What an exciting day for our Nova Scotian shipbuilders and for Nova Scotia!
Today at the Halifax Shipyard, we celebrated the keel laying of the first River-Class Destroyer, the future HMCS Fraser.
Keel laying is a centuries-old maritime tradition that marks the formal start of a ship’s construction and is believed to bring good fortune to the ship and its crew. As part of the ceremony, a coin is welded onto the ship’s keel, the structural backbone of the vessel.
We watched welder Brendon VanHeighten weld a commemorative coin featuring explorer Simon Fraser traversing a gorge forged by the river that later became his namesake. A very special moment.
I’m incredibly proud to see these ships being built right here in HRM by the skilled Nova Scotian shipbuilders whose work is helping build Canada’s future fleet.
