The Montreal Transportation Company was a prominent shipbuilding enterprise based in Montreal, Quebec, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Established in the 1880s, the company played a significant role in constructing and operating vessels that serviced the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, contributing to Canada’s maritime commerce and transportation infrastructure.
Overview
- Name: Montreal Transportation Company
- Established: Circa 1880s
- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Primary Operations: Shipbuilding, vessel operation, and maritime transportation services
Operations and Contributions
The Montreal Transportation Company specialized in building and operating a fleet of steamships and other vessels designed for both cargo and passenger services. Their operations were integral to the economic development of the region, facilitating trade and movement between Montreal and other key ports along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
While specific records of the company’s shipbuilding projects are limited, it is known that they constructed vessels tailored to the unique conditions of Canadian inland waterways. These ships were crucial in transporting goods such as timber, grain, and coal, as well as providing passenger services during a period of rapid industrial growth.
Legacy
The Montreal Transportation Company’s contributions to Canada’s maritime industry laid the groundwork for future developments in shipbuilding and transportation. Their emphasis on building durable and efficient vessels helped set standards for ship construction in the region.
Over time, changes in technology, economic shifts, and the evolution of transportation needs led to the decline of many such companies. However, the legacy of the Montreal Transportation Company endures through its impact on Canada’s maritime history and the development of inland shipping routes.
Vessel owned, operated or used by
- Alert, a wooden canal tug, was designed for towing and other auxiliary functions on the Welland Canal and Lake Erie. It was built by William Ross & Sons in 1886, with machinery repurposed from another vessel. The compact size and robust design were ideal for navigating the canal system. The tug was appraised at $6,000 in 1890, reflecting its value in the regional transportation network, and its worth fluctuated over the years based on market conditions and operational capacity.
- Brandon was a schooner barge built in 1887 by the Montreal Transportation Co. in Kingston, Ontario. Designed for hauling heavy cargo, the vessel featured a round stern and three masts, with a substantial capacity reflected in its gross tonnage of 540.54 tons.
- Bannockburn was a steel-hulled canaller, purpose-built for Great Lakes grain trade and Welland Canal transit. Her clinker-riveted steel hull, elliptical stern, and double-bottom construction represented advanced engineering for the time. Her triple-expansion steam engine offered reliable power, while the hull’s compact beam allowed efficient passage through the locks.
- Condor was a composite lake barge, later adapted for river use. Built in 1888 by A. Cantin in Montreal for the Kingston & Montreal Forwarding Co., it was notable as the largest barge on the upper St. Lawrence at the time. Initially equipped with three masts for winter operations on Lake Superior, the vessel was later modified for river service, as evidenced by depictions without masts in later years. The barge was known for its large capacity of 40,000 bushels, making it an essential part of the region’s maritime trade.
- David G. Thomson was a wooden lake tug, notable for its robust construction and role in towing coal and grain barges on Lake Ontario. It was initially launched on June 25, 1883, in Kingston by R. Robertson. The tug featured a round stern design and was equipped with engines taken from the tug Champion, providing a total of 200 rated horsepower. In 1892, the tug underwent significant modifications, including the installation of a new fore and aft compound engine and boiler, boosting its power to 400 indicated horsepower and 200 rated horsepower.
- Laura Grace was a compact, versatile wooden-hulled tugboat typical of early 20th-century service vessels across the Great Lakes. It was equipped with salvaged and re-used machinery, including a steeple compound engine and a Scotch boiler originally from the tug Mary Ann (1890). This reuse of equipment reflects the frugality and functional design common to working tugboats of the time.
- Glenmount was a composite bulk carrier, featuring a wooden hull over steel frames with steel upper sections. This combination of materials was a hallmark of 19th-century Great Lakes shipbuilding, offering strength and durability for bulk cargo operations such as transporting iron ore
- Simcoe was launched in Montreal in 1864 and soon after began operating on the Montreal-Chicago route. The vessel was associated with the McLennan brothers and was one of four ships (alongside EAST, SOUTH, and WEST) built as British-registered blockade runners for the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Between 1865 and 1866, it was chartered to Glassford & Jones, a forwarding company based in Kingston, Ontario
- William A. Haskell: Later renamed Joyland under Montreal Transportation Co., it served similar purposes in bulk freight.
- William J. Averell: Renamed Oatland under Montreal Transportation Co., it too was dedicated to bulk cargo transport.
- W.S. Carkin was a wooden canal tug, integral to maritime trade on the Great Lakes. Designed for towing and maneuvering larger vessels through ports, harbours, and canals, the tug featured a single screw propulsion system powered by a modest 1-cylinder engine. This type of vessel was crucial during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ensuring the safe and efficient movement of goods and ships.
Montreal Transportation Company Research Reference
Corporate & Operational Records
| Title | Description | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Transportation Co. Annual Directors’ Reports (1918–1920) | Financial summaries, vessel performance, operational decisions | Pending digitization – Archives may hold physical copies (suggest McCord Museum or Library and Archives Canada) |
| Directors’ Minutes – 8 Oct 1917 | Meeting decisions on vessel acquisition and corporate actions | Likely held in Montreal archives or Library and Archives Canada |
| Engineers’ Logs: A. McVittie (25 Apr–14 Dec 1918; 19 Apr–10 Nov 1919) | Daily technical entries on operations, repairs | Undigitized – May exist in private holdings or Marine Museum of the Great Lakes |
| Ship’s Logs | Navigation and cargo logbook | Possibly held at Maritime History of the Great Lakes collection or Kingston archives |
Vessel Registers & Databases
| Resource | Content | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Alpena Great Lakes Maritime Database | MTC vessel entries, specs, historical notes | Alpena Library Maritime |
| Bowling Green State University – Great Lakes Vessels Index | Enrollment data, ownership, casualty reports | BGSU GLMI |
| Canadian Heritage Information Network | Canadian vessel records & registry data | CHIN Ship Info Database |
| Bureau Veritas Great Lakes Registers (1913–1915) | Vessel class, hull condition, insurance | Often reprinted in historical registers – check maritime museums or scanned archives |
| Canada List of Shipping (1918) | Canadian registry entries | Library and Archives Canada |
Newspapers & Periodicals
| Publication | Details | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Enquirer – 6 May 1895 | Grounding of A. McVittie | Newspapers.com (subscription) |
| Buffalo Morning Express – 25 Oct 1893 | Early incident reference | Newspapers.com |
| Marine Record (16 May, 6 June, 15 Aug 1895) | Industry weekly reporting on repairs & sales | Maritime History of the Great Lakes Archive |
| Detroit Marine Historian – Oct 1952 | Retrospective coverage of MTC vessels | Check Marine Historical Society or local library archives |
| Scanner Magazine – Jan 1995 | MTC fleet profile and commentary | Marine Museum of the Great Lakes vertical files |
Secondary Sources & Books
| Title | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bascom & Gillham – Early Ships of Canada Steamship Lines | Detailed history and fleet analysis | Likely in major maritime library collections |
| *Beeson – Steam Vessels of the Northwestern Lakes (1917) | Technical summaries & ownership listings | Public libraries or collector editions |
| Gillham – Ships In Trouble 1880–1950 | Incident records for MTC and others | Available online |
- Library and Archives Canada
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- digital.library.mcgill.ca
- Great Lakes Ships Database
- Marine Museum of the Great Lakes (Kingston): May hold logs, letterbooks, ledgers
- Library and Archives Canada: Ottawa holdings include MTC charters, director minutes
- McCord Stewart Museum (Montreal): Corporate and regional maritime records
- Detroit Public Library – Burton Collection: Detroit Dry Dock records (relevant for vessel builds)