Six Lakers Laid-Up, 1961

 

The Marine History Society of Detroit shared this photo of Canada Steamship Lines canallers rafted together, laid-up on the west side of their Kingston grain elevator: "Canada Steamship Line's canal-size vessels Fernie, Selkirk, Winnipeg, Elgin, Teakbay and Battleford await their fate at the Kingston Elevator Company's grain elevator in Kingston, Ontario in 1961. Five of the six vessels had been sold for scrap by the end of 1964." (Peter Vander Linden collection/MHSD) The Battleford was laid-up in Kingston from 1961-66.

Interestingly, at the bottom of the post, there's a link to a post I published about Kingston's grain elevator on my main Canadian railway blog, Trackside Treasure in 2018. For more on Kingston's various lay-up fleets and locations, see this earlier post on this blog. Additional information on the six vessels published above accompanied the MHSD post:

Fernie - Launched in 1929, the freighter Fernie was built in Midland, Ont. by the Midland Shipbuilding Co. for Canada Steamship Lines of Montreal, Que. The 259-foot vessel was designed for the fast package freight trade between Montreal and Fort William, Ont. It was sold for scrap in 1963.

Selkirk - Launched in 1926, the freighter Selkirk was built in Lauzon, Que. by the Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Co. for Canada Steamship Lines (CSL). The 261-foot vessel was designed for the fast package freight trade between Montreal and Fort William, Ont. It was sold for scrap in 1964, towed from Kingston to a Hamilton scrapyard

Winnipeg - Launched in 1926, the freighter Winnipeg was built in Lauzon, Que. by the Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Co. for CSL. The 261-foot vessel was designed for the fast package freight trade between Montreal and Fort William, Ont. It was sold for scrap in 1964.

Elgin - Launched in 1923, the freighter Elgin (ex-Glengeldie) was built in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England by the shipyard of Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. The 261-foot vessel was acquired by CSL in 1926. It was sold for scrap in 1963.

Teakbay - Launched in 1929, the freighter Teakbay was built in South Bank-on-Tees, England by the Smith Dock Co. for the Birchbay Steamship Co. of Montreal, Que. The 259-foot vessel was acquired by CSL 1946. It was sold for scrap in 1964, towed from Kingston to a Hamilton scrapyard.

Battleford - Launched in 1925, the freighter Battleford (ex-Glenross) was built in Newcastle, England by the shipyard of Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson for the Glen Steamship Co. The 261-foot vessel (LOA) was acquired by CSL in 1926. After being lengthened by 95 feet, the ship was laid up for most of the 1930s when it was found to be under-powered for its new length. In 1939, the vessel was returned to its original length and converted into a package freighter. It was sold to British interests for off-lakes service in 1966. The freighter was sold for scrap in 1975.

Kingston's Part in the 'Battle of Bowmanville' - October, 1942

With the debacle at Dieppe two months earlier fresh in their minds, the Canadian military was involved in a battle waged here on Canadian soil in October, 1942. The alliteratively-named 'Battle of Bowmanville' took place at a prisoner-of-war camp housing high-ranking German officers east of Toronto. Upon hearing reports of Canadian prisoners taken at Dieppe being shackled by their German captors, Canadian authorities decided to replicate the incident. They asked for volunteer officers at the camp to participate in what we'd call a photo-op today, as photos and claims of shacklings of British and German prisoners were publicized.

I had never heard of this camp nor this incident. More background on the camp is available here, here and here

Of course the proud Germans would not agree, and perhaps it was right that they didn't. Regardless, guards pressed the point and it resulted in a prison riot and stand-off. Wounds from bayonets, baseball bats and even hockey sticks were reported on both sides. While reading a recently-published account of the incident in a Legion magazine article on WWI veterans returning as PoW guards in WWII, the story mentioned that the riot was in part put down by 200 Royal Military College students! Another account mentions troops from Kingston here on a commando course. Yet another mentions troops from Barriefield. Most accounts of the Battle of Bowmanville focus on the German side, not the Canadian side, of the story.

I can only imagine the forces from Kingston being hurriedly hustled west by train to Bowmanville. It would have been the most expedient way to get there - probably the only way when inter-city roads were rudimentary and road transport likely hard to come by. It would be interesting to know if the quickly-assembled force boarded a CNR train at the Outer Station (top photo) or perhaps a CPR special on the former K&P. I favour the former. It's doubtful that newspapers of the time would have contained any news due to wartime security measures. 

We may never know. But we need to learn more about this incredible incident.

Tett a Tete: A Study in the Transformation and History-Telling of the Industrial Nitty Gritty of this City

As a model railroader recreating Kingston, I'm drawn to the trains that served the industries that gave employment to the citizens of our city. The area around the Tett Centre on King Street West (above) is an excellent example - stately buildings. But who knows the history of the site? Not truly a prison, a military site or a place of higher learning, it actually has occupied all three of those realms in its history!

This capsule history of the Tett Centre site includes the following quote, which in two sentences really encapsulates the part of Kingston's history that really interests me.

"In our post-industrial age we celebrate the legacy of our leaders and politicians but not that of the average citizen who actually did the work. Our industries were where people found employment to sustain their families, allowing our community to grow."

After an early focus on what I call the history of the stately limestone homes of the rich families of Kingston, the focus shifted to presenting prison history, military history, educational history. All that is well and good, and deserves to be studied. Perhaps industrial history was just too gritty and grimy for us to get our historical hands dirty in? Now, after glossing over it, our sights shifted again to the current historical focus: women's history, indigenous history, history of racialized and minority groups. Again, all well and good. But the industrial history lies weed-grown and begrimed, buried in indifference and disregarded to our detriment.

Indeed, in reading the capsule history, there is much to question about the activities of the early owner of the site as a site for brewing and distilling, James Morton. An industrial baron of the 1850's, he was well-connected politically and societally. His use of convict labour and tenement housing for his labourers did little to help his bottom line, and he died bankrupt a few years after his brewery boom.

Then things got interesting. The capsule history goes on to note the increasing need for military hospitals during WWI. The Government of Canada expropriated Morton's Mortonwood mansion in January, 1918. It was known as the Ongwanada Military Hospital. Not like our modern, multi-wing sprawling hospitals of today, in July of that year the brewery was expropriated as the Sydenham Military Hospital. In 1924 the buildings were converted to house the Canadian Army's Eastern Ontario Headquarters. Then in 1966, with Paul Hellyer's unified 'aerated mud' Canadian Forces unification, the EOAHQ was moved to Ottawa. In 1968 the upper property was transferred to Corrections Services. In 1971 the lower property was bought by the City of Kingston for $120,000. Imagine its current real estate value - prime waterfront!

Aerial views from 1955 (above - note rows of hospital buildings) and 2004 (below - prior to the construction of the Tett performing arts centre by Queen's University and the rebuilding of the city-owned Tett Centre arts cluster. Snapshot Kingston)

MAY 2026 UPDATE: Three historic houses and nine acres of land (parcel outlined in red) are for sale for $9.7 million. Real estate listing views:

Yes, Virginia There Is A...

...book here for you. I had the pleasure of meeting Virginia Rescorla and Peter Bernhardt today. Virginia and Peter were taking advantage of a semiseptcentenary special on my newest book on Kingston's industrial waterfront. I haven't heard of a single event marking Kingston's 350th year, though the tercentenary in 1973 was chock full of civic events. So this week-long 35% discount was my way of marking the milestone. I only offered the discount on the Vintage Kingston Facebook group, of which Virginia is an involved member.

Virginia and Peter love to travel and appreciate history and technology. So it was natural that during a sweep through Eastern Ontario from their home in Elora that we would have a chance to meet. We discovered that we have many things of common interest - Sydenham, industrial history, the Davis Tannery and River Street bridge, railways in Canada and Britain, Wolfe Island, enjoying our retirements, and many more.

We visited on the front step before the interesting pair left with a pair of my books in hand, on their way to the Sydenham High School 150th 'reunion' (though I don't think anyone from the inaugural class is going to make the reunion!). SHS was also where my Dad taught for 15 years.

I mentioned an engaging hand-drawn Davis Tannery diagram from the an earlier era when we made things here' as in here in Kingston. This is a 1965 Finishing Machines Drying Tunnels drawing on graph paper. It's remarkably clearly-drawn and neatly-presented:

Peter's interests in agriculture and Canadian Pacific Electric Lines led to me mentioning my brother's blog post on the Beatty Brothers manufacturing efforts in the area.

We could have talked for hours.

Wellington Street Project and Executive House For Sale

Two prominent locations along Kingston's waterfront are undergoing change.

A new 14-storey, 158-unit residential building is to be built next to the "OHIP building" (actually the Macdonald-Cartier Building) at 279 Wellington Street. Currently a parking lot, the GTR/CNR freight shed and team tracks occupied this site.

The four-storey Executive House office building at 275 Ontario Street is up for sale for over 3 million dollars after being owned by the same family for over four decades. The building sits at the site of the former W.P. Peters Feed & Seed which was rail-served.

SkEye Stream drone view with Executive House circled (above) and RE/Max street view photo (below). Compare to the street view of Peters Seeds in 1959 at bottom (Queen's University Archives, Kingston Picture Collection):

Hanley Spur Diorama Down

The Kingston PumpHouse Museum's 'On the Move!' exhibition premiered back in April, 2022. As a contributor to the railway history portion of the exhibition, I was proud to contribute a diorama showing Kingston's rail and road transportation. Centred on Cataraqui an Rideau Streets, the diorama featured a CN 0-6-0 switcher, CN and CP freight cars and trucks serving Rosen Coal, National Grocers, the Woolen Mill and Queen City Oil Co.

Originally expected to run until November, 2022 the exhibit was extended into 2023, finally wrapping up this week. Taking its place will be The Art of Survival. I was contacted by Miranda of the museum staff to pick up the diorama. That was good news - it meant that museum visitors had enjoyed the transportation exhibit longer than originally anticipated,  and now it was time to repatriate three major structures to the Cataraqui and Rideau Streets intersection on my Hanley Spur layout! Even though  layout operating season usually ceases for the summer, I will be working on projects in the great almost-outdoors!

In the meantime, I picked up the diorama from Melanie at the museum, including the de-accessioning forms. While there, the diorama had been safely ensconced under plexiglas, and I gave it a save van-ride home, then began its disassembly (top photo and below). That meant removing the duct tape from the underside of the plywood base. The tape covered the twisted wire-ends that were securing trains, trucks and buildings to the base through drilled holes. It was a long job - these modelled items weren't going anywhere while on display! All the structures, as well as trains and trucks, have been removed and piled for repatriation to the layout:

I didn't bother painting the pavement where the National Grocers warehouse had been:

For the mean time, the diorama will now become an outdoor grandsons' activity play area. I'm sure a few construction scenes and emergency service response scenes will  be staged on it!

Signature structures repariated to the layout (above) and grandsons able to enjoy the remains of the diorama base. (below). I'm also planning to use the base as an outdoor photography 'stage'.

It was a pleasure to work with the museum staff and to contribute in a smll 1:87 scale way to what appears to have been a successful exhibition!

CN Inner Station for Sale

The Grand Trunk Railway (later CN) Inner Station is for sale, for a cool $1,590,000. When I see such listings, I like to save the photos that are posted in the listing by the realtor. This may be our only chance to 'see' inside such historic properties, especially in this case which is a historic railway property. The listing states that annual property taxes are $26,240.03 and that the basement is finished, with a stone foundation. Lot frontage is 51 feet, depth of lot is 45 feet.The upper storey is a four-bedroom apartment.

Notched-top windows are on the rear two walls facing the condominium closer to the lake; narrow windows face Ontario or the foot of Johnson Streets:

Corner bedroom at Ontario and Johnson. Note original flooring:

Bedroom on Ontario Street, looking towards West Street. Mirrored doors make the space look more spacious:

High windows must mean this is the basement:

The better-known interior of the building's main-floor restaurant (Restaurant Guru photo):

Wandering Wellington Street Yet Again

Another medical appointment drop-off, another chance to check out the industrial waterfront at the end of Wellington Street! This time, there were at least three workers, busy on the Doornekamp repurposing of the Imperial Oil limestone warehouse. End wall reconstruction, windows and roof strengthening are underway. The south end, where the small office and upstairs loading ramp met the grade, with the RMC sports dome visible across the river:

Walking along the lawn in front of the Leeuwarden condos, an overall view of MetalCraft Marine, formerly Canadian Dredge & Dock:

The Glenora ferry M/V Glenora was in the drydock just a few days ago for its five-year inspection. Now, two small vessels, Kevaun's Kottage and the 1953-built St Lawrence II are high and dry. A worker was using a grinder on the 'new roof' on the cottage:

The brigantine was built at Kingston Shipyards. Though their webpage lists 2023 cruises, she doesn't really look up to that level of sailing activity right now! MAY 2023 UPDATE: The St Lawrence II is at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour with portions of two masts in place!

A wide view of the two vessels:

Some additional views of the Doornekamp project underway:

Where CN and CP tracks once passed by. The large faux-tank is at a bit of a standstill. Interestingly, there were no tanks like that associated with the warehouse. The Esso tanks were at the top of the North Street hill at Rideau Street. Oil handled inside the 'fireproof' limestone warehouse was in barrels.

The tank car unloading area and CN spurs would have been behind the tank and to right.

For once, limestone buildings and heavy equipment do not equal demolition!

 

Zooming in on the Hanley Spur

An enjoyable part of this Hanley Spur journey has been sharing my research and modelling with fellow enthusiasts across Canada. Each presentation is a unique PowerPoint slide deck of 60-90 slides, tailored to the wants and interests of each group. Here's a list of the ZOOM remote presentations I've been invited to present:

• Associated Railroaders of Kingston - November, 2020 (bottom photo)

• Toronto Railway Supper Club - February, 2021

• Winnipeg Slide Night - April, 2021

• Canadian Association of Railway Modellers - January, 2023 (two dates)

• National Model Railroad Association, St Lawrence Division - March, 2023

• Railway Modellers Meet of British Columbia -  May, 2023 (below)

• Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders - June, 2023 (belower)

• Kingston Historical Society - March, 2024

• Wolfe Island Historical Society - July, 2024 

• Associated Railroaders of Kingston - January, 2025

The Virtual RMMBC Prologue clinic presenters are posted on RMMBC website. Here's my blurb, with the title being a take-off on Rock! Paper! Scissors! perhaps suggesting that my layout development was a game of chance, or better yet, a stroke of luck!

I'm pleased to report that 80 Zoomers took in the RMMBC presentation, leaving some good comments and posing several questions. Here is my favourite, from long-time BC heritage consultant, author and photographer Robert D. Turner: 

Coming events in the OVAR March newsletter (below)

A typical Zoom audience, with local, regional or even national participants.

S.S. Keewatin Coming to Kingston

Just as my wife was reading the headline from social media, the following email (excerpted in quotes below) from the MMGLK plinged into my inbox.

Negotiations had been ongoing for some time, with the Keewatin being a floating road-block to the housing development plans of the property owner, Skyline Investments. A willing foster-home was sought, the number of which on the Great Lakes likely not exceeding the two masts on the subject ship's superstructure. My understanding of the Keewatin's Kingston connection is that it once sailed through our waters on the way to its cruising career on the Upper Lakes. 

The Keewatin  will take the place of another vessel formerly featured by the MMGLK, the coast guard cutter CCGS Alexander Henry. Built, working and now returned to Thunder Bay, her connection to Kingston was also tenuous. Except that Kingston's Marine Museum is of the Great Lakes. 

As built, the Keewatin was too large for the St. Lawrence Canal locks. The vessel was reassembled at Buffalo, NY. Not only in package freight service, passengers disembarked at Port McNicoll for the 38-hour passage to Fort William. Sold by CP in 1966, the vessel went to Saugatuck, MI.

"The S.S. Keewatin is the last Edwardian-era (Titanic-era) steamliner formerly owned by CP Rail and built in Scotland in 1907. 

CP Rail steamships such as ‘The Kee’ ferried tourists, settlers, and cargo throughout the Great Lakes from the early 20th century until their retirement in the 1960s. Of the some 3,800 similar ships built in the UK between 1900 and 1920, only the Keewatin survives. Following its transportation from Port McNicoll, ON this spring to a shipyard for much needed repairs and maintenance, this historic artifact will be integrated into the Museum's extensive transportation collection covering the last 200 years of Great Lakes history and offer a new cultural experience in Kingston. There have also been multiple books written about The Kee that cover its technical specifications and history. We look forward to sharing this information and our own research once the ship arrives in Kingston.

The ship was donated to the Museum by Skyline Investments. Skyline sought to give the Keewatin to a charity which was approved by Canadian Heritage, had the resources to care for the ship, and was qualified to ensure the long-term preservation of Canadian cultural property such as The Kee.

Following the announcement this morning, the ship will be prepared for transit. It will leave its current home in mid to late-April depending on weather. The ship requires significant repairs and is not expected in Kingston until the fall of 2023."

MARCH 2023 UPDATE: Of course this move was not going to go smoothly. The Whig published a story based on a complaint from the Keep Keewatin Home group. Then, the Museum sent out an email with talking points:

The first thing to know is that no group in Port McNicoll has been successful in raising the necessary funds for repairs and maintenance, obtaining the Canadian Heritage designation required to maintain this cultural property, and acquiring a new place in Port McNicoll to dock the ship.

To underscore those points, the ship cannot remain in Port McNicoll as there is no qualified or resourced organization to care for it and nowhere to park it. It cannot remain moored where it is due to planned developments by the new property owner. The previous owner of the Keewatin itself, Skyline Investments, tried for years to keep the ship in the Georgian Bay area and could not successfully find a new home. Multiple other communities along the Great Lakes turned this opportunity down.

Secondly, if the Keewatin wasn't coming to Kingston, it would be going somewhere else or would be scrapped. This is why we have been noting in our statements that we have the expertise and resources to care for the ship within our drydock – we are an ideal home.

Thirdly, The Museum was approached as a home for the Keewatin and responded as part of our mandate and responsibility for Canadian cultural heritage property relating to the Great Lakes. We have not “appropriated” the ship – we have accepted a donation after being approached as a potential home for the vessel.

In addition, to qualify to receive the Keewatin, we had to go through a gruelling review process by the Canadian Conservation Institute to demonstrate we had the expertise and resources to preserve the ship, a review process no one in the Port McNicoll area has successfully completed. 

While the ship's hull is in good condition for a move, there’s much to do before the ship arrives in Kingston. We are spending this time collecting stories and documenting artifacts. We are also awaiting the melting of ice on Georgian Bay before moving the ship from Port McNicoll. The move to the shipyard will occur in late April or early May, with the ship arriving in Kingston this fall.

It remains to be seen if this timeline can be adhered to.

APRIL 2023 UPDATE: The Keewatin is being moved toward the Welland Canal with two tugs.

Kingston Life Article

Back in January, I had an enjoyable Zoom interview for Kingston Life with writer Kirsteen Macleod and a subsequent visit from photographer Rob Whelan. As we all know, but some may forget, my Hanley Spur layout is only on display at one location - one from which it can not budged. Articles like this one, as well as those published by local media The Skeleton Press and the Kingstonist, provide outreach. Rob survived the photo shoot, while perched on a kitchen stool at roof level, with flash clamped to a set of shelves and your humble blogger holding court in his happy place (online article post photo - top). When I asked Rob whether subjects ever chip in with photography advice, he related that making someone look good in a photo makes him look good! For anyone that thinks the layout is some sprawling basement-filler, Rob's work shows just how small this 1:87 world is. Kingston in 10 by 11 feet:

Here are some screenshots of the article, throughout which Kirsteen successfully wove several threads of my history as well as that portrayed on the layout, books and blog. Thanks to Kirsteen, Rob and all those working behind the scenes at Kingston Life!