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Quesnel (sternwheeler)
Encyclopedia
The Quesnel sternwheeler
was first launched in May 1909 at Quesnel, British Columbia
to serve the Soda Creek
to Fort George
route of the upper Fraser River
.
Originally named the City of Quesnel she was truly a home town product: owned by Telesphore Marion, a local merchant, built by local carpenter, John Strand and piloted by local man, Captain Donald Arthur Foster.
However, on her launch day, it was discovered that she rode too low in the water and that her hull needed to be lengthened. Fortunately, shipbuilder Donald McPhee was already in town, having just completed the construction of another sternwheeler, the Nechacco
. McPhee was hired to do the work and the City of Quesnel was rebuilt and relaunched under the name Quesnel on September 2nd.
Among the first of the upper Fraser River vessels built during the era of rail construction, she would also be the last. She served the district for six seasons, until she was retired in the spring of 1915. By then, several factors had devastated the local economy and steamer service wasn't as profitable as it had been previously.
The construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
was completed, and the outbreak of the Great War had caused an abrupt halt to the construction of the promised Pacific Great Eastern Railway which had been under construction from Fort George south in early 1914. This latter railway would, in fact, not be completed to Fort George until 1952, by then having been dubbed the "Prince George Eventually".
In April, 1921, Captain Foster, in partnership with WH Matheson, relaunched the Quesnel, intending to resume the local service that the BC Express
and the BX
had recently abandoned. The local farmers, settlers and miners, especially those between Quesnel and Fort George, applauded her return, as it was a financial hardship for them to be without steamer service, because the rates on other shipping methods were higher. The Quesnel only worked for three weeks before she was wrecked in the Fort George Canyon on May 13th. Captain Foster and Matheson recovered her cargo, which consisted of, among other things, a Ford automobile and 100 barrels of beer, and attempted to salvage her, but during the operation, she broke free from the rock she was caught on and sank and was never recovered. The era of river navigation on the upper Fraser was over.
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
was first launched in May 1909 at Quesnel, British Columbia
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
to serve the Soda Creek
Soda Creek
Soda Creek is a rural subdivision 38 km north of Williams Lakein British Columbia, Canada. Located on the east bank of the Fraser River, Soda Creek was originally the home of the Xat'sull First Nation. Soda Creek Indian Reserve No. 1 is located on the left bank of the Fraser River, one mile...
to Fort George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
route of the upper Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
.
Originally named the City of Quesnel she was truly a home town product: owned by Telesphore Marion, a local merchant, built by local carpenter, John Strand and piloted by local man, Captain Donald Arthur Foster.
However, on her launch day, it was discovered that she rode too low in the water and that her hull needed to be lengthened. Fortunately, shipbuilder Donald McPhee was already in town, having just completed the construction of another sternwheeler, the Nechacco
Nechacco (sternwheeler)
The Nechacco sternwheeler was built for service on the Soda Creek to Fort George route on the upper Fraser River in British Columbia. She was owned by the Fort George Lumber and Navigation Company. The partners in this company were Nick Clark and Russel Peden of South Fort George, who operated a...
. McPhee was hired to do the work and the City of Quesnel was rebuilt and relaunched under the name Quesnel on September 2nd.
Among the first of the upper Fraser River vessels built during the era of rail construction, she would also be the last. She served the district for six seasons, until she was retired in the spring of 1915. By then, several factors had devastated the local economy and steamer service wasn't as profitable as it had been previously.
The construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
was completed, and the outbreak of the Great War had caused an abrupt halt to the construction of the promised Pacific Great Eastern Railway which had been under construction from Fort George south in early 1914. This latter railway would, in fact, not be completed to Fort George until 1952, by then having been dubbed the "Prince George Eventually".
In April, 1921, Captain Foster, in partnership with WH Matheson, relaunched the Quesnel, intending to resume the local service that the BC Express
BC Express (sternwheeler)
The BC Express was a stern wheel paddle steamer that operated on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada, from 1912 to 1919. The BC Express was built for the BC Express Company by Alexander Watson Jr to work on the upper Fraser River between Tête Jaune Cache and Fort George during the busy...
and the BX
BX (sternwheeler)
The BX sternwheeler was the first of two river steamers built for service on the upper Fraser River by the BC Express Company during the busy era of Grand Trunk Pacific Railway construction....
had recently abandoned. The local farmers, settlers and miners, especially those between Quesnel and Fort George, applauded her return, as it was a financial hardship for them to be without steamer service, because the rates on other shipping methods were higher. The Quesnel only worked for three weeks before she was wrecked in the Fort George Canyon on May 13th. Captain Foster and Matheson recovered her cargo, which consisted of, among other things, a Ford automobile and 100 barrels of beer, and attempted to salvage her, but during the operation, she broke free from the rock she was caught on and sank and was never recovered. The era of river navigation on the upper Fraser was over.
See also
- Steamboats of the Upper Fraser River in British ColumbiaSteamboats of the Upper Fraser River in British ColumbiaTwelve paddlewheel steamboats plied the upper Fraser River in British Columbia from 1863 until 1921. They were used for a variety of purposes: working on railroad construction, delivering mail, promoting real estate in infant townsites and bringing settlers in to a new frontier. They served the...
- List of ships in British Columbia