With 5 blasts of the horn, HMCS Toronto slipped her lines and backed away from jetty NB. She passed the stern of the Iroquois where she recived a salute from Vice Admiral Paul Maddison.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement today on the deployment of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto to the Arabian Sea region as part of Operation Artemis, Canada’s contribution to Combined Task Force 150.

“Today, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Toronto deploys to conduct maritime security operations with a multinational coalition fleet in the Arabian Sea region. These deployments continue our strong tradition of making meaningful contributions to international security, and maintain our long-standing relationship of cooperation and interoperability with our allies.

“I want to thank the crew – Commander David Patchell, Commanding Officer of HMCS Toronto, the 225 personnel aboard and the CH-124 Sea King helicopter detachment – for their service, and wish them all fair winds and following seas.”

More on Operation Artemis can be found at http://www.cjoc.forces.gc.ca/exp/artemis/index-eng.asp