HMCS Harry DeWolf welcomes new CO as ship heads to refit 

HMCS Harry DeWolf welcomes new CO as ship heads to refit 

By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff 

His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Harry DeWolf has a new voice at the helm as the ship prepares to sail to Québec for its first major refit. 

Commander (Cdr) Collin Forsberg succeeded Cdr Jon Nicholson as the ship’s Commanding Officer in a Change of Command ceremony on the ship’s flight deck on June 17. 

The ship’s new CO will oversee a first for the Harry DeWolf-class. As the lead ship of its class, commissioned in 2021, HMCS Harry DeWolf is at the front of the line to receive a five-year refit. 

The ship will sail for Québec City in July for a 26-week maintenance period at Davie Shipyard. While there, the ship will receive hardware upgrades and top-to-bottom maintenance. Plans are for Harry DeWolf to return to active service with the Atlantic Fleet by January 2026. 

“You always want to leave a ship better than when you received it, and that’s certainly what we’ll be doing,” said Cdr Forsberg at the ceremony. “I look forward to that and to working with the ship’s company to make sure that we get the ship ready to rejoin the fleet.” 

Cdr Forsberg is back on the East Coast after an appointment in command of HMCS Max Bernays, overseeing its transfer to Maritime Forces Pacific in August 2024. 

Harry DeWolf is coming off a busy 18-month period led by Cdr Nicholson, who served as the ship’s CO since January 2024. Under his command, the ship completed many diverse missions that included a successful search and rescue in the Arctic, counter-narcotic patrols and seizures on Operation Caribbe, and community outreach on behalf of the Royal Canadian Navy across the Great Lakes region. 

In his farewell address, Cdr Nicholson thanked the ship’s crew for rising to every challenge through their hectic schedule. 

“When I took command of this ship in January 2024, it became apparent that Harry DeWolf would be incredibly busy. To your everlasting credit, you harnessed the embodiment of the naval hero who was our namesake and took on the challenge of that program with grace and stoicism,” he said. 

Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, Commodore (Cmdre) Jacob French, was on hand to oversee the handover. He too praised Harry DeWolf’s crew and outgoing commander for handling “one of the most varied schedules I’ve ever seen” with expertise and professionalism. 

“It was a pleasure to watch you in action.” 

The ship’s company of HMCS Harry DeWolf will now adjust to a new routine that may not feel as exciting as their recent experience, but Cdr Forsberg emphasized that their coming job is “an essential mission,” that will leave a legacy. 

“It’s all about getting the ship ready to face the future.”