carrying threatening cargo or terrorists. And yes, the Canadian crew found some of both.
It is against that backdrop that I, ( and I’m sure others ) gazed at the communication/navigation technology on the bridge and in the special op’s facility located in the bowels of the 480 ft. floating beast. Very cool. I was asked not to shoot photo’s of the special op’s room ( from where torpedo’s and deck-to air missiles are fired) , but here’s a short video from the bridge and munition deck.