Union Steamship Line Piers on the Sunshine Coast
by Alexis Forsyth
Map of USSCo ports of call
(Courtesy of the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives)
The Union Steamship Company, or USSCo for short, was only started three years after the City of Vancouver was incorporated in 1886, and was the brain child of John Darling. Darling was the director of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand and on a visit to Vancouver saw the potential for a steamship company on the B.C. coast, with help from nine British Columbians and capital raised from Britain. The company started with 10 vessels and with three new ships on the drawing board specifically tailored to coastal sailing.
In those early years things were looking very grim with the possibility of the USSCo going bankrupt in 1893. Few routes were profitable, and so the company started to experiment with trips up the Sunshine Coast. They became so successful that within two years the S.S. Comox was running to Gibsons, Sechelt, Van Anda on Texada Island, Comox, and Lund twice a week. By 1899 the USSCo had the S.S. Comox servicing Powell River via Sechelt, and in 1901 the S.S. Comox was replaced by the S.S. Cassiar.
In those early years things were looking very grim with the possibility of the USSCo going bankrupt in 1893. Few routes were profitable, and so the company started to experiment with trips up the Sunshine Coast. They became so successful that within two years the S.S. Comox was running to Gibsons, Sechelt, Van Anda on Texada Island, Comox, and Lund twice a week. By 1899 the USSCo had the S.S. Comox servicing Powell River via Sechelt, and in 1901 the S.S. Comox was replaced by the S.S. Cassiar.
Selma Park Pier.
(Union Steamship Company Collection, Vancouver Maritime Museum)
The USSCo was not the only company with routes to the increasingly popular Sunshine Coast all using the small dock in Sechelt owned by the Terminal Steam Navigation Company that had two vessels running by 1900 operated by Hugh Nelson. Another player was Herbert Whittaker who had built a resort on his 240-acre waterfront property. The final major player in tourism to the Sunshine Coast was the All Red Line that had a seven-acre resort in Selma Park, just a short distance to the south from Sechelt. They operated two steamships, which in 1917 were taken over by the USSCo along with the Selma Park property. Soon after the USSCo also took over the Terminal Steam Navigation Company at a cost of 250,000 dollars for two steamships and a 1,000 acre property on Bowen Island including Snug Cove.
ERA OF TOURISM AND EXCURSIONS ON THE SUNSHINE COAST
This was the start of USSCo’s long and prosperous passenger and tourism industry that would showcase British Columbia’s beauty. The Selma Park resort got a bit of a face-lift in 1922 resulting in grounds complete with a wharf-store, a dozen waterfront cottages, a 60 foot dance hall, a veranda restaurant, and a large picnic ground with multiple large covered tables. This made an ideal place to have large functions can companies would hold their annual picnics. In 1926 the USSCo acquired the 240-acre Sechelt resort complete with two hotels, the pier, a general store and a large picnic ground. This addition gave USSCo them a total of three estates which was separated in the same year from the steamships under the company name of Union Estates Limited. A round trip from Vancouver on the Powell Rive route – Roberts Creek-Wilson Creek-Selma Park-Sechelt-Halfmoon Bay-Powell River – was $3.00 for first class in the late 1920’s. With large picnic areas set up in Sechelt this was the perfect day trip for families, but if you wanted to eat on the ship price are displayed in the table. In 1933 the Pier was bought by the District of Sechelt and repaired the aging dock, also adding handrails.
USSCo also offered tours to explore Sechelt’s inlet and go through the treacherous, even to today’s standards, Skookumchuck rapids where the current can reach speeds of 16 knots.
Roberts Creek and Sechelt were apart of thrice-weekly sailings by some of the coast’s most distinctive ships to grace their piers. Sometimes the docking was anything but graceful, Cpt. Howard Lawrey going northbound took several pilings out at Roberts Creek in a docking gone wrong, then southbound on the same trip stopping again in Roberts Creek he collided with the dock again damaging it even further. In reply to the dock’s manager’s angry words Cpt. Lawrey said that he came back “just to cover up the damage [done] on the way up”.
The Halfmoon Bay Pier was one less visited by the USSCo, having only been apart of the sailing that made it past Sechelt to Powell River and typically only one day a week. The pier was constructed in 1909, but was washed away in 1914 in a large storm. Between 1914 and 1920 the USSCo would have to pick-up and drop-off passengers stopped in the bay. It wasn’t until 1920 did the District of Sechelt re-build the dock, which is essentially the current dock with several modifications, such as railings.
USSCo also offered tours to explore Sechelt’s inlet and go through the treacherous, even to today’s standards, Skookumchuck rapids where the current can reach speeds of 16 knots.
Roberts Creek and Sechelt were apart of thrice-weekly sailings by some of the coast’s most distinctive ships to grace their piers. Sometimes the docking was anything but graceful, Cpt. Howard Lawrey going northbound took several pilings out at Roberts Creek in a docking gone wrong, then southbound on the same trip stopping again in Roberts Creek he collided with the dock again damaging it even further. In reply to the dock’s manager’s angry words Cpt. Lawrey said that he came back “just to cover up the damage [done] on the way up”.
The Halfmoon Bay Pier was one less visited by the USSCo, having only been apart of the sailing that made it past Sechelt to Powell River and typically only one day a week. The pier was constructed in 1909, but was washed away in 1914 in a large storm. Between 1914 and 1920 the USSCo would have to pick-up and drop-off passengers stopped in the bay. It wasn’t until 1920 did the District of Sechelt re-build the dock, which is essentially the current dock with several modifications, such as railings.
Then and Now: Roberts Creek
Then and Now: Sechelt
Then and Now: Halfmoon Bay
It seems that the USSCo was apart of everything in some way, they serviced the local historic town of Britannia, took the staff of Woodwards to their annual picnic, and saw the Queen off with a convoy of six ships upon leaving Vancouver in 1939. The Union Steam Ship Company had a profound impact on Vancouver and coastal British Columbia. Throughout the company’s 70 years in business they serviced over than 400 different coastal towns, canneries, forestry, or mining camps with more then 50 vessels. Tom Henry, an award winning British Columbian author, said it best that “it is no exaggeration to say that the Union Company did for the coast what the CPR did for the country.”
Further Reading
For more information and photos on the history of the USSCo including its ship, and crew there are several useful sites and books:
· The Vancouver Maritime Museum has a vast collection of archival information. All archival photos are courtesy of The Union Steamship Company Collection, a list of their collection can be found here
· The Sunshine Coast Museum also has a collection with tableware on display and archival photos, a short history can be found here
· Navigating the Coast: A History of the Union Steamship Company edited by W.J. Langlois is a brief history using passages from employees.
· A thorough examination of the company by Gerald Rushton, a accountant for USSCo., can be found in his book Whistle Up the Inlet
· Echoes of the Whistle: An Illustrated History of the Union Steamship Company is a follow up to Whistler up the Inlet also by Rushton
· For a concise history accompanied with photos The Good Company: An Affectionate History of the Union Steamships by Tom Henry is a great read
· Union Steamships Remembered: 1920-1958 by A.M. Twigg is a detailed book on the ships of USSCo. and it’s employees
· The Vancouver Maritime Museum has a vast collection of archival information. All archival photos are courtesy of The Union Steamship Company Collection, a list of their collection can be found here
· The Sunshine Coast Museum also has a collection with tableware on display and archival photos, a short history can be found here
· Navigating the Coast: A History of the Union Steamship Company edited by W.J. Langlois is a brief history using passages from employees.
· A thorough examination of the company by Gerald Rushton, a accountant for USSCo., can be found in his book Whistle Up the Inlet
· Echoes of the Whistle: An Illustrated History of the Union Steamship Company is a follow up to Whistler up the Inlet also by Rushton
· For a concise history accompanied with photos The Good Company: An Affectionate History of the Union Steamships by Tom Henry is a great read
· Union Steamships Remembered: 1920-1958 by A.M. Twigg is a detailed book on the ships of USSCo. and it’s employees