Georgian Bay Township
Historical Society
The Ship - City of Dover Project
Launching of the City of Dover - 1916
The City of Dover was a 23-meter wooden steamer built in 1916 by ship builder John Paasch in Port Dover, Ontario. After a few years of transporting passengers and fish between its home location and various Canadian and U.S. ports on Lake Erie, it was sold to the Honey Harbour Navigation Company on Georgian Bay.
For over three decades, the ship plied the waters of the Thirty Thousand Islands carrying supplies and passengers between Midland, Honey Harbour, Parry Sound and Point au Baril. Ownership was transferred several times, and for a short period the Dover was running ferry service out of Sault Ste. Marie into Lake Superior, but ultimately resumed her duties in eastern Georgian Bay.
City of Dover - early years before upper helm added
City of Dover - A once great vessel of our local waters
The history of the boat during the late 50’s is unclear because of conflicting stories, with some saying she was not in service on the water, because of the new highways running parallel to the ferry routes. But in 1960, the ship was dry docked over the winter in Port Severn's lock 45, of the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW). With the bottom now exposed, the keel was examined and found to be severely broken, and beyond repair. Her engine and navigational equipment were salvaged and the boat was officially decommissioned.
The Sheffield family, who then owned and ran nearby Lone Pine Lodge, purchased the boat with plans to retrofit it as a floating restaurant to augment their tourism business. The City of Dover would make one final voyage, being towed the several hundred meters up the lake toward the lodge. It never made it there, however, as its missing or non-functioning bilge pumps allowed it to sink - though luckily adjacent to the intended shore. The resort’s conversion plans were deemed impractical and so the boat remained idle, partially submerged, where it was left to rot as a derelict.
Postcard of Lone Pine Lodge
City of Dover - derelict on the shore
After that point, the City of Dover became a local landmark, even noted on official TSW navigation charts. Eventually it was crushed by the winter ice and shortly after, unexplainably burned to the waterline.
During cleanup of the sunken remains, the five and a half foot propeller was salvaged from the lake bed and held by the Sheffield family, who, in 2001 donated it to our Historical Society with conditions that it be publically displayed in perpetuity.
Custom stand to mimic ship's rudder
And custom welding
All done!
Just add water or paint.
