Tugboating along the West Coast National Historic Event
Vancouver, British Columbia
Tugboat in British Columbia
(© Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/National Film Board fonds | /Fonds de l'Office national du film/e011177330)
Address :
1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2014-09-30
Other Name(s):
-
Tugboating along the West Coast
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2013-02(P); 2013-02-A(P)
Importance:
It has been of fundamental importance to the early and on-going economic development and settlementof British Columbia and its main industries, forestry, mining and fishing.
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Granville Island Public Market Dock, Vancouver, British Columbia
Since the mid-19th century, tugboats have been crucial to the development of the main industries of British Columbia, particularly forestry, mining, and fishing. They tow loads to and from remote businesses and communities, assist large ships in port and through difficult coastal waters, and supply many companies with goods and materials. West Coast tugboats, such as SS Master, have evolved into a distinct vessel type, well-suited to the topography, water, and weather conditions. Called “the railway of the sea,” they link local, regional, national, and transnational shipping and transportation networks.