The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) had been organized amid great political controversy in 1909. When the First World War began the RCN possessed only two old cruisers, although these were immediately augmented by the purchase of two submarines. These warships were placed under the control of the Royal Navy. For the first two years of the war the RCN contributed little to naval operations; it was primarily concerned with administering naval matters in Canada, including the recruitment of personnel for the Royal Navy. The appearance of German U-boats in the Western Atlantic in 1916 profoundly shocked authorities. Evidently the anti-submarine defenses in the area would have to be strengthened. A Patrol Service, instituted in 1915, was expanded and ships that had been under construction for the Royal Navy were transferred to RCN control. Fortunately, the submarine threat did not develop until August 1918, and then on a much smaller scale than feared. Canadian ships were active in escorting convoys around Nova Scotia, but at no time did they have the opportunity to engage a German U- boat.
Arthur Lismer (1885-1969) had been appointed principal of the Nova Scotia College of Art in 1916. Eric Brown, director of the National Gallery of Canada, approached Lismer in June 1918 to contribute to the Canadian War Memorials Collection. The artist was given a free hand in the choice of subject and medium. Lismer usually worked with lithography and his topics included harbour defenses, naval subjects, returning soldiers, and the air station at Dartmouth from which the United States Navy's flying boats under Lieutenant-Commander R.E. Byrd flew convoy patrols. Later in his career, Lismer was a founding member of the Group of Seven and in 1941-42 he was instrumental in promoting a war art programme to cover Canada's Second World War effort. Minesweepers, Halifax (oil on canvas, 122 x 163.5 cm) shows a groups of RCN trawler minesweepers returning to Halifax with two HS2L patrol aircraft above them. Lismer has skillfully painted the leading vessel listing slightly from wind and waves. The sea is a fascinating study of the effect of light on an enormous body of water.
Courtesy: Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada (8362)
