HALIFAX — The Royal Canadian Navy commissioned its newest warship on Saturday, the first of several new vessels expected over the next several months. 

HMCS Harry DeWolf is the navy's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship and was built at Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard. 

It is the first vessel delivered under the federal government's National Shipbuilding Strategy. 

The ship is named after Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf, a former head of the Royal Canadian Navy from Bedford, N.S.

Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin, also Minister responsible for Military Relations, participated in the commissioning ceremony Saturday on what would have been DeWolf's 118th birthday.

"Nova Scotia has long been known for its expertise in shipbuilding, and now we have the first commissioned vessel ready for deployment," Rankin said. "The economic value of these ship contracts is vital to Nova Scotia, providing millions of dollars in direct and indirect impact."

Over 1,100 Nova Scotians were directly employed in the construction of HMCS Harry DeWolf, which is nearly 104 metres in length.

The ship's first mission will begin in August as it circumnavigates North America - transiting 6 oceans, the Northwest Passage and the Panama Canal. It will be the first time in 50 years that this journey has been taken by a Canadian naval ship.

Next month, the shipyard will mark the delivery of HMCS Margaret Brooke to the Navy, and the future HMCS Max Bernays will be launched later this year. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2021.

-By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.

The Canadian Press