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The Royal Canadian Navy has jettisoned the War of 1812-inspired names selected by the previous Conservative government for its new joint support ships and will revert to calling the vessels by the names of the service’s previous supply ships.

The new ships will be called HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver, to honour the service of those two Canadian ships over the years.

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The Conservative government’s decision to name the joint support ships after War of 1812 battles never sat well with navy officers, according to defence sources.

The navy announced Tuesday that the vessels will instead be known as Protecteur-class ships.

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said many sailors — both serving and retired — have strong bonds to the former HMC Ships Protecteur and Preserver. “As we move forward with the future fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy, we will do so without forgetting where we come from and where we have been,” he said in a statement. “This renaming serves as a tribute to the dedication and sacrifices of the generations of sailors who have served in the past ships of the Protecteur-class.”