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The Dartmouth Marine Slips was an historic shipyard and marine railway which operated in
The Dartmouth Marine Slips were opened as the Chebucto Marine Railway in 1859 under the supervision of an American engineer, H.I. Crandall. His plans to use bilge and keel blocks to operate in conjunction with the current marine railway to haul ships in and out of the water was genius.
The construction and operation of the Chebucto Marine Railway would not have been possible without the following investors: U.S. Consul Albert Pillsbury; Robert Boak of Boak, Taylor and Co.; and John Wyide of Wier and Co.
The Chebucto Marine Railway was frequently used by merchant vessels and, at times, the Royal Navy. It enjoyed early success in the
In 1898, the name changed from the Chebucto Marine Railway to the Dartmouth Marine Railway. At this time, hundreds of workers were employed by the shipyard with occupations ranging from shipwrights to painters. Regardless of occupation, the average work day for anyone working at the Dartmouth Marine Railway was at least 14 hours.
John Chappell and Alexander Lyle were notable shipbuilders during this time period, and now both are honored with streets being named after them in Dartmouth.
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth ( ) is an urban community and former city located in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes, after the larg ...
between 1859 and 2003. It was noted for important wartime work during the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
as well as during the Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...
in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. After its closure, the site began redevelopment as King's Wharf, a high-rise residential development.
Origins
The Dartmouth Marine Slips were opened as the Chebucto Marine Railway in 1859 under the supervision of an American engineer, H.I. Crandall. His plans to use bilge and keel blocks to operate in conjunction with the current marine railway to haul ships in and out of the water was genius.
The construction and operation of the Chebucto Marine Railway would not have been possible without the following investors: U.S. Consul Albert Pillsbury; Robert Boak of Boak, Taylor and Co.; and John Wyide of Wier and Co.
The Chebucto Marine Railway was frequently used by merchant vessels and, at times, the Royal Navy. It enjoyed early success in the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
by repairing the blockade runners of the American Civil War who paid premium fees for quick repairs. The Marine Railway specialized in refitting hulls that were badly damaged because of the heavy sea swells in the Northern Atlantic.
"Dart Slip", as it came to be known by many mariners, saw a large expansion and its heaviest work during the Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...
in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
when the yard worked round the clock repairing merchant vessels and naval escort damaged by weather, enemy attacks, and collisions in convoys. The slip was ideally sized to quickly repair s, the workhorse ships of the Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
.
Employment
In 1898, the name changed from the Chebucto Marine Railway to the Dartmouth Marine Railway. At this time, hundreds of workers were employed by the shipyard with occupations ranging from shipwrights to painters. Regardless of occupation, the average work day for anyone working at the Dartmouth Marine Railway was at least 14 hours.
John Chappell and Alexander Lyle were notable shipbuilders during this time period, and now both are honored with streets being named after them in Dartmouth.
Services
The final and most commonly known name, the Dartmouth Marine Slips, eventually evolved. They offered a complete range of repair services for vessels up to 3,000 tons. The Slips had a reputation for being a "quick turn-around" repair site. An additional of berthing space was created to accommodate vessels needing alongside repairs. The Dartmouth Marine Slips provided a variety of services in its latter years: emergency and scheduled repair services for international and domestic fleets, extended repair services to offshore supply vessels servicing drill rigs off Canada's east coast, and also offered float repairs anywhere inAtlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
by mobile ship crew using work boats and work barges. Regular customers over the years included large fishing trawlers, Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the Halifax-Dartmouth ferries and historic vessels such as CSS ''Acadia''.
Closure
The Dartmouth Marine Slips were bought out in the 1990s by Irving Shipbuilding, owners ofHalifax Shipyard
The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Founded in 1889, it is today a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and is that company's largest ship construction and repair facili ...
which became known for a time as the Halifax Shipyards. Irving operated the two sites together, with the marine slips specializing in smaller and faster repair jobs. In 2003, despite the controversy it caused, the owners of the Dartmouth Marine Slips announced their plans to sell the Slips to Innovative Properties, a real estate development firm. Forty-four workers still employed at the shipyard were relocated to other Irving sites in the HRM region. The official closing date of the Dartmouth Marine Slips was June 20, 2003.
The plans for future development of the property, called Kings Wharf, were published in a flyer on July 31, 2007. The plans aimed at residential and commercial properties; however, due to complications, little progress was made at first with construction finally beginning in 2009. Upon completion, the tallest building on the site will be the tallest building in Atlantic Canada, and the tallest on the eastern seaboard of North America north of Boston.
References
{{coord, 44.662958, -63.563367, type:landmark_region:CA-NS, display=title Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia History of Halifax, Nova Scotia