In 1954, de Havilland Canada entered into a contract to build Trackers under license to replace the outmoded Grumman TBM-3E Avengers being used by the Royal Canadian Navy.
A total of 99 Trackers were built by de Havilland Canada, with the first Canadian-built aircraft flying on 31 May 1956.
From 1957 onwards, these aircraft operated from the newly deployed aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure and various shore bases.
All the Canadian Trackers were built to the earlier "A" model airframe design with a length of 42 feet (13 m) (c.f.
43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) for later model Trackers) in order to fit in Bonaventure's hangar.
In 1960–1961, 17 CS2F-1 aircraft, which had been relegated to training and utility duties by the CS2F-2, were transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy.
From 1964, 45 CS2F-2s were upgraded by fitting revised electronic equipment and sensors, becoming CS2F-3s.
Also in 1964, a pair of CS2F-1 aircraft were stripped of armament and ASW electronics, converted to transports, and subsequently used for carrier onboard delivery.
The CS2F-1, -2, and -3 were redesignated as the CP-121 Mk.1, Mk.
2, and Mk.
3 respectively following the unification of Canadian forces in 1968.

After Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970, all remaining Canadian Trackers were transferred to shore bases.
This limited their usefulness for ASW patrols, and between 1974 and 1981 gradually all but 20 were placed in storage and the remainder were stripped of their ASW gear.
The remaining active-duty Trackers served until 1990 on fisheries protection and maritime patrol duties.
A handful of Trackers were kept in flying condition until the late 1990s but were no longer used for active service.

A single Grumman-built S2F-1 was sold to de Havilland Canada as a pattern and test aircraft; it was assigned RCN serial number 1500 and given X-500 wing markings.
This aircraft may have been dismantled by DHC and reassembled as 1501 with the same wing markings, but some sources claim that 1500 was returned to the US Navy as BuNo 136519, and that 1501 was a new aircraft assembled by DHC from Grumman-provided parts, possibly with duplicate X-500 wing markings.
1501 was later upgraded to CS2F-1 standards and used as a stationary instructional airframe; it was placed in storage in 1972 and was undergoing restoration at the Shearwater Aviation Museum as of June 2015.
In 1954, de Havilland Canada entered into a contract to build Trackers under license to replace the outmoded Grumman TBM-3E Avengers being used by the Royal Canadian Navy. A total of 99 Trackers were built by de Havilland Canada, with the first Canadian-built aircraft flying on 31 May 1956. From 1957 onwards, these aircraft operated from the newly deployed aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure and various shore bases. All the Canadian Trackers were built to the earlier "A" model airframe design with a length of 42 feet (13 m) (c.f. 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) for later model Trackers) in order to fit in Bonaventure's hangar. In 1960–1961, 17 CS2F-1 aircraft, which had been relegated to training and utility duties by the CS2F-2, were transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy. From 1964, 45 CS2F-2s were upgraded by fitting revised electronic equipment and sensors, becoming CS2F-3s. Also in 1964, a pair of CS2F-1 aircraft were stripped of armament and ASW electronics, converted to transports, and subsequently used for carrier onboard delivery. The CS2F-1, -2, and -3 were redesignated as the CP-121 Mk.1, Mk. 2, and Mk. 3 respectively following the unification of Canadian forces in 1968.
After Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970, all remaining Canadian Trackers were transferred to shore bases. This limited their usefulness for ASW patrols, and between 1974 and 1981 gradually all but 20 were placed in storage and the remainder were stripped of their ASW gear. The remaining active-duty Trackers served until 1990 on fisheries protection and maritime patrol duties. A handful of Trackers were kept in flying condition until the late 1990s but were no longer used for active service.
A single Grumman-built S2F-1 was sold to de Havilland Canada as a pattern and test aircraft; it was assigned RCN serial number 1500 and given X-500 wing markings. This aircraft may have been dismantled by DHC and reassembled as 1501 with the same wing markings, but some sources claim that 1500 was returned to the US Navy as BuNo 136519, and that 1501 was a new aircraft assembled by DHC from Grumman-provided parts, possibly with duplicate X-500 wing markings. 1501 was later upgraded to CS2F-1 standards and used as a stationary instructional airframe; it was placed in storage in 1972 and was undergoing restoration at the Shearwater Aviation Museum as of June 2015.
Grumman S-2 Tracker