The Naval Service Act was a statute of the Parliament of Canada, enacted in 1910. The Act was put forward by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier to establish a Canadian navy. Prior to the passage of the Act, Canada did not have a navy of its own, being dependent on the British Royal Navy for maritime defence. The Act intended to provide Canada with a separate naval force, but one that, if needed, could be placed under British control during a time of war. French-Canadian nationalists and British-Canadian imperialists both opposed the Act, although for different reasons. The controversy of the naval question eventually contributed to the defeat of Laurier's government in the federal election of 1911. The new Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, instead proposed building three battleships or cruisers, to be put at the service of the British Navy.

Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minister, his 15-year tenure remains the longest uninterrupted term of office among Canadian prime ministers and his nearly 45 years of service in the House of Commons is a record for the House. Laurier is best known for his compromises between English and French Canada.