2,800 public servants already approved for Early Retirement Incentive program

In 1986, Canada set out to build its own helicopter. The goal was not just to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Sea Kings—so old that many entered service before the moon landings—but to rejuvenate a domestic industry. Yet changes in government, alongside years of technical setbacks, shifting specifications, and escalating costs, repeatedly delayed the replacement. Contracts were cancelled, revived, and redesigned. In the meantime, Sea King crews contended with electrical failures and engine breakdowns, while mechanics routinely cannibalized retired fuselages for parts. The helicopter...