The First "Icebreakers" - Prepare to be Disappointed
When PEI joined Confederation, one of the conditions was an effective, year-round transportation service that would connect PEI to the mainland. So imagine it is 1874 and the first icebreaking ferry has arrived. You will not have to cross on an ice-boat and you imagine the trip may be rough but it will be more effective and safer than before. After all, this ship is much larger and is supposed to be able to handle the ice in the Strait...be prepared to be disappointed because these early icebreaking ferries were not reliable or effective.
Prepare for delayed trips, walking ashore, and being stuck in the ice!
Today we have numerous ways to get off the Island - ferry, bridge, plane, and only the latter two operate when the Strait is full of snow and ice. But, when PEI joined Confederation we only had boats, ferries, and ships. In the winter, we had to rely on ice-boats. Even they had issues and could be dangerous. As I discussed in my PEI Ice Boats: The Old and Dangerous Way We Reached the Mainland post, it could be dangerous and you could get stuck overnight on the ice.
Now, some of you may think that this would not happen, or not happen very often, if you were on a ferry designed to break through the ice. Some current icebreakers can break through over three metres of ice! Of course, those are the icebreakers of today. Some of the icebreakers we will be looking at today struggled in four inches of ice. Four inches...
As I said, an effective, year-round connection to the mainland was one of the conditions Canada and PEI agreed to when PEI joined Confederation in 1873 and we received our first icebreaking ferry in 1874, the SS Albert. This may sound promising, the promise of a year-round connection was promptly kept. But, as you will see, these icebreaking ferries struggled. A lot.
Today, we are going to look at some of these ferries from 1874 to 1941 when Northumberland Ferries Limited started operating in the Strait.
The route has changed a little over time. Therefore, all the ferries discussed in this post will have their route listed.
SS Albert
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The Albert, a wooden steamship, started service in 1874. It was supposed to take the mail and passengers between Georgetown to Pictou. It lasted for about two years. Because it did not last long, there was not too much information available on it. It was replaced in 1876 by the SS Northern Light.
SS Northern Light
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The Northern Light was a wooden hull, 700 horsepower, steamship. Despite being in service for twelve years, it wasn't exactly good at its job. On average, it was stuck in the ice 64 days per year!
In 1884, Northern Light was ice-bound off Pictou. Frustrated, 72 passengers left the ship and walked to White Sands near Murray Harbour. After being trapped aboard for a week, the remaining twenty-eight passengers left and walked to Wood Islands. According to The Charlottetown Herald,
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The SS Neptune was put in service in 1886. It was not in service long, however, I cannot find the exact date it was decommissioned.
SS Landsdowne
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
SS Landsdowne was put into service in 1887. It was built in 1884 in Maccan, Nova Scotia. It was 188 feet long, 32 feet wide, and "tried in the Northumberland Strait service in the winter of 1887". It also did not last long.
SS Stanley
Route: Summer - Summerside, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB ; Winter - Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The SS Stanley, launched in 1899, was the first steel icebreaker connecting PEI and the mainland. It was 2,300 horsepower and was designed to ride up onto the ice and break down. That was the theory behind the icebreaker at least...it didn't work.
In 1903, this ship was stuck near Pictou for two months!
Then in 1907, both the SS Stanley and SS Minto were once again stuck in the ice. But, aboard the Stanley was the Island Abeweit hockey team returning from a tournament in Newfoundland. In the end, they relied on walking and ice-boats to get home. The ice-boats stayed in operation until 1917, something I am sure many stranded passengers appreciated.
It was replaced in 1909 with the SS Earl Grey. However, it was brought back into service in 1915 when the SS Minto and SS Earl Grey were sold to Russia in 1915 at the beginning of the First World War.
SS Minto
Route: Summer - Summerside, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB ; Winter - Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
SS Minto was built in Dundee, Scotland. It was 225 feet long, 33 feet wide, and had a 2,900 horsepower engine. It went into operation in 1899 alongside the SS Stanley. It was more effective than its predecessors, but still had major issues with breaking the ice in the Strait.
Prepare for delayed trips, walking ashore, and being stuck in the ice!
Today we have numerous ways to get off the Island - ferry, bridge, plane, and only the latter two operate when the Strait is full of snow and ice. But, when PEI joined Confederation we only had boats, ferries, and ships. In the winter, we had to rely on ice-boats. Even they had issues and could be dangerous. As I discussed in my PEI Ice Boats: The Old and Dangerous Way We Reached the Mainland post, it could be dangerous and you could get stuck overnight on the ice.
Now, some of you may think that this would not happen, or not happen very often, if you were on a ferry designed to break through the ice. Some current icebreakers can break through over three metres of ice! Of course, those are the icebreakers of today. Some of the icebreakers we will be looking at today struggled in four inches of ice. Four inches...
As I said, an effective, year-round connection to the mainland was one of the conditions Canada and PEI agreed to when PEI joined Confederation in 1873 and we received our first icebreaking ferry in 1874, the SS Albert. This may sound promising, the promise of a year-round connection was promptly kept. But, as you will see, these icebreaking ferries struggled. A lot.
Today, we are going to look at some of these ferries from 1874 to 1941 when Northumberland Ferries Limited started operating in the Strait.
The route has changed a little over time. Therefore, all the ferries discussed in this post will have their route listed.
SS Albert
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The Albert, a wooden steamship, started service in 1874. It was supposed to take the mail and passengers between Georgetown to Pictou. It lasted for about two years. Because it did not last long, there was not too much information available on it. It was replaced in 1876 by the SS Northern Light.
SS Northern Light
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The Northern Light was a wooden hull, 700 horsepower, steamship. Despite being in service for twelve years, it wasn't exactly good at its job. On average, it was stuck in the ice 64 days per year!
In 1884, Northern Light was ice-bound off Pictou. Frustrated, 72 passengers left the ship and walked to White Sands near Murray Harbour. After being trapped aboard for a week, the remaining twenty-eight passengers left and walked to Wood Islands. According to The Charlottetown Herald,
"The Northern Light was not constructed for the conveyance of passengers or for the conveyance of anything else for that matter."SS Neptune
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The SS Neptune was put in service in 1886. It was not in service long, however, I cannot find the exact date it was decommissioned.
SS Landsdowne
Route: Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
SS Landsdowne was put into service in 1887. It was built in 1884 in Maccan, Nova Scotia. It was 188 feet long, 32 feet wide, and "tried in the Northumberland Strait service in the winter of 1887". It also did not last long.
SS Stanley
Route: Summer - Summerside, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB ; Winter - Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
 |
| "S.S 'Stanley' icebound near Georgetown, P.E.I." From the collection of Mike Salmon. |
The SS Stanley, launched in 1899, was the first steel icebreaker connecting PEI and the mainland. It was 2,300 horsepower and was designed to ride up onto the ice and break down. That was the theory behind the icebreaker at least...it didn't work.
In 1903, this ship was stuck near Pictou for two months!
 |
| The SS Stanley stuck in the ice. Horses and men were sent out to help. (Image credit: Pictou Historical Photography Society) |
Then in 1907, both the SS Stanley and SS Minto were once again stuck in the ice. But, aboard the Stanley was the Island Abeweit hockey team returning from a tournament in Newfoundland. In the end, they relied on walking and ice-boats to get home. The ice-boats stayed in operation until 1917, something I am sure many stranded passengers appreciated.
It was replaced in 1909 with the SS Earl Grey. However, it was brought back into service in 1915 when the SS Minto and SS Earl Grey were sold to Russia in 1915 at the beginning of the First World War.
SS Minto
Route: Summer - Summerside, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB ; Winter - Georgetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
 |
| SS Minto from the collection of Edison Horton. |
SS Minto was built in Dundee, Scotland. It was 225 feet long, 33 feet wide, and had a 2,900 horsepower engine. It went into operation in 1899 alongside the SS Stanley. It was more effective than its predecessors, but still had major issues with breaking the ice in the Strait.
 |
| "Icebreaker Minto". The Minto was once on its way to help the Stanley - who was trapped in the ice - when she became stuck in the ice as well. (Image credit: Pictou Historical Photograph Society) |
In 1900, for example, prominent Island businessman and marshall of the Vice-Admiralty Court, Frederick William Hyndman, and Island Premier Donald Farquharson joined about 50 passengers in March crossing from Georgetown to Pictou... their trip did not go well. They left on March 13, but they came across heavy ice in the morning. By 6 pm, they had made it roughly four miles off Pictou. They spent the night stuck in the ice. The next morning, Hyndman and fifteen others tried to walk to shore. But weather and moving ice forced them to turn back. The next morning, the ship remained stuck in the ice. The ice, Hyndman claimed, was between 4-10 feet deep. He once again left the ship in the company of eight others that morning around 7 am. They made it to land, about 10-12 miles east of Pictou around 10 am.
SS Earl Grey
Route: Charlottetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
The SS Earl Grey was a 250-foot ship with a steel hull and sharp bow, allowing it to slice through the ice. It started its service in 1909 and stayed in service until the First World War.
In 1915, the Earl Grey and Minto were sold to Russia. In 1922, the Minto sank in the Arctic Sea under the name Ivan Susanin. The Earl Grey, renamed Fedor Litke, served Russia until 1959.
SS Prince Edward Island
Route: Charlottetown, PEI to Pictou, NS ; 1916 onward, Bordon, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB
SS Prince Edward Island launched in 1914. It started on the Charlottetown-Pictou route and changed to the Bordon-Cape Tormentine route in 1916 with the SS Stanley, once the ferry terminals were completed.
The SS Prince Edward Island was also the first reliable icebreaker at 285 feet long, 52 feet wide, and 7,000 horsepower. It was designed with the latest icebreaking technology from Armstrong Whitworth, who had pioneered the design allowing ships to crush the ice with its own weight. Except, unlike the SS Stanley, the SS Prince Edward Island was more effective! And could carry 12 railcars as well!
Fun fact: car ferry does not originate from ferries that could carry automobile, but rather railcars.
The ship was placed in reserve from 1941 to 1971 and only made the trip if traffic warranted it. Interestingly, it was in service the day the SS Charlottetown sank.
It was scrapped in 1998 in Ontario.
SS Charlottetown
Route: Bordon, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB
The SS Charlottetown was built in 1931 in Lauzon, Quebec. It would hold sixteen railway cars and 40 automobiles. It replaced the SS Prince Edward Island, placing the other ship into a semi-retired state - only being used when needed. At the time, it was claimed to be the most expensive car ferry of its kind!
But, on June 18, 1941, it was on its way to Quebec for a routine refit and sank over the course of two days. Thankfully, the SS Prince Edward Island took over its route that day and there were no passengers aboard the SS Charlottetown when it sank with no casualties.
The ship sank off Port Mouton, NS in heavy fog after it hit something of "unknown origin" (AKA they had no idea what they hit). Although locals believed the ship scrapped along the bottom of the waterway.
Local fisherman, who were actually on strike, went out to help the ship stay afloat. But, the next day brought more fog, preventing tugboats from Halifax from reaching the SS Charlottetown and it sank. Slowly.
So slowly, there are records from locals and fisherman that they took the crew of the SS Charlottetown to Port Mouton that night and brought them back to their ship the next day. When it was clear the ship was going down and could not be saved, they had to abandon it. Despite being close to shore, the remains of the SS Charlottetown have never been found.
So there is your history of PEI icebreaking ferries. As you can see, they were not exactly reliable. Of course, they were early icebreaking ferries so you cannot expect too much.
If you like what I do here, please follow, subscribe, share on social media.
Also, I will be in Ottawa next week so I will not be posting next week (June 20th) but I will be back the week after (June 27th).
Sources
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| "The Minto" This picture is great because it show's you what the ships were sometimes up against. Of course, it is hard to tell from this angle if the ice is huge or if the Minto was too small to be effective. (Image credit: Pictou Historical Photography Society) |
SS Earl Grey
Route: Charlottetown, PEI to Pictou, NS
 |
| SS Earl Grey from the collection of Edison Horton |
The SS Earl Grey was a 250-foot ship with a steel hull and sharp bow, allowing it to slice through the ice. It started its service in 1909 and stayed in service until the First World War.
In 1915, the Earl Grey and Minto were sold to Russia. In 1922, the Minto sank in the Arctic Sea under the name Ivan Susanin. The Earl Grey, renamed Fedor Litke, served Russia until 1959.
SS Prince Edward Island
Route: Charlottetown, PEI to Pictou, NS ; 1916 onward, Bordon, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB
 |
| SS Prince Edward Island (Image credit: Sailstrait, photo taken from The Engineer) |
SS Prince Edward Island launched in 1914. It started on the Charlottetown-Pictou route and changed to the Bordon-Cape Tormentine route in 1916 with the SS Stanley, once the ferry terminals were completed.
 |
| SS Prince Edward Island being built. (Photo Credit: Tyne and Wear Archives and Museum #467295) |
The SS Prince Edward Island was also the first reliable icebreaker at 285 feet long, 52 feet wide, and 7,000 horsepower. It was designed with the latest icebreaking technology from Armstrong Whitworth, who had pioneered the design allowing ships to crush the ice with its own weight. Except, unlike the SS Stanley, the SS Prince Edward Island was more effective! And could carry 12 railcars as well!
Fun fact: car ferry does not originate from ferries that could carry automobile, but rather railcars.
The ship was placed in reserve from 1941 to 1971 and only made the trip if traffic warranted it. Interestingly, it was in service the day the SS Charlottetown sank.
It was scrapped in 1998 in Ontario.
SS Charlottetown
Route: Bordon, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB
The SS Charlottetown was built in 1931 in Lauzon, Quebec. It would hold sixteen railway cars and 40 automobiles. It replaced the SS Prince Edward Island, placing the other ship into a semi-retired state - only being used when needed. At the time, it was claimed to be the most expensive car ferry of its kind!
 |
| SS Charlottetown (Photo credit: Cape Breton Post) |
But, on June 18, 1941, it was on its way to Quebec for a routine refit and sank over the course of two days. Thankfully, the SS Prince Edward Island took over its route that day and there were no passengers aboard the SS Charlottetown when it sank with no casualties.
 |
| SS Charlottetown was known for being high-end and luxurious! |
The ship sank off Port Mouton, NS in heavy fog after it hit something of "unknown origin" (AKA they had no idea what they hit). Although locals believed the ship scrapped along the bottom of the waterway.
Local fisherman, who were actually on strike, went out to help the ship stay afloat. But, the next day brought more fog, preventing tugboats from Halifax from reaching the SS Charlottetown and it sank. Slowly.
So slowly, there are records from locals and fisherman that they took the crew of the SS Charlottetown to Port Mouton that night and brought them back to their ship the next day. When it was clear the ship was going down and could not be saved, they had to abandon it. Despite being close to shore, the remains of the SS Charlottetown have never been found.
So there is your history of PEI icebreaking ferries. As you can see, they were not exactly reliable. Of course, they were early icebreaking ferries so you cannot expect too much.
If you like what I do here, please follow, subscribe, share on social media.
Also, I will be in Ottawa next week so I will not be posting next week (June 20th) but I will be back the week after (June 27th).
Sources
- "A little history, a little mystery S.S. Charlottetown awaits someone's arrival." Cape Breton Post. October 2, 2017. http://www.capebretonpost.com/living/a-little-history-a-little-mystery-ss-charlottetown-awaits-someones-arrival-2829/
- Bruce, Marian. Saltwater Road: Tales of Travel on the Northumberland Strait. PEI: Wood Islands and Area Development Cooperation, 2014.
- "P.E.I.'s Coastal Vessels and Ferries." Island Register. http://www.islandregister.com/ship_data5.html
- "The Steam Ferry Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown." Sailstrait. September 3, 2015. https://sailstrait.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/the-steam-ferry-prince-edward-island-in-charlottetown/
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