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CHAPTER III Trade and Commerce

Shipbuilding:

After the Cambridges left, shipbuilding on Souris River continued. It reached its peak in the 18603 but continued on to the end of the century. It was the industry of the day on the Island and elsewhere, and there were numerous workers and qualified carpenters to carry on the trade. Many more came later, drawn to the shipyards because workers were in demand and the pay was good. It is said there were two to three hundred workers employed in the various shipyards at one time on Souris River.

To quote from Westcountrymen in Prince Edward’s Isle:

It took only a few skilled men, a few simple tools, a lot of knowhow; and a sheltered sloping beach with deep water close inshore to build a wooden ship of 200 to 300 tons, perhaps 100 to 120 feet long...Shipyards were less shipyards in the modern sense than sites where a master builder could put a vessel together and rig her, working slowly with the aid of a few less skilled than himself.1

Numerous small shipyards operated in creeks and inlets along the River and in coves along the sea coast. The “Lake Map” of 1863 identifies a yard owned by J .B. Cox north of Union Cemetery. Richard Burk had one just south of the Cox yard in the gulley north of Union Cemetery. In later years, Captain Lannigan built the Maggie Alice and the Minnie J.L. there, ships named, as was sometimes the custom, for his wife and daughter. Across Souris River, at Mclnnis Creek, Owen and Morris operated a shipyard for a time. Ships were built and launched at the head of the River at Gowan Brae where the depth of water at that time was sufficient to float a ship of large tonnage.

There were small shipyards in Souris East. The “Lake Map” shows the site of one below Donald Beaton’s store. Today, the slope to the water’s edge where ships were launched is still visible west of Armand Melanson’s house. Joseph (Neil) MacDonald said there was a shipyard at Norris Pond, «limit: an ideal location as large ships were able, at one time, to enter this

on .

The Islander of November 6, 1868, records the launching of the Terrence Halloran from John Knight’s shipyard at Chepstow. It was built by Elisha Dingwell for John Douse for seal fishing off Newfoundland. It was iron