Aiming for compromise , Laurier advanced the '' Naval Service Act '' of 1910 which created the Naval Service of Canada . The navy would initially consist of five cruisers and six destroyers ; in times of crisis , it could be made subordinate to the British Royal Navy . The idea was lauded at the 1911 Imperial Conference in London , but it proved unpopular across the political spectrum in Canada , especially in Quebec as ex-Liberal Henri Bourassa organized an anti-Laurier force
1911 Imperial Conference
1911 Imperial Conference
Wilfrid Laurier