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)

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

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

Pierrepont (1871)

Other paddle steamers

Donnelly (1863)

Rocket (1865)

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)

Colon (1894)

Victoria (1897)

Ladysmith

New-Build Paddle Steamers

Kingston (1901)  R&O

Montreal (1902)  R&O

Tremblay (1917)

DAY SERVICES : LAKE ONTARIO

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 in 1864. Was at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1867 and sold for use on the Great Lakes. 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

NIGHT & DAY SERVICES : LAKE ONTARIO, ST LAWRENCE & SAGUENAY RIVERS

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

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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 (1860-1914) 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.  2779 GT  Laid up.  Scrapped in 1947

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

New Additions after 1900

Kingston (1901-1950)

Montreal (1902-1926) Built by Bertram Engineering of Toronto.  340 ft OA  4282 GT . Destroyed by fire in 1926 on a freight run and sank under tow

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.

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