www.vanguardcanada.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 45
A poll conducted in 2018
indicated that 65 per
cent of Canadians do not
know much about their
navy. The results of this
poll would indicate that
Canada's navy does not
belong to Canadians but
is just another unseen
part of government.
tHe laSt woRD
BY CaPt(n) ian PaRkER (REt'd)
W
hen it comes to her navy,
Canada seems to speak
loudly but carries a small
stick: a navy which is get-
ting smaller each decade.
In 1960, Canada fielded 48 destroyer/
frigate warships; today there are 12, a 75
per cent reduction. If this rate continues,
by 2030 there will only be eight surface
combatants in Canada's navy.
That said, there are those that argue that
the current government National Ship-
building Strategy will deliver 15 new Ca-
nadian Surface Combatants and two Joint
Support Ships, an issue and a promise that
has yet to mature. In 2018, the Canadian
government debt was equivalent to 89.7
per cent of her GDP. In 1990, the last
time a major surface fleet reduction oc-
curred, down to 16 from 20 major war-
ships, the Canadian government debt was
80 per cent of GDP and growing – a situ-
ation that forced the government to cut
and to reduce spending. At some point
now or in the future, a government will
need to cut and reduce spending. Tra-
ditionally these cuts have been absorbed
mainly by the National Defence budget,
the impact which can be seen in part in
the reduction of Canada's navy. Govern-
tHe DISaRMaMent
of a natIon
