Ships leave Halifax for Operation Reassurance

Crews on the HMCS Edmonton and Yellowknife set off from Halifax for “Operation Reassurance” on Monday.

Two ships left Halifax on Monday morning on a European deployment for Operation Reassurance, which is currently the Canadian Armed Forces’ largest overseas mission.

The HMCS Edmonton and Yellowknife will help NATO identify and dispose of sea mines in European waters from July to October, according to the armed forces’ website.

There are an estimated 80,000 vintage sea mines left over from the Second World War in the Baltic and North seas.

“It’s been a long time for our ships to get prepared to come to this, not only from a technical perspective but also from a training perspective,” said Lieutenant-Commander Jeffrey Smith. “We are excited to be leaving here this morning for the next four months to sail with our allies.”

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