Britain's Queen Elizabeth ll arrives for a luncheon with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (R) at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 29, 2010.[Agencies]

The Canadian Navy, which started out with two cruisers purchased from England, each assigned to fisheries patrols off Vancouver and Halifax, has grown over the past century into a fleet of 33 destroyers, frigates, submarines, supply ships and coast defense vessels.

During World War II, the Canadian Navy contributed to the Battle of the Atlantic, while during the Cold War that followed it was part of the NATO force building.

The city of Halifax was established by the British Empire in 1749 after taking control of the region from the French. In its early history, it was the primary North Atlantic base of the Royal Navy.