Canadian Pacific Railway Upper Lake Service

The Canadian Pacific Railway Upper Lake Service, also known as the Canadian Pacific Railway Upper Lake Steamships,[1] was a division of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), which began operating passenger and cargo shipping routes in the Great Lakes during the late 19th century.

One of the ships of the Upper Lake fleet was the SS Keewatin, now a museum ship in its former home port of Port McNicoll.

CPR overview

In 1884, CPR began purchasing sailing ships as part of a railway supply service on the Great Lakes. Over time, CPR became a railroad company with widely organized water transportation auxiliaries including the CPR Upper Lake Service, the trans-Pacific service, the British Columbia Coast Steamships, the British Columbia Lake and River Service, the trans-Atlantic service, and the Ferry service. In the 20th century, the company evolved into a transcontinental railroad which operated two transoceanic services which connected Canada with Europe and with Asia. The range of CPR services were aspects of an integrated plan.[2] The service was ended in 1965.

Canadian Pacific Railway Upper Lake Steamships

CPR's investment in the Great Lakes produced expanded routes and schedules. The inland waters fleet and personnel increased. The decision to expand produced an infrastructure building program. The evolution of the upper lakes service was integrated into CPR's rail service network with trans-Pacific connections.

Inland fleet
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY UPPER LAKE FLEET
Active Service Vessel Name Launch Date Maiden Voyage Other Names Notes Loss Date
1883 SS Algoma[3][4] 1883 1883 Lost in a storm on the southern shore of Isle Royale in a storm with the loss of 37 lives. Engines & Boilers reused in the SS Manitoba. 1885
1883 SS Alberta[3][5] 1883 1883 1947
1883 SS Athabasca[3][6] 1883 1883 misspelled in the register 1883–1910, always spelled with a 'C' on the ship[6] 1948
1889 SS Manitoba[7][8] 1889 1889 1950
1907 SS Assiniboia[3][9] 1907 1907 1970
1907 SS Keewatin[10][11] 1907 1907 converted as museum ship at Douglas, Michigan. Returned to its home port at Port McNicoll in 2012

See also

Notes
  1. British Columbia, Bureau of Provincial Information (1902). Bulletin, Issue 23, p. 64., p. 64, at Google Books
  2. Smith, Joseph Russell. (1908). The Ocean Carrier: a History and Analysis of the Service and a Discussion of the Rates of Ocean Transportation, p. 186., p. 186, at Google Books
  3. Mansfield, John Brandt. (1899). History of the Great Lakes, p. 471., p. 471, at Google Books
  4. Miramar Ship Index: SS Algoma, ID #.
  5. Miramar Ship Index: SS Alberta, ID #1085765.
  6. Miramar, SS Athabasca, ID #192875.
  7. Mansfield, pp. 471-472., p. 471, at Google Books
  8. Miramar, SS Manitoba, ID #1094879.
  9. Miramar, SS Assiniboia, ID #5027326.
  10. Maritime History of the Great Lakes, "Towing the stern of a new CPR ship."
  11. Miramar, SS Keewatin (1907), ID #5518453.

References
  • Musk, George. (1981). Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada. ISBN 978-0-03-920291-0; OCLC 7540915
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