About: Naval Service Act

The Naval Service Act of 1910 (An Act respecting the Naval Service of Canada) was an act of the Parliament of Canada, put forward by Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier to establish a Canadian navy. Prior to the bill's introduction, Canada did not have a navy of its own, being dependent on the British Royal Navy for maritime defence. The act intended to provide Canada with a separate naval force, but one that, if needed, could be placed under British control during a time of war. Both French-Canadian nationalists and British-Canadian imperialists opposed the act, which eventually contributed to the fall of Laurier's government and the introduction of the Naval Aid Bill put forward by Prime Minister Robert Borden in 1912.