Canada's missed County-class cruiser program

Canada underinvested in naval maintenance even while supporting British security through finance and favorable treatment of British debt. County-class cruisers could have protected Canadian sea lanes, tied Canada into an Empire-wide cruiser system, and justified adapting domestic yards for larger warships. The proposed Dominion scheme envisioned roughly forty to forty-eight County-class ships across Britain and the five Dominions, with even a small Canadian squadron making a meaningful contribution. A small Canadian cruiser force could have supported operations across the Empire while developing Canada's own naval capacity.