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Canada
Canada's first recognised paddle steamer was the Accommodation of 1809, sponsored by brewing magnate John Molson, which sailed between Montreal and Quebec City, taking thirty-six hours to complete. Commercially unsuccessful, the venture was closed down and the ship scrapped the following year. Despite this abortive attempt, it was not long before paddle steamers were in operation along the St Lawrence River, venturing up its tributaries such as the Richelieu and Ottawa Rivers and sailing on the Great Lakes whose northern shores were in Canadian territory. It ws not until 1959 that the St Lawrence Seaway was completed to allow large ocean going vessels to fully penetrate into Canada, so smaller ships, initially paddle steamers, brought settlers and goods into the country and produce to the main ports for export.  Conditions for navigation were often treacherous before rivers cound be "improved" by canalisation and the extensive construction of lock systems. Ice was a constant issue in the long cold winters. One hazard were the Lachine Rapids just outside the city of Montreal. Until the building of a canal, there was a considerable amount of transshipment at Montreal, but shallow-draught paddle steamers did negotiate the rapids making for an interesting ride and a popular post-card view.


Above : The Richelieu & Ontario's Algerian negotiating Lachine Rapids

Canada Steamship Lines, which came to dominate shipping within Canada, was incorporated in 1913 as a merger of numerous shipping companies concerned with internal transport. After a short flirtation with ocean trade, the company concentrated on its internal business and Great Lakes services in particular. The merger included companies which retained paddle steamer operations, notably the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, itself formed in 1875 as a result of the consolidation of several lines. This company had recently absorbed a number of other lines, including the Niagara Navigation Company, which ran paddlers between Toronto and the Niagara River.

As well as the main route into the Canadian interior, there were side-wheel paddle steamer operations of more limited scale on the east and west coasts, particularly those linking remote communities in maritime provinces such as New Brunswick. By 1900 however, only one side wheeler, Princess Louise (1869, ex-Olympia) remained and on Lake Muskoga, one paddler, Nipissing II of 1887 survived until 1914. Nippissing II was later converted to be a screw steamer and after withdrawal and an a major preservation effort, has now been restored to being pride of the lake's fleet.

By 1900, screw steamers were in the ascendancy and turbine steamers were later to be favoured in British Columbia, but the new century did see the construction of two magnificent side-wheelers, Kingston and Montreal for the Richelieu & Ontario's long-distance services.

Paddle Steamers in 1900   :  Great Lakes and St Lawrence River Basin

Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company

Caspian (1846)
Hamilton (1847) formerly Magnet : renamed in 1900
Columbia (1858)
Spartan (1864)
Chicora (1864)
Quebec (1865)
Canada (1866)
La Prairie (1867)
Saguenay (1868)
Trois Rivieres (1869)
Corsican (1870)
Berthier (1870)
Terrebonne (1870)
Chambly (1871)
Algerian (1873)
Bohemian (1873)
Cultivateur (1874)
Carolina (1893)
Toronto (1899)

Niagara Navigation Company

Chicora (1878)
Chippewa (1893)
Corona (1897)

Ottawa River Navigation Company

Maude (1869)
Pittsburg (1871)
Princess (1872)
Empress (1874)
Sovereign (1889)
Duchess of York (1895)
Argyle (1899)

St Lawrence Steamboat Co / Thousand Islands Steamboat Co

America (1869)
Pierrepont (1871)

Other paddle steamers

Richelieu (1845) ex-Belmont 1886-1893, ex-Richelieu 1845-1886, later Beauharnois 1906-1954
Rocket (1865)
Alexandria (1866 as cargo vessel. Rebuilt for passenger service in 1883)
Lady of the Lake (1867)
North King (1868)
Manitoba (1871)
Smith Paul (1873)
Filgate (1879)
Ontario (1890)
North King (1891)
Garden City (1892)
Mistassini (1892)
DJ Purdy (1893)
Chateauguay (1894)
Colon (1894)
Victoria (1897)

Ladysmith

New-Build Paddle Steamers

Kingston (1901)  R&O
Montreal (1902)  R&O
Tremblay (1917) Chicoutimi River, Quebec

Lady Minto (1903)  Tug later converted to screw

LAKE ONTARIO, ST LAWRENCE RIVER and QUEBEC RIVERS AND LAKES
Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company (1875-1912)

In 1875 the new company was formed out of the Compagnie du Richelieu and the Canadian Navigation Company. Union and St Lawrence were added from the Saguenay line in 1886 as the company consolidated its virtual monopoly in its territory which streched from Lake Ontario along the St Larence and up the Saguenay River.
After the building of three large paddle steamers between 1899 and 1904, the company continued to incease the size of its fleet with ever-larger screw steamers

The full run from Toronto to Montreal , including intermediate stops, required approximately twenty-eight hours and Montreal to Quebec twelve. Therefore, most of the R & O fleet were equipped as "night boats". 
For detailed information, see the R&O  Official Guide 1900 :  https://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/37131055475446d.pdf

1900 roster :

Toronto-Montreal line : Toronto, Bohemian, Spartan, Corsican, Caspian, Columbian
Hamilton-Montreal line :  Hamilton and Algerian
Montreal-Quebec line :  Montreal  and Quebec
Saguenay Line (Quebec - Chicoutimi) : Carolina, Canada, Saguenay
Ste Anne de Baupre Pilgrimage line : Trois Rivieres
Three Rivers line : Berthier
Chambly line : Chambly
St Helen's Island line : Cultivateur
Contrecoeur line : Terrebonne
Yamaska River line : SS Sorel
Berthier-Sorel line :  SS Mouche a Feu
Boucherville line : SS Hochelaga
Longueuil-Hochelaga line (ferry) : Longueuil and SS Hosanna
La Prairie-Montreal line (ferry) : La Prairie


Caspian (1846-1921)  Originally Passport.  Scottish hull parts and oscillating engine. Rebuilt in 1891 Renamed in 1898. Rebuilt and reengined (42 x 120 in horizontal) in 1902


.
Top : Caspian in her later years. Above : As Passport.  Above Right : After reconstruction and renaming


Hamilton (1847-1910)  Originally Magnet, she was rebuilt and renamed Hamilton in 1900. Converted to a barge. sank near Amherstburg in 1928


Above : Hamilton was created in 1900 out of the former Magnet of 1847.


Columbia (1858)

Montreal (1861-1914)
Built by Barclay, Curle & Co at Glasgow. Reassembled by Bartley & Gilbert at Montreal
2211 GT
Renamed Beupre
Wrecked at Montreal on 13th December 1914

Spartan (1864-1922) Engines compounded in 1891, rebuilt 1896, 1905, when renamed Belleville, and 1920)

Quebec (1865-1929)  Built by Barclay, Curle of Glasgow. 3498 GT Rebuilt in 1891 and 1907 when lengthened. Renamed  Ste Anne de Beaupre in 1928


Above : The R&O fleet was primarily older vessels. The 3065 GT Quebec was, like most of her fleet-mates of the period which were originally in the service of the Compagnie du Richelieu, assembled at Sorel from pieces shipped over to Canada from Barclay, Curle of Glasgow in 1865 and fitted with a locally-built beam engine. The 1891 rebuild, which reduced her gross tonnage to 2656, gave her a more modern feel and a further rebuild in 1907 allowed her to operate for an extraordinary seventy-three years 


Canada (1866-1920)  Sank in a collision in 1904 near Sorel with five dead. Raised and rebuilt in 1905. Renamed St Irene. Cape St Francis from 1920 to 1928


Above : Canada at Cap a l'Aigle in about 1895 by A Notman & Son (via the McCord Museum)

La Prairie (1867-1909) Rebuilt in 1894. Lost to fire on 24th July 1909

Saguenay (1868-1910)  ex- Union, renamed Chicoutimi in 1904

Trois Rivieres (1869-1935) Rebuilt in 1899 and 1910. Converted to a barge in 1935 and scrapped in 1949


Above : Medium-sized and much-rebuilt cabin steamer Trois Rivieres. The 1869-built 1710 GT boat was in service for sixty-six years and was suitable for day services.

Longueuil (1869-1915)  Small cross-river paddle ferry. Rebuilt in 1885 and 1901

Corsican (1870-1907) Engines compounded in 1892, renamed Picton in 1905, destroyed by fire at Toronto on 21 Sept 1907


Above : Corsican negotiatiating treacherous conditions at the rapids

Berthier (1870-1914)  Destroyed by fire at Montreal on 24th May 1914




Terrebonne (1870-1912)  Rebuilt in 1895 and 1898 and under various new owners 1922 and 1929. Withdrawn from service in 1934

Chambly (1871-1910)  Rebuilt in 1898, coverted to a barge in 1910 and scrapped in 1927

Algerian (1873-1911) Built in 1855 as Kingston for Royal Mail Line. Rebuilt as Bavarian in 1873, Algerian in 1895 and Cornwall in 1906. Converted to a salvage ship for Calvin.

Bohemian (1873-1909)  Rebuilt in 1892, renamed Prescott in 1905, destroyed by fire at Victoria Pier, Montreal 16 Sept 1909

Cultivateur (1874-1908)  Renamed Varennes in 1905

Carolina (1893-1933)  Built 1877 for Chesapeake Bay service in the USA. Renamed Murray Bay in 1913 and Cape Diamond in 1921


Above : Although the R&O extended the life of their ships by periodic rebuilds, they also bought second-hand tonnage from the USA. Murray Bay began her life on Chesapeake Bay in 1877 named Carolina and was purchased in 1893. She retained her original name until 1913 and sailed as Murray Bay until 1921. For the last twelve years of her fifty-six year life she was named Cape Diamond.

Toronto (1899-1937)
Built by Bertram Engine Works of Toronto.  269 ft : 2779 GT
Toronto-Prescott overnight service
Laid-up in 1938 following restrictions imposed by US authorities on ships with wooden decks calling at US ports
Scrapped in 1947 at Hamilton


Above : Toronto was the R&O's brand new paddle steamer at the turn of the century.


New Additions after 1900

Kingston (1901-1950)
Built by Bertram Engineering at Toronto
288 ft : 2925 GT  Steel deck
Engine : Triple-expansion diagonal, 24, 44 and 74 in x 72.  Four Scotch coal-fired boilers
Toronto-Prescott overnight service
Severely damaged when she hit Brockville pier in 1936
Grounded for a week on a shoal in the St Lawrence River in June 1941
Although she was under maintenance for a return to service after her last run on 17th September 1949, new fire safety rules made compliance too expensive and she was formally withdrawn.
Scrapped at Hamilton in 1950



Montreal (1902-1926)
Built by Bertram Engineering of Toronto.  340 ft OA  4282 GT.
Built for the Montreal-Quebec run
Destroyed by fire on 7th March 1903 whilst being fitted out in Montreal harbour.


Tadousac (1903-....)  Built in 1879 Wilmington DE as Virginia for the Baltimore SP Company of Chesapeake Bay.  Renamed in 1905


Above : The second steamer purchased from the Baltimore Steam Packet Company of Chesapeake Bay was their paddler Virginia, a product of the prolific yard of Harlan & Hollinsworth at Wilmington, Delaware. Already twenty-four years old and having been out of service for three years when she moved to Canada in 1903, she was renamed Tadousac two years later.

Niagara Navigation Company

Established in 1878 and remained independent until taken over by the Richelieu & Ontario in 1912. The company ran day services across Lake Ontario from Toronto to Niagara-on-the Lake and along the Niagara River, which forms the border with the USA to the US riverside city of Lewiston. Alongside Chicora, Chippewa and Corona, the company owned the large screw steamer Cayuga (1906) and the smaller Onigara (1888)

Chicora (1878-1914)



Originally a US Civil War blockade runner built in Birkenhead UK by WC Miller with engines by Fawcett & Co in 1864. 221 ft and 931 GT. Was at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1867 and sold for use on the Great Lakes in 1878. She was cut in two at Quebec to allow passage through the canals of the St Lawrence and reassembled at Buffalo NY. She served on Lakes Huron and Superior before being converted for passenger use in 1878 and placed on the Toronto to Niagara route. Converted to a barge

Chippewa (1893-1936)  


Built by Hamilton Bridge, Hamilton ON. 320 ft OA  1514 GT  Scrapped in 1939


Corona (1896-1929).  


Built by Bertram Engineering Works of Toronto.  285 ft OA. 1274  GT  Scrapped in 1937

Ottawa River Navigation Company

There developed significant traffic between Montreal and Ottawa with PS Union  being the first steamship, linking Hull and Grenville weekly.  The Ottawa River Navigation Company had a mail carrying contract and on their "Day and Night Line" between the two major cities, they operated the steamers

The trip from Ottawa to Montreal initially involved a short section undertaken by railway (Grenville to Carillon) due to the presence of rapids in the river with the trip taking 11 hours. Although a canal had been built and completed in 1833, the locks were too small for commercial traffic and it was not until the 1870s that the facilities were enlarged.  In 1900, the modern paddle steamers  Sovereign (Montreal/Lachine to Carillon) and Empress (Grenville to Ottawa) undertook the daily, except Sundays, service, A range of day trips by PS Soverign and Empress were offered - either a full day or a combination of rail and steamer.  The final approach to Montreal was via the Lachine Rapids which could only be attempted travelling downstream. A railway connection at Lachine was provided for upstream services. The company offered local services between Ottawa and Thurson with the screw steamer Victoria and advertised connections with various railroads and with steamer companies such as the Richelieu & Ontario, for onward travel to Quebec.

The relatively new paddler Duchess of York (1895, 156,8 ft) was available for charter. Princess offered additional passenger/freight capacity between Lachine and Carillon on Mondays and Thursdays. A range of tourist oriented round-trips were covering several nights in hotels were available, including via the steamers on Lake Rideau on the leg between Ottawa and Kingston. The Rideau Lakes Navigation Company Ltd service between Ottawa and Kingston was undertaken by the screw steamers Rideau King and Rideau Queen.

The river was not suited to significant steamer traffic into the Canadian interior because of the number of rapids, falls and shallows, although significant amounts of canalisation did assist. There were plans to try and create a new route into Lake Huron via the Ottawa River. However, progress along the river usually meant transshipment of goods and changing vessels.


Princess (1872-1915)

Empress (1874-1935)  Rebuilt in 1886 ex- Peerless.  Withdrawn in 1931 and scrapped in 1935



Argyle (1879-1918)  Rebuilt, lengthened from 170 to 186 ft (579 to 700 GT) in 1899 ex- Empress of India.  Renamed Grimsby and Frontier in 1912. Sank in 1918 near Chatham


 
Sovereign (1889-1928)  ex- Queen. Burnt out at Lachine in 1906 and rebuilt as Imperial. Scrapped in 1928

Duchess of York (1895-1938) 156.8 x 25.3 ft  400 GT  : Renamed Sorel in 1925, Pelerin in 1927 and Beloeil in 1934. Converted to a barge in 1938  and scrapped in 1945


St Lawrence Steamboat Co / Thousand Islands Steamboat Co


America (1871-1907)  Built by Barclay, Curle of Glasgow and reassembled by Gildersleeve at Montreal for their own use.  112.4 x 21.8 ft,   120 GT  Originally named Maud. Sold to a Mr Nichol in 1886. Renamed America in 1895 when purchased by the St Lawrence Steamboat Co and lengthened to 135 ft.  Sailed as Midland City for the Georgian Bay Tourist Co from 1921. Converted to diesel/screw in 1933. Withdrawn in in 1954. Beached after being set on fire

Georgian Bay Navigation Company
Pittsburg (1871-1903)  ex-Carmona, ex-Manitoba 
Built in 1871 at Port Robinson ON by Melancthon Simpson. Wood 173 x 25 ft.  Beam engine  45 x 108 in by G Ollie at St Catherines
Pittsburg was rebuilt in 1900 in Collingwood following a collision in 1899 when she was named Carmona. She was originally built as Manitoba in 1871 for the Beatty Line of Sarnia for passenger and freight service on lakes Huron and Superior. Re-registered as owned by the Northwest Transportation Company in 1876 alongside four screw steamers, until 1883 following a grounding at Chantry Island. Manitoba was refloated in the spring of 1884 and towed to Detroit. She was rebuilt and emerged in 1888 with one funnel only as Carmona in the ownership of the Canada Lake Superior Transit Company although appears to have saided under charter with various companies including old owners Northwest and the Canadian Pacific Railway.  After a period of time on the excursion trade in Lake Ontario she was back on Lake Superior business with the Georgian Bay Company. Her 1900 rebuild included lengthening her by 40 ft but the effect was to reduce her speed considerably. In 1903 her registration was changed to the Huron navigation Company but disaster struck on 30th August that year when she caught fire at Windsor ON. Her burnt remains were later scrapped




Midland City (1921-1932)  Built by Barclay, Curle of Glasgow and reassembled by Gildersleeve at Montreal in 1871 for their own use.  112.4 x 21.8 ft,   120 GT  Originally named Maud. Sold to a Mr Nichol in 1886. Renamed America in 1895 when purchased by the St Lawrence Steamboat Co and lengthened to 135 ft.  Sailed as Midland City for the Georgian Bay Tourist Co from 1921. Converted to diesel/screw in 1933. Withdrawn in in 1954. Hull beached after being set on fire

Lake Ontario & Bay of Quinte Steamboat Company

The line, which was created out of the Gildersleeve family shipping interests in 1891, was merged into Canada Steamship Lines in 1913. It operated services along the northerns shore of Lake Ontario and across to Charlotte (near Rochester NY). Charles Gildersleeve ran the companies from 1864 and also became General Manager of the Richelieu & Ontario in in 1894

North King (1891-     )  Built in 1868.  ex- Norseman of the Gildersleeve Company, renamed in 1891. Beam engine 36.5 x 120 in





Montreal & Cornwall Navigation Company  (1896-

Britannic (1898-1901 and 1926-1938)



Filgate (1899-1911)
Built in 1879 in Montreal by WC White for by Captain Filgate
158 ft : 435 GT.  Beam engine 32 x 96 in by WP Bartley at Montreal
Used by the CP Railway as a ferry between Lachine and Caughnawagha until displaced by a new bridge. She then sailed between Montreal and St Helens island.
When in service for the Montreal & Cornwall company she carried general cargoes and passengers. She caught fire in 1911 at the quayside at Valleyfield.

Rocket (1908-1938)  
Built in 1865 in Glasgow as a tender for the Allan Line. Subsequently owned by O Gillespie at Cornwall (1895) and Northern Navigation Co of Ontario (1899)

Emerald (Garnet)
Triton

Other Paddle Steamers in 1900

Smith Paul (1873-1917)

Originally Gatineau of the Richlieu & Ontario. Sold and rebuilt as Smith Paul in 1890. Rebuilt again in 1901 and renamed Valleyfield. Scrapped in 1917 


Alexandria (1866-1915).

Built at Hull
161.7 ft : 264 GT  late 173.7 ft : 863 GT
Originally owned by the Ontario & Quebec Navigation Company as Alexandra and used on cargo services
Converted at Montreal for Arthur W Hepburn of Picton Ontario  for passenger use in 1883 by and renamed Alexandria.
Absorbed into the Canada Steamship Lines conglomeration in 1913
Lost off Scarborough Bluffs, 3rd August 1915


Above : Alexandria at Picton


Ladysmith




White Star (1898-1905)

451 GT  Badly damaged by fire and rebuilt as a barge

Ontario (1890)  

1615 GT

Chateaugay (1894)

Built in 1894 by J & R Weir at Montreal
Length L 1338.8 ft : 222 GT
Built for A Goulet of Lachine for ferry services in the Montreal area
Reconstructed in 1912 and renamed Rita B
Sold to Toronto Ferries in 1925 but never used and abandoned at various places, eventually in Blockhouse Bay until removed in the 1930s for the construction of an airport

Tug of the Upper Ottawa Improvement Company


Lady Minto

Built in 1903
Later Converted to screw propulsion



Salvage Vessels of the Donnelly Salvage & Wrecking Company  (1890-1928)

Donnelly (1898-1914)

Built in 1863 as Rochester, renamed Hastings in 1877, Eurydice in 1890 after rebuild, and Donnelly in 1899 after another rebuild.
Launched from Augustin Cantin shipyard, Montreal and served various private owners, mainly for Gildersleeve on the Kingston-Osweg-Rochester run. Served as an excursion boat only from 1886-1898 at Toronto before being part of the Donnelly Salvage and Wrecking Co, who had owned her briefly in 1884-85. She was used by Donnelly on their own account for salwage work. Dismantled at Kingston and scuttled off Kingston in 1919

Cornwall (1914-1928)

Note : Donnelly Salvage and Wrecking Co also purchased Cornwall (ex-Algerian, ex-Bavarian, ex-Kingston) from the Calvin Company of Garden Island (for whom John Donnelly had previously worked)  in 1914 and rebuilt her as a salvage vessel. She was scuttled in 1928 after the failing Donnelly business was bought out.



Toronto Ferry Company
Paddle Steamers Bluebell (1906-1955) and Trillium (1910-1957 and 1976 to date)  joined Primrose and Mayflower operating for the Toronto Ferry Company on local services to Hanlan's Point a beach on the islands just off the lake Ontario shoreline from Toronto. Trillium was subject to a massive restoration effort which brought her back to service after almost twenty years of lay-up. She is the only operating side wheel paddle steamer on the Great Lakes 









Lake Muskoka

Nipissing II (1887-1914)  Converted to a screw steamer in 1924. Withdrawn in 1958. Reactivated in 1981



Lake Memphremagog, Quebec
Lady of The Lake  (1867-1917)
Built by Barclay, Curle of Glasgow UK  153 x 26 ft  369 GT.  Beam engine 36 x 120 in by Bartley of Montreal



Lac Saint Jean, Quebec

Mistassini (1892-1907) Rebuilt in 1899 after a fire



Colon (1894-1929)



Chicoutimi River, Quebec

The small Chicoutimi River runs from Lac Kenougami into the Saguenay River at the town of Saguenay

Tremblay (1917-1938)
Built at Chicoutimi, Quebec
85 ft : 128.7 ft
Official No : 138266




EASTERN SEABOARD

Star Line Steamship Company

Established in 1893, the Star Line operated passenger and freight services between St John NB and Fredericton NB on the St John River with up to thirt-six intermediate stops.
The company went into liquidation in 1911 and the Victoria was taken over by the Victoria Steamship Company

Star (1893-1902)  Built in 1873 at Portland ME.  Lost to fire on 25th September 1902 at Indiantown



David Weston (1893-1903)

Built in 1866 by J Retallick of St John. 177 ft  552 GT Beam engine 40 x 102 in by McLaughlin. Lost to fire at Craig's Point on 19th Sept 1903 with three lives lost


Victoria (1897-1916)

Built in 1897 by McGuiggan of St John. Wood  200 x 30 ft  631 GT  Beam engine 40.5 x 132 in ex- St Lawrence.  Lost mysteriously in a fire at St John on 3rd February 1916



Crystal Stream (1902-1907)  

Built in 1873 at Bulls Ferry NJ, USA.  
Wood  132.6 x 25.6 ft  268 GT
Purchased in 1902 from New York-registered owners to replace Star. Burnt at Coles Island in 1907

Sincennes (1907-1911)  / DJ Purdy (1911-1927)

A former tug on the St Lawrence, Sincennes was brought to St John in 1907 and converted for passenger use. After a fire in 1911 she was rebuilt as DJ Purdy


May Queen  (1868-1915)

Originally operated on the St John River by the Union Line, she underwent several major rebuilds
Destroyed by fire on 5th February 1918




Oconee (-1927)

Former Tug : 97 ft long
Horizontal engine
Burned on 1st March 1927

Dominion Atlantic Railway / Canadian Pacific Railway

The Dominion Atlantic Railway was created in 1894 through the takeover by the Windsor & Annapolis Railway of the Western Counties Railway and was based in Nova Scotia. In 1900 it bought the Yarmouth Steamship Company which it had  competed with on the Yarmouth to Boston route. From 1912 it operated semi-independently under the control of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A range of sea services were offered in the Nova Scotia area, particularly the Bay of Fundy and down the seaboard to the USA as far as New York City. 

Prince Rupert
Built in 1894 by Wm Denny & Bros of Dumbarton
260 ft : 1153 GRT
Engine : Triple expansion diagonal 31.5, 47 and 68 in x 72 in
Sold to USA owners in 1919
Scrapped in 1924



Above : Prince Rupert on trial on the Clyde


City of Monticello
Built in 1866 by Harlan & Hollingsworth at Wilmington, Delaware
232 ft : 478 GRT
Beam engine
Originally called City of Norfolk
Purchased, rebuilt and renamed by the Bay of Fundy Steamship Company, she was in intense competition with new Prince Rupert on the ferry service between Digby Nova Scotia and  Saint John New Brunswick
Succumbing to the superior vessel of the Dominion Atlantic Railway, she was moved to the Digby to Boston route in 1896.
She was sold to the Yarmouth Steamship Company in March 1899 who were then taken over by the Dominion Atlantic in the following year
Sank in a storm off Yarmouth in the Bay of Fundy on 10th November 1900 with the loss of 31 lives

City of Saint John
Built in 1870 at Carleton, New Brunswick
160 ft
Owned by the Yarmouth Steamship Company from 1887
Derelict by 1900 and not operated by the Dominion Atlantic

* Note : The Yarmouth Steamship Company lost the paddle steamer Express (recently purchased from Morecambe Bay in the UK) in September 1898 when she was grounded and wrecked


PACIFIC SEABOARD

Canadian Pacific Navigation Company

The company was established in 1883 and taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1901. Princess Louise was, by this time the last operational side-wheeler in the Canadian registry working on the Pacific Coast.

Princess Louise  (1883-1906)  Built in 1869 as Olympia. Purchased by the Hudsons Bay Company in 1878. Renamed in 1879. Transferred to the CPNC in 1883
 

Above : Princess Louise in 1879

Yosemite (1883-1906)

Built in 1862 by John Gunder North at San Francisco (CA, USA) for the California Steam Navigation Co's services on the Sacramento River
252 ft long, extended to 282 ft when rebuilt in 1865 after a boiler explosion which killed 55 people : 1525 GT
Wooden hull. Walking beam engine 57 in x 122 in
Laid-up at Oakland CA from 1879 to 1883
Bought by the Canadian Pacific Navigation Co in 1883
Sold in 1906 to the Puget Sound Excursion Co and based at Seattle USA
Sold in 1909 to CD Hillman a real estate entrepreneur
Wrecked at Port Orchard Narrows on 9th July 1909


Above : Yosemite in 1908 on a trip to view the arrival in Puget Sound of the Freat White Fleet of US warships which had circumnavigated the globe. The ship had been chartered for the students of the University of Washington

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