Union Steamship Company Of British Columbia

The Union Steamship Company of British Columbia was a pioneer firm on coastal British Columbia. It was founded in November 1889 by John Darling, a director of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, and nine local businessmen. The company began by offering local service on Burrard Inlet near Vancouver and later expanded to servicing the entire British Columbia coast.

The Union Steamship Company was bought out by the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company in 1948. The fire in Toronto forced the Federal Maritime Department to change marine regulations regarding wooden passenger vessels, while the nature of the BC coastal fleet changed more to freight and a tug and barge operation. The Union Steamships ran until 1956 when a strike finished the fleet.

Company organized

Union Steamship had its origins in the Burrard’s Inlet Towing Company, whose original principals were Alfred N.C. King, Hugh Stalker, John Morton, and Capt. Donald McPhaiden. The fleet upon formation consisted of three smaller wooden-hulled steamers: ''Leonora'', ''Senator'', and, the largest of the three, the steam tug ''Skidegate''.

1890 to 1896

''Cutch'', 324 GT, , was the first steamer the company acquired after its initial incorporation. ''Cutch'' had been built at Hull, England in 1884. Capt. William Webster, one of the founders of Union Steamship, located ''Cutch'' in India, where it had been in service as a maharaja’s yacht. Webster purchased the steamer with funds raised in England by John Darling. Webster brought ''Cutch'' from India to British Columbia, arriving in Vancouver in June 1890. ''Cutch'' was placed on the run from Vancouver to Nanaimo, British Columbia.

''Capilano 1'' and ''Coquitlam'' were built in Glasgow, Scotland and shipped to British Columbia in a knocked-down condition, then reassembled on the beach near present-day Stanley Park. ''Capilano 1'' was launched in December 1891, and ''Coquitlam'' followed in April 1892.

1897 to 1906

Gold rush transportation

In 1897 the Klondike Gold Rush created a demand for transportation. To meet the demand, both ''Capilano 1'' and ''Coquitlam'' were outfitted with crude berths for passengers, and then run north to the mouth of the Yukon River. ''Capilano 1'' left in late July and ''Coquitlam'' in early August. They were the first British vessels to proceed directly to the mouth of the Yukon from Vancouver.

In 1898 Union Steamship placed ''Capilano 1'', ''Coquitlam'', and ''Cutch'' in service to Skagway and Dyea, in southeast Alaska. Skagway and Dyea were the principal disembarkation point for traffic bound for the Klondike gold fields. These three steamers remained in the Skagway/Dyea service in 1899.

''Skidegate'' scrapped and ''Cutch'' wrecked

The company’s old steam tug ''Skidegate'' was scrapped in Vancouver in 1900. Also in 1900, the company’s first steamer purchase, ''Cutch'', was wrecked, on August 24, and sold for salvage.

''Coutli'' and ''Camosun'' added to fleet

In 1904 the company built the steam tug ''Coutli'', 99 GT, LOA, for use in log towing service for British Columbia Mills Co.

In 1905 the company placed ''Camosun'' into service. ''Camosun'', 1,369 GT, LOA, was a steel-hulled modern vessel built at Paisley, Scotland by the Bow, McLachlan concern. ''Camosun'' could carry 54 persons overnight, with room for 120 deck passengers. ''Camosun'' arrived from Scotland in Vancouver on June 30, 1905 and was placed in service on a weekly route to Prince Rupert, BC under Capt. F. Saunders.

1907 to 1911

''Cowichen'', ''Cheslakee'', and ''Inlander'' added to fleet

In 1908 Union Steamship added ''Cowichan'', 962 GT, LOA, to its fleet. ''Cowichan'', an all-steel vessel with twin propellers, was built in Troon, Scotland by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. ''Cowichan'' was licensed to carry 165 passengers and 125 tons of freight. It was used in the company’s service to logging camps.

'' Cheslakee'', 526 GT, LOA, was completed for the company in 1910 by an Irish concern, Dublin Dockyard Co. Built to the highest standards, the twin-propeller all-steel ''Cheslakee'' was intended to run out of Vancouver in passenger service on northern routes. ''Cheslakee'' could carry only a limited amount of freight, which was restricted to perishable items such as butter, fruit and fish. Passenger accommodations were large for a vessel of this size.

Also in 1910 the company invested in the river sternwheeler ''Inlander''. ''Inlander'' ran for three seasons, 1910 to 1912, on the Skeena River.

Welsford & Company buys control of the company

In 1911 Welsford & Company, a Liverpool shipping line, purchased a controlling interest in Union Steamship Co. Also in 1911, on September 23, the Welsford company purchased the Boscowitz Steamship Co., Ltd., of Victoria, BC, for $160,000, half in cash and half in Union Steamship stock.

1912 to 1918

The start of World War I caused economic disruption and a fall off in the British Columbia salmon fishery, impacting the company’s operations so much that one-half of its fleet was taken out of service. This soon changed, when wartime production demands generated an unprecedented surge in business.

Loss of ships in 1913 and 1914

On June 7, 1913, disaster struck when ''Cheslakee'' capsized at its dock in Van Anda, on Texada Island, drowning several people.

The company lost two ships in 1914. On February 3, 1914 the company’s freighter ''Vadso'', running a few hours out of Port Simpson, struck an uncharted rock, caught fire, and sank. There were no casualties among the crew, but they had to row twelve miles to the Arrandale Cannery, from whence they were able to return to Vancouver on board another company freighter, ''Venture''. Later in 1914 ''Capilano 1'' stranded in Malaspina Strait and became a total loss, but also with no casualties to anyone on board.

Purchase of the All-Red Line

The All-Red Line had been running local service from Vancouver to Powell River with the steamers ''Selma'' and ''Santa Maria''. The All-Red Line also owned property at Selma Park, on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, near the town of Sechelt. In 1917 Union Steamship purchased the All-Red Line, including all of its floating equipment and the property at Selma Park. Union Steamship renamed ''Selma'' as ''Chasina'', and ''Santa Maria'' as ''Chilco''. Union Steamship later developed Selma Park as an excursion destination resort.

1919 to 1924

Post-war expansion program

After World War I, the company, under manager Ernest H Beasley (or Beasley) (d.1920), began an expansion program. The automobile had not yet been able reach most of the points served by the company’s steamers. The company carried freight and passengers to new pulp mills at Powell River, Ocean Falls, and Swanson Bay. The company also provided service to the Granby Copper Mine at Anyox, the gold mine at Surf Inlet (now Port Belmont), and the many coastal logging camps.

Death of company manager Beazley

There were periodic labor disputes in the Canadian shipping business after World War 1.
In May 1920 company manager Ernest H. Beazley was killed in an airplane crash at Minoru Park. Beazley had just settled a labor strike, and was taking a brief vacation. John Barnsley (d.1924), who had joined the company when the Boscowitz shipping concern was acquired, then became general manager, and R.A.H. Welsford came to British Columbia from Liverpool to act as managing director.

Two freighters purchased

In 1919 Union Steamship bought the freighter ''British Columbia'' from Griffiths, renamed it ''Chilliwack'', and used it to replace the 1891 steamer ''Comox''. ''Comox'' was first resold for scrap, but soon sold again to a Central American concern and renamed ''Alejandro''.

The company also had the steel freighter ''Chilkoot 1'' built in 1920 by Wallace Shipbuilding Co. ''Chilkoot 1'' remained in service for a long time, being operated in 1966 by Northland Navigation Co. under the name ''Alaska Prince''.

Day excursion business developed

Union Steamship continued to develop the day excursion business which had begun in 1917 with the acquisition of the All-Red line. In 1920, the company had the wooden steamer ''Capilano 2'' built at B.C. Marine Ways, using engines from the Puget Sound steamer ''Washington''. ''Capilano 2'' was intended to serve the resort at Selma Park, formerly owned by the All-Red Line.

''Lady Alexandra'', completed at Montrose, Scotland was the most important addition to shipping in the Pacific Northwest in 1924. ''Alexandra'' was a two-stack steamer of 1,396 GT and 230 feet, capable of carrying 1200 passengers on day excursions. During the approximately 30 years ''Alexandra'' was in service, the steamer seldom left Howe Sound, and was mostly used during the summer months, including especially cruises to Bowen Island.

Terminal Steam Navigation purchased

In December 1920, Union Steamships bought the Terminal Steam Navigation Company from the veteran shipping man Capt. John Andrew “Jack” Cates for a price of about $250,000. The sale included the Bowen Island property of Terminal Steam, the wooden steamer ''Bowena'', and the route up East Howe Sound to Squamish.

The deal was to have included the steamer ''Ballena'', but before the sale was finalized, ''Ballena'' was destroyed by fire while alongside the Union dock in Vancouver, killing a coal stoker. ''Bowena'' also sustained $15,000 damage from the same fire. Following repair, ''Bowena'' was renamed ''Cheam'', and placed in service on the Bowen Island route in May, 1921.

''Cardena'' added to fleet

In 1923 ''Cardena'' 1559 GT 223 ft, was completed at Glasgow, Scotland for Union Steamship, which placed the new vessel on a route running from Vancouver to Prince Rupert, and then to Stewart, British Columbia.

1925 to 1929

''Celicia'', ''Cynthia'', and ''Catala'' added to fleet

In 1925 Union Steamships added three new steamers to its fleet, '' Lady Cecilia'', '' Lady Cynthia'', and ''Catala''. All were built by the same firm, Coaster Construction Co, at Montrose, Scotland. ''Catala'' was an entirely new vessel, intended for northern service.

''Cecilia'' and ''Cynthia'' had been rebuilt from Royal Navy minesweepers. They each had to be sponsoned out to improve their stability, but this reduced their speed from 19 to 15 knots. ''Cecilia'' and ''Cynthia'', each about 950 GT, were fitted to carry 800 passengers and 75 tons of freight on Howe Sound routes and to Powell River. In later years ''Cynthia'' received substantial alterations for logging camp service.

Collision between ''Lady Cynthia'' and ''Cowichan''

On December 27, 1925, ''Lady Cynthia'' collided with and sank another Union company ship, ''Cowichan’’. '' Lady Cecilia'' had brought a Christmas excursion from Powell River to Vancouver. More people wanted to come south than Cecilia could carry, so Harold Brown, the company's general manager, ordered ''Cynthia'' to embark an additional 200 passengers, after which ''Cynthia'' departed southbound for Vancouver.

Meanwhile, northbound ''Cowichan'' encountered fog off Roberts Creek. Knowing ''Cecilia'' would be coming, ''Cowichan''’s Captain Robert Wilson, proceeded slowly, listened carefully for ''Cecilia''s whistle. ''Cecilia'' passed safely by, but then Wilson was taken by surprise 15 minutes later when ''Cynthia'', under Capt. John Boden appeared out of the fog, colliding with its bow into ''Cowichan''’s amidships.

Boden kept ''Cynthia''’s bow in place to keep ''Cowichan'' from sinking. Wilson, the last to leave his ship, first helped all 45 people on ''Cowichan'' to board ''Cynthia'' When ''Cecila'' backed away, ''Cowichan'' sank almost immediately.

1938 to 1945

Waterhouse concern acquired

In 1939 Union Steamship bought the ships and freighting interests of the Frank L. Waterhouse Co., which had been in the cannery service business for many years. Vessels acquired were three freighters directly owned by Waterhouse, '' Northholm'', '' Southholm'', and '' Eastholm'', and three more under charter, ''Gray'', '' Bervin'', and ''Salvor'' which was same vessel as the company’s old 1891 ''Coquitlam''.

The Waterhouse acquisitions were operated as a separate division of Union Steamships, under the management of R.L. Solloway. Acquisition of the Waterhouse freighters brought the Union Steamship fleet to a total of 16 vessels. At this time, all shipping on the Canadian west coast was operating under war time conditions, meaning blacked-out portholes, minimum lights, radio silence and in many cases, carrying guns manned by naval personnel.

''Northholm'' lost in a storm

On January 16, 1943, the freighter ''Northholm'' was sunk in a storm off the west coast of Vancouver Island. ''Northholm'' was struck by heavy seas, and sunk so quickly that nine men went down with the ship. Eight men managed to escape the vessel, but of these, six later drowned, leaving the first officer and a seaman as the only survivors.

1946 to 1950

Surplus warships acquired and converted

After World War II Union Steamships resumed regular weekly service to Ketchikan, Alaska after a lapse of many years, including stops en route at Prince Rupert and Ocean Falls. To serve the route, the company had acquired three British-built corvettes, ''HMCS Leaside'', ''HMS St. Thomas'', and ''HMS Hespeler'', and converted them into civilian passenger vessels ''Coquitlam 2'', ''Camosun 3'', and ''Chilcotin'', respectively. Originally the company intended to run on the route year-round, but winter traffic proved to be insufficient, so in December 1947 the Ketchikan run became seasonal only.

''Chelosin'' stranded and sold to salvors

On November 4, 1949 ''Chelosin'' stranded off Siwash Rock near the entrance to Vancouver Harbor. The company could not pull the ship off, and it was sold to salvors for $1,500. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the vessel. Victor David, who had bought ''Chelosin'', surprised everyone when he and a five-man salvage crew were able to quickly refloat the ship and take it into a dock.

List of vessels

Notes

Vessels

Sources

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Union Steamship Company Of British Columbia

Transport companies established in 1889
Transport companies disestablished in 1956
Defunct shipping companies of Canada
1889 establishments in British Columbia
Canadian companies established in 1889
1956 disestablishments in British Columbia