Bathurst Street Wharf
Encyclopedia
Bathurst Street Wharf was a series of shipyards located between Bathurst Street
and Spadina Avenue
along Lake Shore Boulevard West.
. In total 160 ships were built in the shipyards in the site. Now filled inland, the area is now being developed into condos along the Gardiner Expressway
.
The ship building area was located near Old Fort York (where smaller vessels were built for the garrison) and Queens Wharf.
The first ship building company in the area was John Doty Company (John Doty and Sons) from 1890 to 1893. This company built 6 boats, paddle boat ferries and steamers.
Doty was acquired by Bertram Engineering Works Company in 1893 and built a large number of vessels of various sizes. Bertram sold the shipyard to Canadian Shipbuilding Company in 1905 and operated until 1908. From 1908 to 1913 shipbuilding proved to be financially challenging to the new owners Toronto Shipyards (1908–1910) and the yard was abandoned until 1913.
Thor Iron Works acquired the yards in 1913 and built only 9 ships, mainly warships and cargo ships. Bought out in 1917, Dominion Shipbuilding and Repair Company Limited. Prior to 1918, shipbuilding was done in wharfs and finally in a shipyard built by Dominion. However Dominion shared the same fate as Toronto Shipyards and closed in 1920 after a strike caused the shipbuilder to go bankrupt.
under the contractor Dufferin Shipbuilding Company Limited and then by federally owned Toronto Shipbuilding Company Limited. From 1943, the new owner Redfern Construction Company Limited built minesweepers from the Royal Navy
. The last ship was completed in 1945 with the remainder orders cancelled. The shipbuilding industry came to a close in the area for good.
Bathurst Street (Toronto)
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
and Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods....
along Lake Shore Boulevard West.
Early years
The first facility appeared in 1890 and the last closed at the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In total 160 ships were built in the shipyards in the site. Now filled inland, the area is now being developed into condos along the Gardiner Expressway
Gardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
.
The ship building area was located near Old Fort York (where smaller vessels were built for the garrison) and Queens Wharf.
Shipyards
It was not until the late 19th Century when a formal shipyard began emerging in the area.The first ship building company in the area was John Doty Company (John Doty and Sons) from 1890 to 1893. This company built 6 boats, paddle boat ferries and steamers.
Doty was acquired by Bertram Engineering Works Company in 1893 and built a large number of vessels of various sizes. Bertram sold the shipyard to Canadian Shipbuilding Company in 1905 and operated until 1908. From 1908 to 1913 shipbuilding proved to be financially challenging to the new owners Toronto Shipyards (1908–1910) and the yard was abandoned until 1913.
Thor Iron Works acquired the yards in 1913 and built only 9 ships, mainly warships and cargo ships. Bought out in 1917, Dominion Shipbuilding and Repair Company Limited. Prior to 1918, shipbuilding was done in wharfs and finally in a shipyard built by Dominion. However Dominion shared the same fate as Toronto Shipyards and closed in 1920 after a strike caused the shipbuilder to go bankrupt.
Decline and Closing of Shipyard
The yards lay empty for two decades and re-activated by the Ottawa in 1941 to build minesweepers for the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
under the contractor Dufferin Shipbuilding Company Limited and then by federally owned Toronto Shipbuilding Company Limited. From 1943, the new owner Redfern Construction Company Limited built minesweepers from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The last ship was completed in 1945 with the remainder orders cancelled. The shipbuilding industry came to a close in the area for good.