June 12, 2026 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Media are invited to attend the Change of Command Ceremony on Tuesday, June 16th at His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Star in Hamilton Ontario to mark the turnover of Command of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee to Vice-Admiral Dan Charlebois.
General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, will preside over the ceremony.
Who: Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee and Vice-Admiral Dan Charlebois, Commander, Royal Canadian Navy.
When: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 16th, 2026.
Where: With the historic HMCS Haida in the background, the change of command ceremony will be held at HMCS Star in Hamilton, Ont.
What: The turnover of Command of the RCN from Vice-Admiral Topshee to Vice-Admiral Charlebois.
Noah Note: I think history will look very kindly on Vice-Admiral Topshee as a rebuilder in a time of great uncertainties. Since taking over the role of CRCN just over four years ago, the Vice-Admiral has overseen probably the most critical stages of the largest recapitalization of the Royal Canadian Navy since the Second World War.
He has led on the River-class Destroyer theiugh its crititcal design stage, up to it's Keel Laying. He has led on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, arguably one of the greatest feats of Canadian Defence Procurement in decades. He has set the stage for the next phase of the NSS through things like the Continental Defence Corvette and FASST-V.
He championed the Naval Experience Program, one of the CAFs most successful recruitment initatives in memory, and has managed to further set the stage for the recapitalization of the RCN recruitment and training ecosystem. He oversaw the reorganization of trades in the RCN.
He is the longest-service CRCN of the modern era, longest since Vice-Admiral DeWolfe to be exact, having just beat out Vice-Admiral Rayner by a few weeks. That is an unparalleled legacy to carry, especially coming in at such a crossroads.
Ill have something more formal and nicer for Tuesday written up, but it is undoubtedly that Vice-Admiral Topshee has played a great role in not just the navy today, but how the navy of the future will look. At the end of the day, the navy we see twenty, thirty years from now will be largely built off his vision and the work he has done.
V. Adm Topshee spoke up when he needed to, and that's something other leaders of formations need to learn from.
- RCD
- CPSP
- NEP
All kicked-off ⚽️ in under 4yrs. These wouldn't have happened if he towed the usual risk-averse leader part, & didn't say or act on what needed to be done.
Wishing him all the best as vice-CDS.