Teri McKinnon selected as sponsor for Canadian Navy’s HMCS Protecteur
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Teri McKinnon
Strathmore local, Teri McKinnon, has been selected as the ship sponsor for the upcoming HMCS Protecteur, currently under construction by the Royal Canadian Navy.
The HMCS Protecteur will be a first of its class vessel and will be the largest ship ever built for the Royal Canadian Navy.
“Being a ship sponsor is a naval tradition; it is customary that the sponsor be female and usually is someone who has got a connection to the name of the vessel, but the HMCS Protecteur is a different type of ship for the Royal Canadian Navy,” said McKinnon. “I was named the sponsor by the Royal Canadian Navy last fall, and it is just a recognition of my connection and the work that I have done for the Royal Canadian Navy.”
McKinnon is an alumnus of the Canadian Leaders at Sea program, who was invited as a civilian to sail with the Navy for seven days aboard the HMCS Montreal in 2017.
Following her experience aboard, she was invited to a symposium, at which she was challenged to share how she intended to utilize and share her experience with Canadians to better and increase relationships the Navy has with civilians.
The ship is classed as a Protecteur Class vessel and will be one of two constructed through the Joint Support Ship Project to replace the Royal Canadian Navy Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Vessels.
These vessels will be capable of at sea replenishments for fuel, ammunition, food, water and other supplies, feature modern medical and dental facilities, boast a hangar for the operation and maintenance of two CH-148 Cyclone helicopters, and will sustain Naval Task Groups on station.
The HMCS Protecteur will be the first of its kind, with its sister ship, the HMCS Preserver, expected to launch in 2026.
A Protecteur Class vessel is described as having a total displacement of 20,240 tonnes, boasting a length of 173.7 meters, and compliments a core crew of 199 sailors.
“Some of the biggest responsibilities are that (I) participate in the naming of the ship. While it is being built right now, it is classified as ‘Joint Support Ship 1’ because Canada is undergoing a massive strategic plan and rebuilding some of its vessels,” said McKinnon.
Similar to a tradition historically executed by royalty of smashing a bottle of champagne on a ship and announcing its name, McKinnon will serve in that role when the HMCS Protecteur is officially commissioned.
The HMCS Protecteur is scheduled to be officially brought into service come November, at which time a ceremony will be held for its joining into Canada’s fleet.