In 1908, "Canada" became a training ship for officer cadets for the planned Canadian navy. Thus CGS "Canada" became Canada's first naval training ship and was, as stated by naval historians in Canada, the "Flagship of the embryonic Canadian Navy at the time, symbolic of the evolution of Canada from a dominion within the British Empire to a sovereign nation." In 1909, the Fisheries crew was removed from the ship and volunteers from the Royal Navy Reserve were brought aboard to provide a higher level of naval training. However, "Canada" continued to be used as a fisheries patrol vessel. In 1910, the Canadian navy was formed "Canada" escorted one of the nation's newly acquired cruisers, , into Halifax Harbour, with the new navy's cadets and the Director of the Naval Service, Rear Admiral Charles Kingsmill, aboard.