St. Charles (ship, 1903)
The St. Charles was a small, screw-driven steamship that serviced the upper Peace River, from 1903 to 1914.[1] She was built from local timber for Brothers of the Oblate Order of Mary Immaculate, using engines and other fittings brought from Peterborough, Ontario.[2] She was the first steamboat on the upper Peace River. She was sold in 1911 to Ford and Lawrence. According to Edward L. Affleck, the St. Charles was one of a "fleet of pint-sized vessels" the Oblate Order operated, so they would not have to rely on the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoloy on river shipping.
The Peace River has two long navigable sections, from her mouth on Lake Athabasca to the Vermilion Chutes, and on the upper river, from Fort Vermilion to Hudson's Hope -- a distance of 847 kilometers.[2] The St Charles was confined to the upper reaches.
| length | 18 meters |
| beam | 3.7 meters |
| gross tonnage | 28.9 |
| registered tonnage | 19.5 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The S.S. St. Charles, 1906, Peace River Crossing, Alberta, Canada". Peace River Museum. 2012. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca%2Fsgc-cms%2Fhistoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories%2Fpm_v2.php%3Fid%3Dstory_line%26lg%3DEnglish%26fl%3D0%26ex%3D695%26sl%3D6436%26pos%3D1&date=2012-12-05.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Edward L. Affleck. "Steamboating on the Peace River". British Columbia History. Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bchistory.ca%2Fawards%2Farticle%2FAffleck.pdf&date=2012-12-06. "The brothers built a fleet of small primitive steamers, extending by 1903 to the waters of the Peace above the Vermilion Chutes. In that year the pint—sized sternwheeler St. Charles began to work the 526 mile stretch from Fort Vermilion to Hudson’s Hope, carrying lumber and supplies for the Mission at Fort St. John in British Columbia, as well as goods for the Northwest Mounted Police."
