THE STERNWHEELER COMPANIES OF KOOTENAY LAKE

Columbia & Kootenay Steam Navigation

Created in 1890 in response to the increasing traffic on the Columbia and Kootenay waterways, the Columbia & Kootenay Steam Navigation Company was well situated to take advantage of the mining boom in the region. The company was founded by the partners J.F Hume, W. Cowan, and Captain R. Sanderson who had built the SS Despatch for use on the Columbia River and Arrow Lakes run, and joined by Captain J. Irving, J.A. Mara and F.S. Barnard. The first ship built by the CKSN was the SS Lytton for the Revelstoke to Northport Washington run on the Columbia River. The company soon expanded to the Kootenay Lake and River south to Bonners Ferry, Idaho region with the construction of the SS Nelson in 1891. The SS Spokane was purchased in 1893, lengthened and put to work on Kootenay Lake. The CKSN continued to enlarge its fleet, the SS Kootenai and SS Nakusp were used on the Columbia River - Arrow Lakes, and the SS Kokanee for Kootenay Lake. In February of 1897, the Canadian Pacific Railway purchased the CKSN for $200,000, thus eliminating a strong rival and positioning themselves to take over the growing shipping trade in Southeastern British Columbia.

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway Company, having completed the rail line across Canada in 1885, attention was then focused on the new threat of the Great Northern Railway in southern British Columbia. The purchase of the Columbia & Kootenay Steam Navigation Company in 1897 and the development of the BC Southern Railway from Lethbridge Alberta through the Crowsnest Pass into BC to Kootenay Lake which opened in 1898 were big strides towards the eventual domination of the CPR in Southern British Columbia.

The CPR continued to build sternwheelers for use on Kootenay Lake, with a new focus on the tourist trade with the building of the Kootenay Lake Hotel in Balfour and the large SS Nasookin in 1913. After World War One, the tourist trade never materialized and the CPR's focus returned to regular passengers and freight. The completion of the BC Southern Railway from Kootenay Landing to Procter along the shore of Kootenay Lake was the end of sternwheelers on the southern arm of Kootenay Lake. The SS Moyie continued to run from Procter north to Kaslo and Lardeau until the retirement of the ship in 1957. The CPR then contracted out tug and barge services until 1977. The company still maintains and uses the BC Southern Railway from the Crowsnest Pass to Nelson and Trail.

Great Northern Railway

The Great Northern Railway became the CPR's biggest competitor around the turn of the century. Similar to the CPR, the Great Northern had a cross continental railway that needed new business to sustain the established infrastructure. The GNR began to invest in the Kootenay Lake region with the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway (which linked the sternwheelers to Nelson and the rail line south to Washington State at Marcus), the Kaslo and Slocan Railway, the International Navigation & Trading Company and the Bedlington and Nelson Railway (which connected the sternwheelers on Kootenay Lake to the landing at Kuskonook and the rail line to Spokane ,Washington.) In 1899, the GNR formed the Kootenay Railway and Navigation Company to oversee its interests in the area. As mining interests decreased in the region, the fortunes of the GNR also decreased and eventually the company withdrew from the Lake but not the rail lines.

Kootenay Railway and Navigation Company

The Kootenay Railway and Navigation Company was formed in 1899 to take over the Great Northern Railway's interests in the region - the Kaslo & Slocan Railway and the International Navigation & Trading Company and Bedlington and Nelson Railway and the Kaslo and Lardo-Duncan Railway. The company did not make much money, and was liquidated in 1911. In 1900, the KR&N built SS Kaslo at its shipyard at Mirror Lake and was the most impressive ship on Kootenay Lake at the time. The ill-fated company was kept busy, competing with the CPR for business until the retirement of the company boats due to old age and in the case of the SS Kaslo - irreparable damage to the ship.

International Navigation & Trading Co.

The International Navigation & Trading Company was formed from the Alberta and BC Exploration Company as the latter company went through restructuring following costly lawsuits from the Bonners Ferry and Kaslo Transportation Company creditors and failed reclamation work south of Kuskonook. The IN&TC constructed the SS International to accompany the SS Alberta and to provide competition for the CKSN steamer Kokanee. The IN&TC boats connected to the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway at Five Mile Point which went south to Spokane via Marcus, Washington.

Alberta and B.C. Exploration Company

Acquired State of Idaho in 1893 after it ran aground in November of that year. The company reformed under the name International Navigation & Trading Company and launched the repaired SS Alberta in 1895.

Bonners Ferry and Kaslo Transportation Company

In order to profit from the Slocan mining boom, the new Bonners Ferry and Kaslo Transportation Company constructed a sternwheeler. The SS State of Idaho was built in 42 days in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The launch of the boat coincided with the downturn of the economy and a rapid decrease in traffic on Kootenay Lake. The company soon found itself in financial trouble, avoiding paying creditors in Idaho by staying north of the Canada- US border for a little while. When the SS State of Idaho rammed into the rocky shore south of Ainsworth Hot Springs seven months after it was launched, it was the end of the company. The boat was immediately sold to George Alexander for $350 and repaired and renamed the SS Alberta.

Nelson and Lardo Steam Navigation Company

Formed by John Paterson, August Menenteau and John Campbell, the Nelson and Lardo Steam Navigation Company purchased the SS City of Ainsworth in 1893. The company received a contract to deliver the mail between Nelson and Lardeau (known at that time as Lardo) which kept the SS City of Ainsworth busy. In 1897 increased competition forced the company to sell the SS City of Ainsworth to George Kane of Kaslo.

Shipyards

CKSN/CPR - Nelson

The first shipyard in Nelson was located West of town. The SS Nelson, SS Moyie and SS Kokanee were built at this small shipyard as well as the early tugboats. In 1901, the CPR relocated the shipyard to a larger location, as more room was needed for the building and maintenance of the Kootenay Lake fleet. The new shipyard, on the East side of Nelson, was where the SS Kuskanook and SS Nasookin and the larger tugs were built. The shipyard was in use until 1958 when the CPR discontinued its service on Kootenay Lake.

KR&N - Mirror Lake

The first ship built at the Mirror Lake shipyard, the SS Argenta launched in 1900, was a utilitarian vessel compared to the next project, the SS Kaslo completed in 1901. The shipyard, which built and maintained boats for the Kootenay Railway and Navigation Company, was a small yard consisting of a few sheds and an office. The shipyard was located between the shore of Kootenay Lake and the small body of water known as Mirror Lake.