PEI Ice Boats: The Old and Dangerous Way We Reached the Mainland
Many Islanders have taken the ferry from Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, NS. Some, like myself, enjoy it as you get a chance to stand and stretch your legs and enjoy being on the ferry. But, before we had the large ferry service to NS and long before we had the Confederation Bridge, you had to cross the Strait in an ice boat.
In 1827, Neil Campbell and Donald McInnis made their first trip across the Strait from Cape Traverse, PEI, to Cape Tormentine, NB. At about 13 kilometres (roughly the same length as the Confederation Bridge) this trip was the shortest they could manage.
In 1829, Campbell and McInnis had an agreement in place with the government to have this service in operation on a regular basis. These ice boats were in service until 1917.
This service usually ran two to three times per week. There were two fleets, one left from Cape Traverse and the other from Cape Tormentine. These fleets were each comprised of three to six boats and they made the crossing at the same time. In good weather, this trip could be made in about three and a half hours.
The Boat
The ice boats were about 16 feet long, made of sturdy wood, and some had a small sail. They also had runners on the bottom to help them slide across the ice. Think over-sized dory with a sail and runners. Sometimes the bottoms of these boats were coated with tin to help them cross the ice without damaging the boat. These ice boats were usually used from December to April.
The Crossing
The crossing, as you can imagine was not always pleasant. Remember, these boats were usually used between December and April and as you can see from the images, they were open on the top. So it would be cold!
Now, these boats did have sails, but sails were not much use when trying to cross the parts of the Strait that were frozen. This is where the crews and sometimes passengers were useful.
Men paid $5.00 to cross the Strait on the ice boat and women and seniors paid $4.00. But, the good news for able-bodied men was that you could save $3.00 by volunteering to help pull the ice boat over the ice.
These men were strapped to the boat when maneuvering it for two reasons. The first was it was easier to pull/push the boat. The second was if one of the men went through the ice they were strapped to the boat and (theoretically) wouldn't get lost under the ice and drown. But you would still be cold. Really cold.
The Dangers
There were many dangers when crossing the Strait in these boats.
Like any large body of water, there was not always a clear division between the water and the ice. There was slush. And slush was dangerous for two main reasons.
The first was it could be heavy and could damage the oars as they tried to row through it. The small sail was not much use trying to get through it either.
The second was it could sometimes be mistaken for ice. If this happened the ice boat crew and the men who agreed to help push and pull the boat over the ice would get out to do their job and go through the slush! Hence the reason for the harnesses.
Heavy winds and tides were also dangerous as they could move ice quickly and cause boats to be rocky or even capsize! According to the Pictou, NS, Community Memories project, there have been cases where ice boat crews have spent the night on the ice, turning the boat over to use as protection from the elements. They say there are also cases where whole crews were lost after boats capsized due to the elements.
Other times, the winds could blow the boat to land in an unintended location.
Frostbite was also a constant danger. In 1855, Henry Haszard died of exposure after the ice boat he was on was trapped in the Strait overnight due to winter weather.
One of the worst incidents came on January 27, 1885. On this day, a "sudden storm" trapped three ice boats with 22 crew and passengers in the Strait for two days! While there were no fatalities, there were serious cases of frostbite.
Boat one's captain and crew were:
Captain Muncey Irving
Alex (Sandy) Stewart
Blucher Robinson
William Howatt
William Campbell
Boat two's captain and crew were:
Captain Newton Muttart
Hector Campbell
Mont Campbell
Eph Bell
James A. Howatt
Boat three's captain and crew were:
Captain Hanford Allen
George Allen
John Allen
Edward Trenholm
Daniel McGlashen
The passengers were:
Dr. Peter A. McIntyre, M.P. from Souris
James A. Fraser
Aaron Wilson from Summerside
Albert Glydon of Tignish
Philip Farrell of Sturgeon
James A. Morrison
T. S. McLean of Halifax, N.S.
Sandy Muttart
Rescuers found Albert Glydon in a barn. He suffered from frostbite and had to have both toes and fingers removed.
Rescuers found Sandy Muttart clinging to a tree in a swamp. To carry him into the closest house, they had to cut the branch from the tree. Like Glydon, he lost fingers and toes.
As a result of this incident, the government passed some regulations on the industry, including:
1. Each boat had to have a compass aboard
2. Each boat needed to have at least two paddles/oars on board
3. Each boat needed food, an axe, and fire-making material
4. Boats had to travel in teams of three. One boat was no longer allowed to go on its own.
One interesting thing I found when working on this post was burial records on the Island Register and I wanted to share some of these with you.
Resting in Sours, PEI is Hon. Dr. Peter Adolphus MacIntyre (1840-1910). He survived a "harrowing crossing on the ice boats" - the January 27, 1885 incident.
Resting in Tryon, PEI is Jacob (Old Jakie Gould) Gouldrup (1799-1889). He was a farmer, miller, and ice boat contractor. Being an ice boat crewman was a seasonal job.
Resting in Tyron, PEI is George P. McRae (1871-1907). He was a farmer and ice boat crewman. He was known for wearing a straw hat on the ice boats, no matter the weather.
Resting in Cape Traverse, PEI is Captain Lewis Muttart (1814-1903). He was a contractor for the Ice Boat Service and was known to construct his boats out of oak, planked with cedar, and covered in tin. The tin made it easier to travel across the ice without damaging the boat.
The ice boat service ended on April 28, 1917.
So that is a little on the history of the ice boats. I think we can all be glad that we now have the ferry and the bridge to keep PEI connected to the mainland!
"Ice: a historic link for Pictou Islanders. The story of the ice boats during the early 1900s." Community Memories. 2008. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=English&ex=00000696
Leard, Waldron, Susan Leard and Ana Leard. "Burial Sites of Interesting People on PEI." Island Register. 1996-2013. http://www.islandregister.com/burials/ip1.html
Leard, Waldron, Susan Leard and Ana Leard. "Burial Sites of Interesting People on PEI." Island Register. 1996-2013. http://www.islandregister.com/burials/ip4.html
"PEI Ice Boats." Island Register. http://www.islandregister.com/iceboat.html
"Prince Edward Island Historic Places." Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and Canada's Historic Places. 2009. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/eelc_pei_historic_places.pdf
"The Cape Ice Boat Service." Backstory: Telling the Stories of Maritime Roots. February 12, 2016. http://backstorymagazine.ca/2016/02/the-cape-ice-boat-service/
 |
| Ice boats and crew. (Image credit: Cape Traverse Ice Boat Committee) |
In 1827, Neil Campbell and Donald McInnis made their first trip across the Strait from Cape Traverse, PEI, to Cape Tormentine, NB. At about 13 kilometres (roughly the same length as the Confederation Bridge) this trip was the shortest they could manage.
In 1829, Campbell and McInnis had an agreement in place with the government to have this service in operation on a regular basis. These ice boats were in service until 1917.
 |
| As you can see from this image, the ice boat route - Cape Traverse to Cape Tormentine - was close to where the current Confederation Bridge is (which is the route highlighted in blue because Google Maps doesn't show ice boat routes). |
This service usually ran two to three times per week. There were two fleets, one left from Cape Traverse and the other from Cape Tormentine. These fleets were each comprised of three to six boats and they made the crossing at the same time. In good weather, this trip could be made in about three and a half hours.
The Boat
The ice boats were about 16 feet long, made of sturdy wood, and some had a small sail. They also had runners on the bottom to help them slide across the ice. Think over-sized dory with a sail and runners. Sometimes the bottoms of these boats were coated with tin to help them cross the ice without damaging the boat. These ice boats were usually used from December to April.
 |
| Ice Boats and crew. (Image Credit: Backstory: Telling the Stories of our Maritime Roots). |
The Crossing
The crossing, as you can imagine was not always pleasant. Remember, these boats were usually used between December and April and as you can see from the images, they were open on the top. So it would be cold!
Now, these boats did have sails, but sails were not much use when trying to cross the parts of the Strait that were frozen. This is where the crews and sometimes passengers were useful.
Men paid $5.00 to cross the Strait on the ice boat and women and seniors paid $4.00. But, the good news for able-bodied men was that you could save $3.00 by volunteering to help pull the ice boat over the ice.
 |
| You can see in this image the men pulling the ice boats. You can see the straps going over their shoulders. If they fell through the ice or slush this strap should keep them connected to the boat and easier to rescue. but, as you can see, the straps are simple and could slip off rather easily. (Image Credit: Public Archives Canada) |
These men were strapped to the boat when maneuvering it for two reasons. The first was it was easier to pull/push the boat. The second was if one of the men went through the ice they were strapped to the boat and (theoretically) wouldn't get lost under the ice and drown. But you would still be cold. Really cold.
The Dangers
There were many dangers when crossing the Strait in these boats.
Like any large body of water, there was not always a clear division between the water and the ice. There was slush. And slush was dangerous for two main reasons.
The first was it could be heavy and could damage the oars as they tried to row through it. The small sail was not much use trying to get through it either.
The second was it could sometimes be mistaken for ice. If this happened the ice boat crew and the men who agreed to help push and pull the boat over the ice would get out to do their job and go through the slush! Hence the reason for the harnesses.
Heavy winds and tides were also dangerous as they could move ice quickly and cause boats to be rocky or even capsize! According to the Pictou, NS, Community Memories project, there have been cases where ice boat crews have spent the night on the ice, turning the boat over to use as protection from the elements. They say there are also cases where whole crews were lost after boats capsized due to the elements.
Other times, the winds could blow the boat to land in an unintended location.
Frostbite was also a constant danger. In 1855, Henry Haszard died of exposure after the ice boat he was on was trapped in the Strait overnight due to winter weather.
 |
| "Stages of Frostbite." Frostbite can be very dangerous as you can see from these images and can lead to amputations. (Image Credit: Health Jade) |
One of the worst incidents came on January 27, 1885. On this day, a "sudden storm" trapped three ice boats with 22 crew and passengers in the Strait for two days! While there were no fatalities, there were serious cases of frostbite.
Boat one's captain and crew were:
Captain Muncey Irving
Alex (Sandy) Stewart
Blucher Robinson
William Howatt
William Campbell
Boat two's captain and crew were:
Captain Newton Muttart
Hector Campbell
Mont Campbell
Eph Bell
James A. Howatt
Boat three's captain and crew were:
Captain Hanford Allen
George Allen
John Allen
Edward Trenholm
Daniel McGlashen
The passengers were:
Dr. Peter A. McIntyre, M.P. from Souris
James A. Fraser
Aaron Wilson from Summerside
Albert Glydon of Tignish
Philip Farrell of Sturgeon
James A. Morrison
T. S. McLean of Halifax, N.S.
Sandy Muttart
Rescuers found Albert Glydon in a barn. He suffered from frostbite and had to have both toes and fingers removed.
Rescuers found Sandy Muttart clinging to a tree in a swamp. To carry him into the closest house, they had to cut the branch from the tree. Like Glydon, he lost fingers and toes.
As a result of this incident, the government passed some regulations on the industry, including:
1. Each boat had to have a compass aboard
2. Each boat needed to have at least two paddles/oars on board
3. Each boat needed food, an axe, and fire-making material
4. Boats had to travel in teams of three. One boat was no longer allowed to go on its own.
One interesting thing I found when working on this post was burial records on the Island Register and I wanted to share some of these with you.
Resting in Sours, PEI is Hon. Dr. Peter Adolphus MacIntyre (1840-1910). He survived a "harrowing crossing on the ice boats" - the January 27, 1885 incident.
Resting in Tryon, PEI is Jacob (Old Jakie Gould) Gouldrup (1799-1889). He was a farmer, miller, and ice boat contractor. Being an ice boat crewman was a seasonal job.
Resting in Tyron, PEI is George P. McRae (1871-1907). He was a farmer and ice boat crewman. He was known for wearing a straw hat on the ice boats, no matter the weather.
Resting in Cape Traverse, PEI is Captain Lewis Muttart (1814-1903). He was a contractor for the Ice Boat Service and was known to construct his boats out of oak, planked with cedar, and covered in tin. The tin made it easier to travel across the ice without damaging the boat.
The ice boat service ended on April 28, 1917.
So that is a little on the history of the ice boats. I think we can all be glad that we now have the ferry and the bridge to keep PEI connected to the mainland!
"Ice: a historic link for Pictou Islanders. The story of the ice boats during the early 1900s." Community Memories. 2008. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/histoires_de_chez_nous-community_memories/pm_v2.php?id=exhibit_home&fl=0&lg=English&ex=00000696
Leard, Waldron, Susan Leard and Ana Leard. "Burial Sites of Interesting People on PEI." Island Register. 1996-2013. http://www.islandregister.com/burials/ip1.html
Leard, Waldron, Susan Leard and Ana Leard. "Burial Sites of Interesting People on PEI." Island Register. 1996-2013. http://www.islandregister.com/burials/ip4.html
"PEI Ice Boats." Island Register. http://www.islandregister.com/iceboat.html
"Prince Edward Island Historic Places." Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and Canada's Historic Places. 2009. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/eelc_pei_historic_places.pdf
"The Cape Ice Boat Service." Backstory: Telling the Stories of Maritime Roots. February 12, 2016. http://backstorymagazine.ca/2016/02/the-cape-ice-boat-service/
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