Hose and Nelles prepared the navy for expansion, particularly through the reserve, despite government reluctance to support their plans. Wartime growth then met Canada's need to move goods by sea. A recurring criticism is that successive governments lost sight of that requirement when trade flowed freely under a friendly maritime guarantor. Canada's imports and exports still depended heavily on shipping. The navy's convoy role gave practical effect to that economic need during war.
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Wartime readiness served a lasting trade need
Reserve preparation supported wartime expansion, while Canada's dependence on seaborne imports and exports supplied the continuing reason for an escort fleet.