▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁at ▁Victoria , ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁River - class ▁fr ig ate ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁William ▁Re ed ▁of ▁Smith ' s ▁D ock ▁Company ▁of ▁South ▁Bank - on - Te es . ▁Origin ally ▁called ▁a ▁" t win - s cre w ▁cor v ette ", ▁its ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁improve ▁on ▁the ▁con voy ▁esc ort ▁classes ▁in ▁service ▁with ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁including ▁the ▁F lower - class ▁cor v ette . ▁The ▁first ▁orders ▁were ▁placed ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁the ▁vessels ▁were ▁named ▁for ▁rivers ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁giving ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁class . ▁In ▁Canada ▁they ▁were ▁named ▁for ▁towns ▁and ▁cities ▁though ▁they ▁kept ▁the ▁same ▁design ation . ▁The ▁name ▁" fr ig ate " ▁was ▁suggested ▁by ▁Vice - Ad mir al ▁Per cy ▁N elles ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Canadian ▁Navy ▁and ▁was ▁adopted ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Im prov ements ▁over ▁the ▁cor v ette ▁design ▁included ▁improved ▁accommod ation ▁which ▁was ▁marked ly ▁better . ▁The ▁tw in ▁engines ▁gave ▁only ▁three ▁more ▁kn ots ▁of ▁speed ▁but ▁extended ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁to ▁nearly ▁double ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁cor v ette ▁at ▁ ▁at ▁ 1 2 ▁kn ots . ▁Among ▁other ▁less ons ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁design ▁was ▁an ▁arm ament ▁package ▁better ▁designed ▁to ▁combat ▁U - bo