The Fleets
This page covers the following group of companies:
- Clarke Steamship Company
- Lower St. Lawrence Transportation Co. Ltd.
- La Cie de Traverse Rivière-du-Loup Tadoussac Ltee. (La Traverse Rivière-du-Loup - St. Simeon Ltee.
- La Cie de Navigation Charlevoix - Saguenay Ltee.
- Magdalen Islands Transportation Co. Ltd.
- Ungava Transports Ltee.
The company was originally formed by Desmond Clarke in 1921 with headquarters at Quebec to initially run two services from Quebec to Bradore Bay on the North Shore and from Quebec to Gaspé on the South Shore. Both these services called at a long series of wayports, trading posts, Indian villages and settlements. In 1922 the South Shore service was extended to the Magdalen Islands and later to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Pictou, Nova Scotia (NS). The base port became Montreal in 1925 and the service was extended Eastward to Corner Brook, Newfoundland (NF). By 1926 the company was running regular services from Montreal and Quebec to Murray Bay, Mont Louis and Gaspé on the St.Lawrence, Corner Brook and Loch Lomond on Newfoundland's West Coast, Forteau Bay and Battle Harbour in Labrador and St.Anthony's on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. Later schedules included calls at Summerside and Charlottetown, PEI and Pictou, NS en route from Gaspé to Corner Brook.
In 1927 the company entered the winter cruise market from Florida to the West Indies with the New Northland and by 1929 had extended the North Shore sailings to include Blanc Sablon. With the onset of the depression in 1930, and the drop in cruise bookings from Florida, the New Northland was used by the Canadian Government in 1931-2 for trade exhibitions to the West Indies. Cruises from Miami were resumed in 1937 with the North Star and New Northland. Later cruises alternated between Montreal and New York with calls at Halifax, Boston, etc.
In WWII many of the company's ships were requisitioned and a skeleton service continued with three ships and chartered tonnage as available. After the war, regular services resumed, but the increasing use of air services caused a cutback in the passenger fleet in 1961 and by 1967 the company sold their last passenger ship and, except for a couple of ferry operations, concentrated on cargo work.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources including a Sea Breezes article by Kevin Griffin. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Clarke Steamship Company: Fleet List - Passenger Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colima | 1917 | ex- 'Q'ship HMS Polyanthus, 1921 became Mexican registered Colima, 1925 chartered by Clarke from the Clan Line, 1927 returned to Clan Line, 1929 sold to British Trade Crusades, London, 1933 sold to 1909Greece, renamed Acropolis, 1941 destroyed by aircraft attack at Piraeus. | 1,393 |
| Gaspesia | 1909 | ex- Alexandra, Riga-Lubecker DG, Lubeck, became Arbroath for Dundee, Perth & London Shipping Co., 1922 purchased by Clarke renamed Gaspesia, 1946 renamed North Voyageur (2). 1950 sold to Honduras registry, sank off Newfoundland. | 1,909 |
| Gulfport | 1943 | ex- Tiefland (German), became Empire Gatehouse after war, 1947 purchased by Clarke renamed Gulfport, 1964 sold to Liberia, renamed Stefani, 1966 renamed Agia Marina, 1967 sold to Greece, renamed Bright. | 2,836 |
| Island Connector | 1946 | 1951 sold to Canadian Pacific Rly., Montreal, renamed Yukon Princess, 1958 sold to Westley Shipping Co., Vancouver, renamed West Princess, 1959 sold to Liberia, renamed Rosita, 1963 scrapped. | 1,334 |
| Labrador | 1918 | ex- armed coastal defence trawler TR45 for the Canadian Government, purchased 1921 from Gulf of St.Lawrence Shipping & Trading Co., Montreal, renamed Labrador, sold 1930 to Canadian Gov't renamed Mardep, 1935 renamed Bernier, 1960 sold to Valier Bouchard, Cacouna, Que. 1965 wrecked in St. Lawrence. | 317 |
| Nayarit | 1918 | ex- 'Q'ship HMS Ivy, 1921 became Mexican registered Nayarit, 1925 chartered by Clarke from Clan Line, 1929 purchased by Clarke renamed North Voyageur. 1937 sold to Greece, renamed Esperos, 1941 destroyed by air attack off Missolonghi. | 1,461 |
| New Northland | 1926 | ex- Northland, 1940 requisitioned by Canadian Gov't as troopship, 1942 sold to British Ministry of War Transport, 1946 sold to Seaway SS Lines, Quebec, 1947 sold to Gov't of Dominican Republic ,renamed Nuevo Dominicano, 1953 sank off Cuba. | 3,445 |
| North Coaster | 1946 | 1963 sold to Kimberley Nav.Co., Nassau, renamed Karina II, 1965 sold to Panama, renamed Bon Bini. | 1,387 |
| North Gaspé | 1938 | 1961 transferred to Magdalen Islands Transport Co., 1970 sold to North Star Shipping Ltd, Halifax, NS, 1972 sold to Metropolitan Touring Ltd., Guayaquil, renamed, Iguana. | 886 |
| North Voyageur (1) | see Nayarit. | ||
| North Voyageur (2) | see Gaspesia. | ||
| Northland | 1926 | 1926 - 1927 renamed New Northland. | 3,445 |
| North Pioneer | 1946 | 1967 laid up, 1969 sold to Steel Factors, Montreal, 1970 sold to Panama ,renamed Vivian, 1971 sold to Blue Seas Shipping Co., Georgetown, CI, renamed Blue Seas. | 1,473 |
| North Shore (1) | 1895 | ex- Queen Olga Constantine, Archangel Mourman SN Co., Archangel, later renamed Novaia Zemilia, 1921 purchased by Clarke renamed North Shore, 8th Aug.1933 wrecked on Cariboo Islands, Calumet River, Que. | 880 |
| North Shore (2) | 1943 | ex- corvette HMCS Lindsay, 1946 purchased by Clarke, renamed North Shore. 1961 sold to Greece, renamed Lemnos. | 1,205 |
| North Star | 1930 | ex- Prince Henry, Canadian National SS Co., 1937 purchased by Clarke renamed North Star, 1940 requisitioned by RCN became armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Henry, 1943 converted to Landing ship, 1946 sold to British Ministry of Transport renamed Empire Parkeston and used as a troopship between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, 1962 scrapped. | 6,893 |
| Novaport | 1944 | ex- Weserwehr (German), became Empire Gangway after war, 1950 purchased by Clarke renamed Novaport, 1964 sold to Liberia renamed Fury, 1st Dec.1964 wrecked 100 miles off Halifax. | 2,828 |
| Sable I | 1914 | Halifax Trading & Sealing Co., Windsor, NS, 1929 purchased by Clarke from Bras d'Or Bay Nav.Co., Windsor, NS, 1946 renamed North Trader, 1947 sold to Northlantic Sealers Ltd., St. John's NF, renamed Sable I, 1948 sold to Blue Peter Steamships, St. John's NF, renamed Blue Seal, 1955 sold to Gulf & Northern Shipping Co., Pictou, NS renamed Fergus, 1970 scrapped. | 734 |
Lower St. Lawrence Transporation Company Limited (1929-1969
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Brillant | 1935 | 1969 sold to A. Langlais, Quebec. | 640 |
| Manicouagan | 1924 | 1929 purchased from La Cie de Nav.Rimouski-Saguenay Ltee., 1938 sold. | 85 |
| Matane I | 1938 | 1946 renamed Matane, 1964 sold to Newport News SB & DD Co., renamed Prospector. | 470 |
| Marco Polo | 1920 | ex-Vita, 1930 purchased from St.Lawrence Transport Co., Montreal, 1940 sold to Le Magasin General Ltee., Cap Chat, Que. | 141 |
| Mayita | 1899 | 1929 purchased from Jos.A.Fafard, Quebec, 1932 sold. | 112 |
| Pere Arnaud | 1932 | 1936 purchased, 1944 sold to Maple Leaf SS Co., Montreal. | 252 |
| Rimouski | 1939 | 1961 sold to Pomeroy Shipping Co., Nassau renamed Bahama Venture, 1965 sold to General Dynamics Corp, Groton, Conn. renamed Sea Surveyor. | 348 |
| Ungava | 1942 | ex- MS192 minesweeper, 1945 purchased, 1960 transferred to Ungava Transports Ltee, 1966 sold. | 199 |
La Cie de Traverse Riviere-Du-Loup - Tadoussac Ltee. (1930-1940)
The name changed to La Traverse Riviere-Du-Loup - St. Simeon Ltee (1940)
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radisson | 1954 | 1974 purchased. | 1,149 |
| Rivière-du-Loup (1) | 1902 | ex- Brandon, Old Dominion SS Co., New York, later became Yonda L for Quebec & St.Lawrence Nav. Co., 1930 purchased renamed Rivere-Du-Loup, 1939 renamed Simeon. 1945 sold, 1968 scrapped. | 1,650 |
| Rivière-du-Loup (2) | 1925 | ex- L'Ile D'Orleans, 1939 purchased from La Traverse de L'Isle d'Orleans Ltee., Que. renamed Riviere-Du-Loup, 1965 sold to Navigation Voyageur Inc., Montreal, renamed La Madelon II, 1969 sank at Montreal. | 1,491 |
| Simeon | see Rivière-du-Loup (1) | ||
| Trans-St-Laurent | 1963 | 2,173 |
La Cie de Navigation Charlevoix - Saguenay Ltee. (1938-)
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlevoix | 1962 | 535 | |
| Jacques Cartier | 1924 | 1940 purchased, 1967 sold to Cartier Nav.Co., Montreal, 1969 sold to Neree Harvey, Ile-Aux-Coudres, Que. | 228 |
| Le Sorelois | 1899 | built in 1899 as HCM No.16 for Montreal Harbour Commission, later renamed La Fayette, 1956 purchased from La Cie de Traverse de St.Laurent, Sorel, 1959 sold. | 157 |
| Louis Herbert | n/a | ex- Adam, 1941 purchased renamed Louis Herbert, 1943 sold to Maple Leaf SS Co., Montreal. | 247 |
| Pierre de Saurel | 1957 | 1974 purchased. | 538 |
| Saguenay | 1958 | 429 |
Magdalen Islands Transporation Company Limited (1945-70)
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalen | 1924 | ex- Lovat, 1945 purchased from Lovat SS Co., Halifax, NS, renamed Magdalen. 1962 sold. |
830 |
| North Gaspé | 1938 | see Clarke SS Co. | 886 |
Ungava Transports LTEE (1960-69)
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaspesien | 1945 | built as aircraft transport HMS ROC, 1960 purchased, 1969 sold to North Shipping & Transportation, Quebec converted to cargo ship. |
837 |
| Ungava | 1942 | see Lower St.Lawrence Transportation Co. | 199 |