The River-class frigate design was an upgraded version of the Flower-class corvette,[1] remedying many of the Flower class' issues as an ocean escort.

The design was too large to fit through the canals on the St. Lawrence River, restricting the construction of the River-class ships to three shipyards, all with direct access to the sea.

[2][5] They had a standard displacement of 1,445 long tons (1,468 t) and had increased flare and sheer forward to improve the vessel's dryness at sea.

[6] The River class were powered by a steam created by two Admiralty three-drum boilers pumped to a vertical triple expansion engine turning two propeller shafts.

[7] The frigates carried 440 long tons (450 t) of oil fuel[8] and they had a range of 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).

[6] The first 15 Canadian ships that followed the British design mounted a single 4-inch (102 mm) gun forward and one aft.

Two of the 20 mm mounts faced forward and two astern, with two located on the bridge wings and two at the break of the forecastle.

[4] The River-class frigates were equipped with the Type 147B Sword sonar and ASDIC which were used in conjunction to find submarines below the surface.

[11] Ordered as part of the 1942–1943 River-class building programme,[12] the ship was constructed by Canadian Vickers at their yard in Montreal, Quebec.