North Vancouver welcomes HMCS Corner Brook hunter-killer submarine

Canada’s most expensive and technologically advanced submarine is back in active duty.

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. – It’s a sight to behold.

And HMCS Corner Brook made quite the entrance as it arrived into North Vancouver, sailing under the Lions Gate Bridge.

The vessel then attracted a crowd at the pier at the Burrard Dry Dock, where it will remain until early next week.

The Royal Canadian Navy is officially declaring the submarine ready to return to operations – after being out of service for 14 years when it ran aground off the north coast of Vancouver Island.

“The refit was upgrades of various systems on board, ranging from sonar, to communications, to intercept – and those make it one of the most relevant submarines in the 21st century, and also the best deterrent Canada has at sea right now,” the vessel’s commanding officer Eric Isabelle told CTV News on Thursday.

It comes at a time of heightened tensions globally – and closer to home.

The Corner Brook is one of four subs Canada bought from Britain in the ‘90s – which have since been plagued by major issues – but the vessel’s commander is confident following the latest $715-million worth of work.

“The submarine only needs to be at sea to provide deterrence in our waters, because as long as our opponents or any actors in the world know that the submarine is at sea, they need to think twice before doing something in our waters,” added Isabelle. “If we’re not detected, we could be anywhere and everywhere at the same time.”

While there won’t be any tours during the HMCS Corner Brook’s current stop in North Vancouver, that’s a possibility this summer.