High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! HMCS Curlew was a commissioned minesweeper of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) that served in the First World War. Built as a fisheries patrol vessel for the Department of Marine and Fisheries, Curlew served on the East Coast. Along with sister ships CGS Constance and CGS Petrel, Curlew was fitted with mine sweeping gear in 1912. Both vessels were taken into naval service after the outbreak of war in 1914, and were used for patrol or examination duties. Curlew was sold in 1921.