HMCS Regina back in service after two years of maintenance work in Esquimalt

From the fall of 2021, to May 19th of this year, the HMCS Regina has been docked at the Seaspan Victoria Shipyards to be upgraded and modernized.

Over the course of 19 months, over 500 trades workers attended the vessel and got her back in tip-top shape on time and within the Royal Canadian Navy’s budget. 

“Although HMCS Regina was the first full Docking Work Period to be completed under the Halifax-Class Work Period, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards has a long history of providing quality in-service support for the Royal Canadian Navy’s fleet of frigates, submarines and Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels,” said Tony Winter, Vice President & General Manager, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards.

“As this latest milestone shows, our team here is second-to-none, and we are proud of the continued partnership that we have with the Government of Canada to provide them with the quality work they need so that the Royal Canadian Navy can continue to protect Canada’s coastline.” 

“Long-term work contracts like the HCWP allow Seaspan to provide long-term, stable jobs for those in Victoria, and enable us to continue advancing as the leading ship repair and modernization facility on Canada’s West Coast,” he added. 

The Halifax-class ship was initially commissioned by the Navy in 1977 to replace an aging vessel which specialized in anti-submarine warfare. 

HMCS Regina is just over 134 metres long and has a width of around 16 metres at its widest point and she is usually crewed by nearly 200 Naval sailors and air force crew. 

The vessel was finally launched in 1991 and has since been involved in several Royal Canadian Navy endeavours. Specifically, the warship has taken part in numerous exercises, it was stationed in the Indian Ocean in support of the Afghanistan war and the HMCS Regina has played an integral part in anti-drug trafficking operations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. 

During its time being repaired at the Seaspan shipyard in Victoria, the HMCS Regina received a wide-range of engineering upgrades, equipment installations and it was given both preventative and corrective maintenance to ensure it remains available as long a s possible. 

Now, the HMCS is having all its systems reactivated so it may once again be deployed when the need should arise, or the warship can take part in exercises to keep its crew sharp and ready.