This tour focuses on twenty-two shipwrecks or wreck sites located along the Ottawa River between Kettle Island and Britannia Bay.

The tour is meant to be used along the Ottawa River Pathway/Trans-Canada Trail, with audio playing automatically based on location. The locations of twelve of these shipwrecks were found by the Underwater Society of Ottawa, while the rest come from research into the New Mills List, Parliament of Canada Sessional Papers, and other sources. Research was conducted as part of a project for DH5000 at Carleton University, with additional research and construction of the walking tour conducted for HIST5706 at Carleton University.
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In 1823, Thomas Mears and Philemenon Wright launched the first steamboat on the Ottawa River proper. Named the "Union," its launch marked the beginning of more than one hundred years of steam vessel use on the river. Over the course of the century, hundreds of steam vessels plied the Ottawa River. Some were retired or sold for use on other waters, but many sank and remain under the river's surface. Use this walk to find out more about the shipwrecks in your area.

Located at the east end of Kettle Island, the R. R. Foster was a steam barge that leaked and sank in 1987. According to the 1914 Sessional Papers, it was built in Ottawa in 1912. It was 104.5 feet long, 22.2 feet wide, and had a depth of 6.6 feet. It was owned by the Rideau Canal Supply Co. Ltd.

The Glen Isle was a steam barge built in 1900 by N. Tessier of Ottawa. Originally named the Welshman, it was owned by the Ottawa Forwarding Company. First built as 105 feet long and 23 feet wide, it was damaged by fire in 1909 near Lachute, Quebec, and was rebuilt again to 108x24x7. In 1911 it collided with the Mansfield, another local shipwreck. In 1912 it was sold to the Rideau Canal Supply Company, which kept it until at least 1927.  It was destroyed by fire in 1930, and sunk off the east end of Kettle Island, near Gatineau, Quebec.

The Speed was built in 1847 near Hull, Quebec, and was launched in 1848. It was known as the "pride of the Ottawa River," due to its extremely quick sailing speed. Originally owned by Macpherson & Crane of Montreal, it was sold in 1853 to Robertson Jones & Co, and again in 1857 to Ottawa Steamers Co. 

The Speed was badly damaged by fire in 1848, near Thurso, Quebec. It was relaunched later that year, and was renamed to the Phoenix. 

It collided with the Lily, a tug, in 1865, between Buckingham, Quebec and Gatineau, Quebec.

Built in 1902 by N. Sicotte in Valleyfield, Quebec, as the Salaberry, it was owned by Lehigh Portland Cement Co. in Belleville. 

It was rebuilt in Deseronto, Ontario in 1910, and renamed to the Quinte Queen. In 1912 it was purchased by the Belle Isle Park Company of Ottawa, to serve as a ferry to and from Kettle Island's Belle Isle Park. It was licensed for up to 339 passengers at once. It partially sank in 1916 but was raised, and offered for sale. It received no bids, and was later stranded on the shore of Kettle Island.

The Maggie Bell was built in Hull, Quebec in 1874 by A. Miller. A wooden sidewheel paddle steamer, it was 133 feet long, 24 feet wide, and had a depth of 8 feet. It was originally owned by the Ottawa & Rideau Forwarding Company before being sold to D. S. Eastwood of Ottawa in 1875. It was sold again to J. G. Ross of Quebec in 1882. It spent most of its life as a towboat on the Ottawa River before sinking off the west end of Kettle Island.

M. 16. D.
Presumably a tugboat, it was recorded in the 1878 Sessional Papers that it burned at the same place as the Lincoln in August of 1878.

Lincoln, 1878
This 92-foot sidewheel steamer was built in Sorel, Quebec in 1861. Built by D. & J. McCarthy, it was 92 feet long, 11 feet wide, and had a depth of 7 feet. It served as a tugboat on the lower Ottawa River before burning at its dock in New Edinburgh on March 8,1878. It was owned by the McNaughton Forwarding Company, and lost the company $12,000 when it burnt. $6,000 was covered by insurance.

A 103-foot paddlewheel steamboat, it sailed the Montreal-Ottawa-Kingston triangle. It was built in 1840 in Kingston, Ontario, by the Kingston Marine Railway company. The Beaver followed the 'fiddleboat plan,' with a recessed area in the middle of the boat to house the paddles. It first sank in Merrickville in September 1844, then again in 1854 in Mud Lake, before it was destroyed by fire in Ottawa on April 20, 1868.

Launched in 1959, the Jean Richard initially sailed on the St. Lawrence River. In the 1970s, it was brought to the Ottawa River to serve as a party cruise ship. Renamed to the "Ville de Vanier," it was a popular recreational activity that ran out of Gatineau. It was later turned into a floating cottage, and caught fire sometime in 1987. The vessel was abandoned in  an inlet across from Rideau Hall.  Its wooden skeleton can still be seen in person and on Google satellite, and it is a popular fishing destination.

<img src="https://ottawow.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/bw.jpg" alt="Black and white image of the Jean Richard - a blue and white boat">

<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZGc878z7nAYnWWsrFoUTT5R6EnNXfFiiNy7mIHQl1_lLkOWVTqueOGhVp-H3XKjPO5JVwZijzG7sOkuCsm9ap1xYL1X0gYMAFRZJo6TnIrT5gMZ9KjXCN-m6jDA" alt="The wooden hull of the Jean Richard, sticking out of the water.">

Built in 1888 in Ottawa, ON, the Mansfield was 104 feet long. It was launched on May 25, 1889, and was owned by Pierce Mansfield. It served as a ferry, and caught fire on one of its voyages as it approached the New Edinburgh area on May 7, 1896. 

The Mansfield was later found by the Underwater Diving Society of Ottawa in July 1974. It had sunk in Governor's Bay, near the Prime Minister's residence.

For a more detailed overview of both the Mansfield and Pierce Mansfield, check out Glenn Clark's "Off to Work... By Boat?" in Vol. 20, No. 2 of the 2019 edition of Historic Gloucester, by the Gloucester Historical Society.

Built in 1874 by G. Smith of Montreal, Quebec, the Ivy was 100 feet long, 19 feet wide, and had a depth of 7 feet. It was first owned by G. H. Perley of Ottawa, and later sold to D. Murphy of Ottawa in 1886. It served as a towboat on the Ottawa River before it caught fire, exploded, and sank at a dock in Gatineau.

William King, 1841
Originally known as the William Annesley, it was built in 1824 by H. Logan of Montreal, Quebec. It was renamed to the William King in 1828. 

It was reported in the Montreal Herald that 
"[w]e are informed that a beautiful little steamboat is now building…. upon the exact model of a canoe…It is perhaps the smallest ever constructed. It is intended to ply foot passengers across the river between the usual passage roads to Laprairie and Longueuil."

The William Annesley (later King) was designed by William Annesley in pursuit of testing a new patent system that "involved no ribs and alternate layers of thin boards with oiled paper between" (Maritime History of the Great Lakes)

It was rebuilt several times, with the paddle wheels and engine removed in 1827 to allow it to serve on the Rideau Canal from 1827-1829 and later the Lachine Canal in 1830. An "additional shade deck" was added in 1829.

Its engine was later reused in the Bytown (built 1834). The William King was soon abandoned in the Ottawa area and sank. Around 1980, it was moved to the Ottawa Rowing Club to serve as a dive area known as 'Morrison's Quarry.'


Bruce, 1875
Originally named the Islander, it was built in 1846 by D. Dibble of Kelly's Island, Ohio, USA. It was 100 feet long, and 17 feet wide. The Islander was renamed to the Bruce in 1862, which is when it started serving in Canadian waters after its purchase by Van Every & Rumball of Goderick, ON. Detlor & Son bought it in 1866, D. S. Booth of Brockville in 1868, Schofield & Rochester of Ottawa in 1873, and Mr. Bourgeau of Alymer in 1874. During one of the sales it was renamed to the Seaman, but was mostly known as the Bruce for the time that it was in Canada.

It sank in 1874 in Ottawa due to being overloaded, but was raised in early July. It caught fire in 1875 near Hull, Quebec, and sank below the waters. The hull was raised in 1982 and relocated under the Ottawa Rowing Club wharf as part of 'Morrison's Quarry' by the Santa Maria Society.

The Resolute was built in 1875 by J. Bedard of Britannia, Ontario (now part of Ottawa). It originally measured 56 feet in length, 11 feet in width, and six feet in depth. The Resolute was bought by A. G. Jones of Ottawa in 1877, and later sold to the Union Forwarding Company (also of Ottawa) in 1879. It was sold again to W. McCaffrey of Ottawa in 1886.

The Resolute sank once near Quyon in 1880 but was raised. It was later destroyed by fire on July 29, 1890, near the foot of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.

Built in 1951 by the Russel Brothers of Owen Sound, Ontario, this tugboat hauled logs on the Ottawa River before sinking in 1979 at the base of the Chaudière Falls. It was raised in 1982 by Ontario Hydro to use in a floating parade, celebrating 150 years of the Rideau Canal. In that same year, the Ancaster and its sibling ship, the Missinaibi, appeared on the back of the dollar bill. The bill showed a broken log boom behind Parliament Hill, with the Ancaster to the right and the Missinaibi in the center as they tried to reassemble the boom. The image on the bill was based on a photograph from Malak Karsh, who was at the E.B. Eddy plant taking photos for the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association that day.

A 139-foot sidewheel steamer,  its claim to fame was carrying Prince Albert on his visit down the Ottawa River. It was also the subject of a recent investigation into its final resting place by local author Andrew King and blogger Mike Kaulbars. 

Check out these links to learn more about their search and how they determined the Ann Sisson was residing in Britannia Bay. You can also retrace their steps and find the wreck on Google Earth.

- https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/king-on-the-hunt-for-a-shipwreck-here-in-ottawa#click=https://t.co/YTzylE5J0m 
- https://britanniaottawa.wordpress.com/2017/01/22/where-is-the-ann-sisson/
- https://britanniaottawa.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/no-really-its-the-ann-sisson/
- https://britanniaottawa.wordpress.com/2018/11/14/the-ann-sisson-redux-the-mysteries/

According to the Underwater Diving Society of Ottawa and Scubapedia, there are two ships resting near the base of the Rideau Canal, Locks 1-8. They've identified them as the Otter and the Minie. The Otter makes sense, as it was recorded as having burned and sank near the canal. However, the Minie (also known as the Minnie Bell or the Alva), is officially recorded as having been retired. There is no record of a final accident near the canal, and so this may be another barge. 

If it is the Minnie:
The Minnie Bell was built in 1887 by Bedard of Ottawa, Ontario. It was 50 feet long and 13 feet wide, and owned by H. E. Shaver of Ottawa. It frequently delivered lumber to New York, bringing back foundry sand and coal.

The Minnie Bell was involved in several accidents over the years, including a train crash and a fire. For a more detailed account, please read this excellent paper by Paul Harrison for the Workers History Museum: https://workershistorymuseum.ca/the-career-of-a-rideau-canal-tug/. 

The fire lead to the renaming of the Minnie Bell to the Alva in 1902, named after the deceased son of the Shavers (the owners of the boat). It was sold to new owners by 1910, who sold it again in 1917 to the Dominion Government for use as a dredge tug for the Public Works Department. Records say the Alva was retired, and there is no record of it sinking near the canal.

If the wreck is not the Minnie, then it's hard to say which vessel it is. The New Mills List, a compilation of steamer records from 1809-1930 by John M. Mills, lists many tugboats and barges from the Ottawa area whose ends were not recorded. It is entirely possible that it may be one of them, or that the Minnie Bell's end has been improperly recorded.

Otter, 1870
Built in 1840 near Portsmouth, Ontario, it was used on the Montreal-Ottawa-Kingston triangle. According to the 1846 Bytown Packet, the Otter was known as "a small uncomfortable light boat." It changed ownership several times, going through four owners in its thirty-year span as a tugboat on the Ottawa River. The Otter caught fire and sank at the base of the Rideau Canal near Parliament Hill, on November 5, 1870. It is possible to dive, though there is poor visibility.

Built in 1833 at Aylmer, Quebec, the Lady Colborne was mainly used between Aylmer and Fitzroy Harbour, with stops at March, Torbolton, Eardley, and Onslow stations. The Lady Colbourne departed from Aylmer at 6am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and departed from Fitzroy Harbour at 1pm those same days. It engine came from the steamer Montreal, built 1819.

In 1845, the Lady Colborne caught fire at the Alymer wharf. To avoid setting the town on fire, it was set adrift into Lac Deschenes and floated into Britannia Bay, where it later sank.

The Symmes Inn Museum in Aylmer, Quebec has a spike and plank from the Lady Colborne, recovered by the Underwater Society of Ottawa in 1964. 

The Kichesippi Beer Co. has a beer named after the Lady Colbourne, calling it the 'first steamboat on the Ottawa River' (which is incorrect - that honour goes to the Union, built 1823).

Built in Pembroke, Ontario in 1887, the G. B. Pattee is one of three steamers with that name. It was renamed to the C. B. Powell in 1891, and is listed as a paddle wheel steamer. It was 139 feet long, 37 feet wide, and had a depth of 7 feet. The G. B. Pattee was owned by the Upper Ottawa Improvement Co., and named after a prominent business man of the time. In 1896, the C. B. Powell is recorded as serving on the Lower Allumette (near Westmeath) as a tug. According to The Canada Gazette, as of March 7, 1903, the C. B. Powell charged  $6.00 per hour of towing, putting the steamer in league with the Lady Minto, E. H. Bronson, Alexander Fraser, Hamilton, J. L. Murphy, G. B. Greene, and the Albert. It burnt near Ottawa sometime after 1905.

Built in 1841 near Prescott, Ontario, the Prince Albert was 105 feet long and 28 feet wide. It was originally built as a Rideau Canal passenger boat, with thirty berths. It was turned into a towboat around 1860, and was reported by the 1861 Montreal Gazette as "Too large, too lofty and altogether too good a vessel for the simple purpose of towing barges." It caused the sinking of the Propeller on the Rideau Canal in 1842, after the Prince Albert rammed into the Propeller near Kingston, Ontario. It was later damaged by fire in 1854, again near Kingston, before being fixed near Prescott, Ontario in 1857. It caught fire again on March 18, 1862 in Ottawa, likely while in its winter berth, and was destroyed.

Shipwrecks of Ottawa Walking Tour

18 ECHOES

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The Echoes

R. R. Foster, 1987

Glen Isle, 1930

Speed, 1865

Quinte Queen, 1920

Maggie Bell, 1874

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