Royal Canadian Navy to rename support ships as Protecteur and Preserver

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) announced on Tuesday that their fleet’s support ships will be named after two of its recently retired steamships — the Protecteur and the Preserver.

The move by the RCN is intended to recognize the distinguished service provided by the ships that have previously carried the names.

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“To many Canadians in the Navy community, the names Protecteur and Preserver evoke pride in Canada’s naval history, heritage and identity,” said Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan in a statement on Tuesday.

“I have no doubt that the future Protecteur and Preserver will continue to serve Canadians with distinction.”

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The decision means that the navy’s future joint support ships (JSS) will be known as Protecteur-class ships.

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The ships will be tasked with providing at-sea replenishment, limited sealift capacity, and support to operations ashore.

The two ships, which will be built at the Seaspan shipyard in Victoria, B.C., as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, were originally intended to be named the Queenston and Chateauguay.