HMCS Ontario Light Cruiser Country: Canada Type: Light Cruiser Service: 1945 - 1958 Laid down: 20 November 1941 (as HMS Minotaur) Launched: 29 July 1943 (as HMS Minotaur) Commissioned: 25 May 1945 Decommissioned: 15 October 1958 Fate: Scrapped 19 November 1960

The Minotaur class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy, also known as the Swiftsure class, was designed as a modified version of the Crown Colony class incorporating wartime modifications and authorised in 1941. The building of this new class had a relatively low priority and only three were completed by the end of World War II. The class was originally to have consisted of eight ships, laid down in 1943. The end of the Second World War meant that only Minotaur, Swiftsure, and Superb were completed, whilst the others were laid up. Minotaur was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed Ontario.

HMCS Ontario was a Minotaur class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy as HMS Minotaur, but transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy on completion and renamed HMCS Ontario. She was built by Harland & Wolff of Belfast; laid down on 20 November 1941 and launched on 29 July 1943. She was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in July 1944, and completed and commissioned with them on 25 May 1945.

She sailed to join the 4th Cruiser Squadron in the Pacific Theatre, but was too late to see active service, although she was employed in the operations at Hong Kong, Manila and in Japan. She returned home for refit, arriving at Esquimalt on 27 November 1945. She was used for training duties postwar until paid off on 15 October 1958. She arrived at Osaka for breaking up on 19 November 1960.