Victoria Machinery Depot (VMD) ~ Shipbuilding History

Victoria Machinery Depot (VMD)

Victoria BC

VMD was originally known as Albion Iron Works, which opened for business in about 1882 as an engine & boiler builder: the name was changed to VMD in 1900. VMD did not assign hull numbers until WWII, but then they started at #14, so they apparently took account of the 13 ships that they had previously built. The original yard was in the Inner Harbour, but during WWI, VMD operated a yard on the Songhees Indian reservation, using the name Harbour Marine Company, and during WWII it operated a yard at Ogden Point, to build Forts and Parks, and continued there after the war. When the company stopped building ships, in 1967, it sold the Ogden Point yard to the Canadian Coast Guard and continued at the Inner Harbour site as an industrial fabricator until the mid 1990s.

	O/N	Name	Customer	Type	GT	Built	Notes
Built by Albion Iron Works
1		Princess	Dept. of Public Works	tugboat		1888
2		Vigilant	Dept. of Public Works	tugboat	29	1890
3		Joan	Esquimalt & Nanaimo RR	passenger freighter	821	1892	destroyed by fire 1920
4		Beaver	Canadian Pacific Navigation	sternwheeler	545	1898
		Archie	T. E. Ward	yacht	4	1900
Built by Victoria Machinery Depot
5		Georgia	Dept. of Marine & Fisheries	tender	34	1900
6		Mount Royal	Hudsons Bay Company	sternwheeler	471	1902
7		Beryl	Royal Engineers	minefield tender	26	1903
8		Topaz	Royal Engineers	minefield tender	34	1903
9		Petrel	Dept. of Public Works	tugboat	134	1906
10	122381	transferred No.2	Canadian Pacific RR	railcar barge	1,090	1907
11		Inlander	Prince Rupert, Skeena Transportation	sternwheeler	533	1910
12		Kluhane	Taylor & Drury	sternwheeler	14	1910
13		Oil Transport No. 1	VMD	tank barge	201	1913
	133976	Trident No. 4					closed
Built by Harbour Marine Company
1		Canadian Winner	CGMM	freighter	5,442	1920	Kosei Maru 1933, Banshu Maru No. 7 1942, torpedoed and lost 1943
2		Canadian Traveller	CGMM	freighter	5,455	1921	Procida 1932, Empire Volunteer 1940, torpedoed and lost 1940
3		transferred No. 8	Canadian Pacific RR	barge	1,124	1921
	194372	C.Z. 84-4	Crown Zellerbach	barge	534	1921	later Crown Forest 84-4
Built by Victoria Machinery Depot
14	PV-59	Jasper/Kamloops (K-176)	Royal Canadian Navy	corvette	940	1941	scrapped 1945
15	PV-60	Quesnel (K-133)	Royal Canadian Navy	corvette	940	1941	scrapped 1945
16	PV-61	Dawson (K-104)	Royal Canadian Navy	corvette	940	1941	scrapped 1946
17	CN 124	New Westminister (K-228)	Royal Canadian Navy	corvette	940	1942	Elisa 1950, Portoviejo 1952, Azua 1954
18	CN 125	Dundas (K-229)	Royal Canadian Navy	corvette	940	1942	scrapped 1945
19						1942	possibly refit and conversion of HMCS Prince Henry
20		Fort Camosun	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd.	freighter	7,126	1942	scrapped 1960
21		Fort Douglas	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd.	freighter	7,129	1942	scrapped 1958
22		Fort Liard	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd	freighter	7,131	1942	scrapped 1958
23		Fort Hudson's Hope	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd.	freighter	7,129	1942	Vega 1948, Italvega 1950, Bellport 1966, scrapped 1972
24		Fort Tremblant	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd.	freighter	7,128	1942	Beatus 1947, Stanland 1955, scrapped 1963
25		Fort Walsh	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd	freighter	7,126	1943	Monstella 1948, Tihi 1965, scrapped 1967
26		Fort Wrigley	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd	freighter	7,120	1943	Pantrooper 1948, Royal William 1950, Appulo 1956, scrapped 1962
27		Fort Sturgeon	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd	freighter	7,127	1943	East Hill 1950, Rio Alto 1957, Aktor 1964, foundered 1966
28		Yoho Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	freighter	7,129	1943	Fort Highfield 1944, Darfield 1950, wrecked and scrapped 1954
29		Mount Royal Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd.	tanker	7,246	1943	Adna 1946, Sterling Viking 1954, Alcyone Might 1956, Orjen 1957, scrapped 1968
30		Brentwood Bay Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd.	tanker	7,263	1943	Norse King 1946, Dodger 1951, Arosa 1953, Antonios D.S. 1956, Apj Ambar 1959, scrapped 1961
31		Clearwater Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	tanker	7,261	1944	Norse Mountain 1946, Tioga Star 1951, Marinegra 1955, Lorenzo 1966, scrapped 1968
32		Cypress Hills Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	tanker	7,262	1944	Halcyon II 1946, Gundine 1947, Sterling Venture 1954, Alcyone Angel 1956, Betaluna 1960, Varuna Duti 1968, scrapped 1971
33		Mount Maxwell Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	tanker	7,256	1944	Mount Maxwell 1946, Buccaneer 1949, Plate Mariner 1959, Beatrice 1964, scrapped 1967
34		Salt Lake Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd.	freighter	7,166	1944	Wairuna 1946, Bonna 1960, scrapped 1969
35		Fort St Ignace/Hastings Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd.	freighter	7,165	1944	Lake Kamloops 1946, Lavadara 1950, Al Sayyada 1952, scrapped 1967
36		Fort Berens/Mission Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd.	freighter	7,164	1944	Ottawa Valley 1947, Rog 1964, Mills Trident 1966, scrapped 1969
37		Montebello Park/Fort Langley	Wartime Merchant Shg Ltd	stores ship	7,285	1945	scrapped 1970
38		Lakeside Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	freighter	7,149	1945	Lakeside 1946, Evgenia Mg. 1952, Theodora 1952, wrecked 1958
39		Seven Oaks Park	Park Steamship Co. Ltd	freighter	7,149	1945	Seaside 1946, Rubystar 1952, Lagos Huron 1956, foundered 1960
40		Ottawa Pasqua/Hai Han	M O W T/China	freighter	1,351	1946	Hsin Men 1950, deleted 1957
41		Ottawa Painter/Hai Tsin	M O W T/China	freighter	1,351	1946	Feng Yuen 1950, Hu Ming 1960, Folklight 1962, Great Eastern 1966, scrapped 1967
42		Ottawa Pandora/Hai Yu	M O W T/China	freighter	1,351	1946	Hai Ping 1946, Hua Lien 1950, Ta Chung 1964, Antares 1967, deleted 1981
43		Ottawa Parian/Chilkoot	M O W T	freighter	1,336	1947	Culiacan 1961, deleted 1971
44	190656	V.M.D.II	VMD	barge	180	1946	later Rivtow 6, Fredbarber 4
45	France	Borsai	French Supply Council	river barge	535	1947
46	France	Cantenac	French Supply Council	river barge	535	1947
47		Stewart	White Pass & Yukon RR	barge	266	1948
48	179634	Pelly	White Pass & Yukon RR	barge	189	1948	later Y.T.C. 105, NT 550
49	156749	Teslin	White Pass & Yukon RR	barge	195	1949	later Y.T.C. 106, NT 800
50	192065	McQuesten	F. Mannix & Co.	freighter	31	1949	suspended
51		Carmacks	F. Mannix & Co.	freighter	31	1949
52	192296	Lloyd-Jones	BC-Dept. of Public Works	ferry	277	1950	later Vesuvius Queen, Eleupina 1998
53		Comox (AMc-146)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	412	1954	to Turkey 1957 as Tirebolu, scrapped
54	193506	Black Bear	Gulf of Georgia Towing Co.	tugboat	32	1950	later Nanaimo Rebel, Black Bear II
55		Porte de la Reine (YMG/YNG-184)	Royal Canadian Navy	gate vessel	429	1952	retired 1996, seized by Washington State in 2013, to be scrapped
56	327255	Fortune (AMc-151)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	412	1954	sold 1969 as Greenpeace Two, Edgewater Fortune
57		Campbell	Dept. of Resources & Dvlpmt	ferry	46	1951
58		Terra Nova (DDE-259)	Royal Canadian Navy	destroyer	2,366	1959	laid up at CFB Halifax
59		Miramichi (AMc-163)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	412	1957
60		YSW 200	Royal Canadian Navy	lighter	112	1957	later ferry S.S. Beaver
65	197664	barker Pontoon No. 1	B.C. Forest Products	barge	177	1954
66	197845	Island Tug 45	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	468	1954	later Seaspan 120
67	197862	Bridge Project # 152	B.C. Dept. of Highways	drydock	848	1954	later B. P. 152
68	197853	Island Tug 46	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	502	1955	later Seaspan 121
69	197854	Island Tug 47	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	502	1955	later Bendickson No. 2, FOH No. 1
70			Greater Victoria Water Board	float		1955
71	331844	Arrow Park ferry	B.C. Dept of Highways	ferry barge	120	1955	later Arrowpark
72	198917	Yorke No. 10	F. M. Yorke & Sons	barge	257	1955
73	197869	Island Tug 48	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	532	1955	later Seaspan 302, Nootka Sound
74	198826	Island Tug 49	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	532	1955	later Seaspan 125, Colleen Z
75	198987	Cloverleaf barge	B.C. Packers Ltd.	barge	1,060	1955	later Kemano IV
76		550	B.C. Forest Products	work boat		1955	closed
77		Marjory H. II	Yellowknife Transportation	tugboat	60	1956
78	188348	Y.T.C. No. 107	Yellowknife Transportation Co	barge	293	1956	later NT 650
79	198842	Mill Bay	Coast Ferries Ltd., Victoria	ferry	175	1956	later Buttle Shuttle
80	189297	Y.T.C. No. 108	Yellowknife Transportation Co	barge	461	1957	later NT 750
81			Dept. of Transport	landing craft		1957
82			Dept. of Transport	landing craft		1957
83	311252	Essington II	Dept. of Public Works	snag boat	451	1958
84	311166	Arctic No. 1	Arctic Shipping Ltd.	barge	798	1958	later A. S. No. 1
85	312273	Sidney	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	2,976	1960	Queen of Sidney 1963, Bad Adventure
86	312077	Arctic No. 2	Arctic Shipping Ltd.	barge	798	1959	later A. S. No. 2
87		Saskatchewan (DDE-262)	Royal Canadian Navy	destroyer	2,366	1963	reefed off B.C. 1997
88	312285	Nitinat No. 1	Moore-Whittington	barge	30	1960
89	804391	D.P.W. No. 264	Dept. of Public Works	barge	89	1960	later B-264
90	313996	Island Tug 70	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	631	1960	later Seaspan 342, MBM 18, Ralmax 1
91	313998	Island Tug 71	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	631	1960	later Seaspan 343
92	314000	Island Tug 72	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	631	1960	later S N 8, ITB 8
93	314001	Island Tug 73	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	631	1960	later Amix IV
94	314040	Queen of Victoria	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	3,541	1962	Queen of Ocoa 2000, Aan 2005, scrapped 2006
95	314837	Jacques Cartier B.C.	Deeks-McBride Company	tugboat	70	1962	later Westco Pioneer
96	314847	Crown Zellerbach Loader #2	Crown Zellerbach Canada Ltd.	barge	267	1962	later Pacific Fibre Barge No. 1
97		Westport Straits	Marcus Barge Company	barge	1,527	1962	sank 1968
98		Hunter Point	Dept. of Fisheries	patrol boat	1,392	1963
99	318669	Queen of Saanich	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	3,547	1963	Owen Belle 2008, scrapped 2012
100	318673	Queen of Esquimalt	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	3,547	1963	Princess Jacqueline 2008, scrapped 2011
101		Queen of Alaska	Alaska Cruise Lines	passenger	3,000	1963
102	318676	Island Tug 82	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd.	barge	720	1963	later P.R.B. No. 1, closed 2004
103	320033	Island Tug 83	Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd	barge	720	1963	later Seaspan 372
	320051	500	B.C. Forest Products				suspended 2008
104	320068	Queen of Nanaimo	B C Ferry Authority	ferry	3,545	1964
105	322953	Queen of New Westminster	B C Ferry Authority	ferry	3,544	1964
106	320041	Undersea Garden	Saltaire Products	barge	280	1963
107	322969	Comox Queen	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	651	1965	later Tenaka
108	322410	Straits No. 107	Straits Marine Ltd.	barge	790	1964
109	322419	Straits No. 108	Straits Marine Ltd.	barge	790	1964	later Gypsy Mechanic
110	320033	Island Tug 84	Island Tug & Barge Ltd.	barge	720	1964	later Seaspan 373
111	322943	Island Tug 85	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	720	1964	later Seaspan 374
112	322950	Island Tug 86	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	720	1964	later Seaspan 375, Miller 502
113	322952	Island Tug 87	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	720	1964	later Seaspan 376, Calypso 11
114	322954	Island Tug 88	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	720	1964	later Seaspan 377
115	322957	Island Tug 110	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1964	later Seaspan 430
116	322959	Island Tug 111	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1964	later Seaspan 431
117	322962	Island Tug 112	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1964	later Seaspan 432, VPD 432
118	320346	Evco No. 2	Ocean Cement Ltd.	barge	1,110	1964
119	323243	Straits No. 109	Straits Towing	barge	790	1964	later WCT 109
120	323232	Straits No. 150	Straits Towing	barge	790	1965
123	322960	Island Tug 106	Island Tug & Barge Ltd.	barge	1,336	1964	later Seaspan 902
124	323870	Queen of Prince Rupert	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	5,864	1966	Victoria Princess 1980, Queen of Prince Rupert 1980
125	322978	Queen of Burnaby	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	3,542	1965	Royal Victorian 1994, Princess Marguerite III 1997, Queen of Burnaby 2000
126	320351	Evco No. 14	Ocean Cement Ltd	barge	1,581	1965
127	323251	Straits No. 151	Straits Towing	barge	790	1965
128	323330	Plymouth	Lafarge Cement Company	barge	1,926	1965	suspended
129	323841	Powell River Queen	B.C. Ferry Authority	ferry	1,125	1965
130	323848	Mayne Queen	B C Ferry Authority	ferry	1,125	1965
131	323854	Bowen Queen	B C Ferry Authority	ferry	1,125	1965
132	323296	Rivtow 104	Rivtow Marine Ltd	barge	823	1965
133	323834	Island Tug 113	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1965	later Seaspan 433
134	323839	Island Tug 114	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1965	later Seaspan 434
135	323843	Island Tug 115	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1965	later Seaspan 435, VPD 435
136	Liberia	Sedco 135-F	Sedco Inc.	drill rig	8,676	1967	later a water facility in Brazil
137	325657	Straits No. 152	Straits Towing Ltd	barge	790	1965	later Pacific Western No. 1, Ledcor No. 1
138	325670	Straits No. 153	Straits Towing Ltd	barge	790	1965
139	325682	Straits No. 154	Straits Towing Ltd	barge	790	1965	later Catherwood Transporter No. 4, More Chips No. 1
140	323855	V.M.D. 140	VMD Co.	barge	791	1965	later G. of G. 470, Seaspan 164
141	323856	V.M.D. 141	VMD Co.	barge	794	1965	later Seaspan 420, FRPD 6
142	323857	V.M.D. 142	VMD Co.	barge	794	1966	later G. of G. 392, Seaspan 421
143	323859	Island Tug 89	McAllister Towing Co. Ltd	barge	721	1966	later Seaspan 378
144	323862	Island Tug 90	McAllister Towing Co. Ltd	barge	721	1966	later Seaspan 379
145	328327	Doris Yorke	F M Yorke & Sons Ltd.	ferry	2,612	1968	later Seaspan Doris 1974
146	327936	Rivtow 51	Harken Towing Co.	barge	577	1967
147	327937	Rivtow 52	Harken Towing Co.	barge	577	1967	later Odyssey 102
148	327938	Rivtow 53	Harken Towing Co.	barge	577	1967
149	328282	Island Tug 122	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1967	later Seaspan 442
150	328291	Island Tug 123	Island Tug & Barge Ltd	barge	823	1967	later Seaspan 443
151			Greater Victoria Water Board	float		1967