You can also do what Denmark does and have VLS on top of the engines, though this isn't ideal either.
I don't know of my hull is deep enough for that, but stretching the ship a few meters to make things less tight and confusing isn't a huge deal.
lengthening her is not gonna solve the problem either, as the problem is that it is too low in the hull, piercing both strenght deck, limiting midships fuel, storage, manning and machinery space (all stuff you don't put in the bow and stern, or at least not all of it)
the fact is: heighten the VLS above the engineroom or moving it forward/aft.
How much would I need to raise it? I'm not opposed to that idea.
I may even rename this thread Canadian Surface Combatants when I'm finished, and draw everything from the canceled LPDs to pipe dreams of nuclear powered Canadian aircraft carriers. I've never really tried LPDs or carriers, so it'll be good practice.