The Naval Shipyards were naval shipbuilding facilities used by the

Provincial Marine Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the Provincial Marine were designated HMS, they were ope ...

and the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

(present day

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

). The naval

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

s were ordered by the

Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada The following is a list of lieutenant governors of Ontario and the lieutenant governors of the former colony of Upper Canada. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was created in 1867, when the Province of Ontario was created upon Confed ...

John Graves Simcoe John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British Army general and the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 until 1796 in southern Ontario and the Drainage basin, watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior. ...

in 1793, and were opened in 1798.

History

The shipyards were called for by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793 and operated from 1798. The shipyards were situated on

Humber Bay Humber Bay is a bay of Lake Ontario south of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located between Ontario Place on the east and Mimico Creek to the west. The bay gives its name to Etobicoke's Humber Bay neighbourhood. History Prior to 1809 the bay ...

, near the western edge of the settlement (east of the ruins of Fort Rouille) and located south of Front Street on the shores of Lake Ontario west of Bay Street (today this is where the rail tracks south of Union Station are located). Ships were built along the sand shores using the trees from the forests inland and launched into

Toronto Bay Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational b ...

. Several ships were built for the

and the Royal Navy during the 1810s, including the schooner ''

Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...

'' in 1812 (later renamed HMS ''Beresford'' in 1813, as HMS ''Netley'' 1814 and finally base ship HMS ''Niagara''; broken up 1843). During the

Battle of York The Battle of York was a War of 1812 battle fought in York, Upper Canada (today's Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on April 27, 1813. An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lakeshore to the west and advanced against the town, whi ...

, Major General

Roger Hale Sheaffe General Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe, 1st Baronet (15 July 1763 – 17 July 1851) was a Loyalist General in the British Army during the War of 1812. He was created a Baronet in 1813 and afterwards served as Commander and acting Lieutenant Governor of ...

dispatched Captain Tito LeLievre of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles to the naval dockyards to set fire to the incomplete sloop-of-war . After the Battle of York, a naval squadron was stationed at York, and assisted with transporting wounded soldiers from the Niagara front to the medical hospital established at

Fort York Fort York (french: Fort-York) is an early 19th-century military fortification in the Fort York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was used to house members of the British and Canadian militaries, and to defend the entrance of t ...

. However, although private shipbuilding resumed in

, the naval yards did not build any other navy ships after 1813 and abandoned and likely moved to a safer and more protected location in

Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard The Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard from 1788 to 1853 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at the site of the current Royal Military College of Canada. History The British naval forces on the lakes, known as the Provincial M ...

Post-military history

Numerous builders at mouth of Rouge River 1810–1856 After the War of 1812, shipbuilding yards in Toronto were typically held in private hands. Cooper's Wharf slip was another early 19th century shipbuilder in Toronto and remained in operations until 1845.

Polson Iron Works Limited The Polson Iron Works was an Ontario-based firm which built large steam engines, as well as ships, barges and dredges. Founded by William Polson (1834–1901) and son Franklin Bates Polson, the firm was incorporated in 1886 and it was one of th ...

was established in Toronto in 1883, was a major builder of steamers into the 1900s. Located at the foot of Sherbourne Street, Polson produced around 150 assorted vessels, including ten steel-hulled

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s for 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 ...

and Royal Navy, and six cargo vessels during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The company declared bankruptcy shortly after the end of the war and closed in 1919. Several other ship builders were also based at the

Bathurst Street Wharf Bathurst Street Wharf was a series of shipyards located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between Bathurst Street and Spadina Avenue along Lake Shore Boulevard West. Early years The first facility appeared in 1890 and the last closed at the end of Worl ...

. They include: * Doty Engine Works 1890 new shipyard at Lakeshore and Spadina * Bertram Engineering Works 1893 Doty yard changes owners * Canadian Shipbuilding Company 1905 – acquired Bertram site but company fails by 1908 * Toronto Shipyards 1908 – took over from Canadian Shipbuilding and remains in operations until 1910 * Thor Iron Works 1913 – acquire vacant Toronto Shipyards * Dominion Shipbuilding and Repair Company Limited 1917 – renamed from Thor and operated at both Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street as well as Keating Channel building mostly cargo ships for Canadian and overseas buyers as well as yacht Oriole IV which later became HMCS Oriole; folded 1920 after strike with last two ships completed by Collingwood Shipyards

World War II

In the 20th century, shipbuilding activity remained dormant (other than Toronto Drydock Company) until the start of World War II with demand for war ships. Several shipbuilding enterprises emerged including: * Dufferin Shipbuilding Company 1940 – acquires Keating Channel site from the former Dominion Shipbuilding site *

Toronto Shipbuilding Company Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

1941 – renamed from Dufferin after take over by the Canadian government *

Redfern Construction Company Redfern may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Redfern (surname), a list of people with the surname * Redfern Froggatt (1924–2003), British footballer Places * Redfern, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia ** Redfern railway station * Elector ...

1943 – renamed from Toronto Shipbuilding and closed 1945

References

List of Vessels Employed on British Naval Service on the Great Lakes, 1755–1875
{{Royal Navy shore establishments Naval history of Canada Royal Navy bases in Canada Royal Canadian Navy dockyards Military installations closed in 1813 Military installations established in 1798 1798 establishments in Upper Canada 1813 disestablishments in Upper Canada History of shipbuilding in Ontario Military history of the Great Lakes

History

Post-military history

World War II

See also

References