Canada: THE SERVICES: Ten-Day Wonder

Canada’s one & only aircraft carrier, the Magnificent, put to sea from Halifax last week with two destroyers, and headed for Arctic waters. Ottawa naval headquarters insisted that the operation was “routine” —although the navy had never done anything like it before. The fact was that, with thousands of miles of Arctic coastline to defend, Canada’s navy had no experience in those waters and such cruises would probably be routine in the future.

The “Maggie” would go as far as Hudson Strait, then run off exercises and mock battles with the R.C.A.F. In the ten-day operation, observers representing the army, air force, Defense Research Board and Dominion Observatory would learn what they could about Arctic defense problems.