 HMCS Niobe was&amp;nbsp; purchased from the Royal Navy by the Liberal government of Wilfrid Laurier as the first in a fleet of five cruisers and six destroyers. Plans changed after the Conservatives were elected in 1911, putting on hold the further acquisition of ships. Painting: &quot;HMCS Niobe at Daybreak&quot; by Peter Rindlisbacher. (DND) 