HMCS Robert Hampton Gray welcomed to new home port in Esquimalt

HMCS Robert Hampton Gray has been welcomed to its new home port of Esquimalt, British Columbia, after deployments and a coastal transfer through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, National Defence said in a news release.

According to National Defence, the ship left Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 14, 2026. During the voyage, it took part in Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK, Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT, Exercise ARCTIC GHOST and Operation LATITUDE.

National Defence said the sailing was the third full Arctic transit completed by a Royal Canadian Navy vessel in Canadian naval history. It was also the first complete Arctic voyage used to relocate a ship from the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific Fleet.

The vessel and its crew of approximately 90 personnel were away from home port for 83 days, including 76 days at sea, the department said.

HMCS Robert Hampton Gray is scheduled to be commissioned in Victoria, British Columbia, on November 16, 2026, according to National Defence.