St. Charles (ship)
St. Charles was a small, screw-driven steamboat that serviced the upper Peace River, from 1903 to 1914.[1][2] She was built from local timber for Brothers of the Oblate Order of Mary Immaculate, using engines and other fittings brought from Peterborough, Ontario.[3]
 St. Charles at Peace River Crossing 1906 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Charles |
| Owner |
|
| Launched | 1893 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1916–1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamboat |
| Tonnage | 28.9 (gross), 19.5 (registered) |
| Length | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Beam | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
She was the first steamboat on the upper Peace River. She was sold in 1911 to Ford and Lawrence. According to Edward L. Affleck, St. Charles was one of a "fleet of pint-sized vessels" the Order operated, so they would not have to rely on the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoly on river shipping.
The Peace River has two long navigable sections, from the mouth on Lake Athabasca to the Vermilion Chutes, and on the upper river, from Fort Vermilion to Hudson's Hope—a distance of 526 miles (847 km).[3] St Charles was confined to the upper reaches.
References
-
G.R. Clare (1998). "Going up the River?". South Peace Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
Her season on the river usually consisted of three round-trips to Fort St John and back.
- "Transporting Northern Dreams: Steamboats on the Peace River, 1903-1930". Peace River Museum. 2012. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21.
-
Edward L. Affleck (Winter 1999). "Steamboating on the Peace River" (PDF). BC Historical News. 33 (1): 3, 7. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2013-09-21.
In that year the pint—sized sternwheeler St. Charles began to work the 526 mile stretch from Fort Vermilion to Hudson's Hope, carrying lumber and supplies for the Mission at Fort St. John in British Columbia, as well as goods for the Northwest Mounted Police.