The design was too big for the shipyards on the Great Lakes so all the frigates built in Canada were built in dockyards along the west coast or along the St. Lawrence River. In all Canada ordered the construction of 60 frigates including ten for the Royal Navy that transferred two to the United States Navy. After her commissioning, "Cape Breton" worked up in St. Margaret's Bay before being assigned to Escort Group 9 in 1944 based out of Derry. She operated out of several ports throughout England and in April 1944, sailed to North Russia returning with a convoy. "Cape Breton" participated in Operation Neptune, the naval part of the Normandy landings in June 1944. "Cape Breton" returned to Canada late in 1944 where she underwent a major refit at Shelburne, Nova Scotia. This took until April 1945, after which she was sent to Bermuda to work up. She returned to EG 9 upon her reactivation, escorting her final convoy in May 1945 before making her way to Vancouver for a tropicalization refit. The refit, begun on 26 June, was cancelled before completion and "Cape Breton" was paid off 26 January 1946 and laid up at Esquimalt, British Columbia. She was sold in 1947 to Capital Iron & Metals Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia and her hull was expended as a breakwater at Kelsey Bay, British Columbia in 1948.