Two Royal Canadian Navy ships returned to the port of Halifax after several months in European waters as part of the NATO Reassurance operation in support of Ukraine.
HMCS Halifax he left in March, joining HMCS Montrealwho had gone out on a mission previously scheduled for January.
The ships, which have a combined crew of 492, arrived in Halifax on Friday morning. They were greeted by friends and family eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones.
Gilles and Annie Levesque traveled from Gatineau, Que., To see their son disembark from HMCS Halifax.
Gilles and Annie Levesque traveled from Gatineau, Que., For the arrival ceremony. (Paul Légère / Radio-Canada)
It is the second time his son has been deployed, but they were unable to travel to greet him last time due to pandemic restrictions.
“We are very happy to be here,” Gilles Levesque told Radio-Canada reporters in French.
“It’s important for Canada to show its place, to show the world that we are here to support other countries when they need it, to show that Canada can make a difference,” he said.
Vicky Taylor is excited to see her spouse after six months apart. (Paul Légère / Radio-Canada)
Vicky Taylor, who has not seen her partner for six months, echoed that sentiment, but said it has been difficult to live with the fear that something might happen to her, along with the uncertainty of not knowing where she was. .
“I do not know how I will react [when I see him]but I know I will cry and I will not let him lose sight of me, ”he said laughing.
“A stronger message”
“They are returning home after a very successful mission, where Canada proved its worth as an ally, where Canadian sailors and aviators and soldiers on board did an excellent job,” Rear Admiral Brian Santarpia told the arrival ceremony.
Operation Reassurance aims to strengthen NATO’s defenses and show Canadian support to its allies in the event of a crisis or attack. It includes ground and air forces as well as naval forces.
Normally, only one ship is deployed at a time for the Reassurance operation.
“After the invasion of Ukraine in February, the Canadian government decided that we should send a stronger message to our NATO allies and anyone who threatened our NATO allies, sending a second ship.” , said Santarpia.
“The whole team was proud of Canada and we should all be very proud of that.”
There are a total of 492 crew aboard HMCS Halifax and HMCS Montreal. (Paul Légère / Radio-Canada)