Redfern Construction ~ Shipbuilding History

Redfern Construction

Toronto ON

Formerly John Doty & Sons, Bertram EW, Canadian SB, Toronto SY, Thor IW, Dominion SB & R, Dufferin SB and Toronto SB

Most recent update: July 14, 2021.

This shipyard operated under at least nine different names over the course of a 55-year life, in which it built some 160 vessels. It was started in 1890 by the well known Doty Engine Works and was taken over by Bertram Engineering Works in 1893. Bertram began numbering their hulls at #10 while there is no evidence that Doty actually assigned hull numbers. In 1905 the yard was sold to the Canadian Shipbuilding Company, which had just started an "Upper Lakes" shipyard in Bridgeburg, Ontario. Canadian SB completed the contracts awarded to Bertram and began their own hull numbering sequence starting at 100. Canadian SB failed in 1908 but was taken over and renamed Toronto Shipyards, carrying on the same hull numbering sequence. Toronto Shipyards closed in 1910. The abandoned site was taken over in 1913 by Thor Iron Works, who started a new series of hull numbers. In 1917, Thor was in turn bought out and the yard was expanded and renamed Dominion Shipbuilding, moving to a new and larger yard nearby. Dominion completed the vessels being built by Thor at the time of the purchase but then started another new hull number sequence for their own contracts. This yard failed in July 1920 during a general strike and the ships then under construction (Hulls 10 and 11) were completed by Collingwood Shipyards, in Toronto, being given Collingwood's hull numbers 69 and 70. The site then lay idle until World War II, when it was reactivated as Dufferin Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., but in October 1941 it was taken over by the Canadian Government and renamed Toronto Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. It then became Redfern Construction Co., Ltd., in August 1943, but closed for good after the war. The yard was located at Lake Shore Boulevard and Spadina Avenue. See it from the air on Google here.

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	O/N	Name	Customer	Type	GT	Built	Notes
Built by John Doty & Sons
	94990	Primrose	Toronto Ferry Co	Paddle ferry	189	1890	rebuilt as barge 1938
	94987	Mayflower	Toronto Ferry Co	Paddle ferry	189	1890	rebuilt as barge 1938
	100854	Mistassini	E. F. Wurtele	Paddle Steamer	249	1891	frame and mcy, assembled at Roberval PQ, retired 1908
	100035	Garden City	Thomas Nihan	Paddle ferry	637	1892	broken-up 1936
	96917	Petrel	Collins Bay Raft Co	screw steamer	346	1892	frame only, assembled at Collins Bay ON, RCN service 1915-1921, retired 1927
	100754	Medora	Musk. & Geo. Bay Nav Co	Paddle Steamer	299	1893	frame and mcy, assembled at Gravenhurst ON, rebuilt 1902, retired 1930, broken up 1941
Built by Bertram Engineering Works Company
10	103434	Pembroke	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	194	1895	assembled at Pembroke ON, broken up 1950
11	103445	E. H. Bronson	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	285	1895	assembled at Pembroke ON, converted to screw 1918, scrapped 1949
	100768	Hiawatha	Royal Canadian YC	tender	46	1895
14	103842	Hamilton	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	320	1896	assembled at Sand Point ON, converted to screw 1921, scrapped 1948
15	103882	G. B. Greene	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	255	1896	assembled at Quyon QC, scrapped 1947
16	103673	Corona	Niagara Nav Co Ltd	passenger	1,274	1896	scrapped 1937
	103672	Ahmic	Musk. & Geo. Bay Nav Co	excursion boat	77	1896	frame and mcy, assembled at Gravenhurst ON, rebuilt 1903 and 1905, scrapped 1951
	96863	Ethel	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	349	1897	scrapped 1965
	96865	Edith	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	353	1897	believed scrapped
	96866	Madge	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	335	1897	scrapped 1951
	96868	Belle	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	349	1897	later Coteau, scrapped 1957
	103681	Undine	Rainy River Nav Co	Composite tugboat	9	1897
23	103680	Keenora	Rainy River Nav Co	passenger freighter	486	1897	assembled at Kenora ON, rebuilt 1917, museum ship in Selkirk MB 1967
	107084	Meteor	A. Lumsden	Paddle towboat	299	1897	frame and mcy, assembled at Opemican QC, burned 1911
	96870	Hilda	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	418	1898	scuttled 1967
	107681	Nadine	St. Lawrence Term Co	barge	484	1898
	107453	Minto	Canadian Pacific Rly Co.	sternwheeler	829	1898	assembled at Nakusp BC, retired 1955, burned 1968
	107454	Moyie	Canadian Pacific Rly Co.	sternwheeler	835	1898	assembled at Nelson BC, retired 1957, preserved as a museum ship
29	107412	Toronto	Richelieu & Ont Nav Co	passenger	2,779	1899	scrapped 1948
	107695	Helen S	Collins Inlet Lumber Co	tugboat	86	1899	assembled at Collins Inlet ON, converted to sail 1975
	107815	Empress	Wm. V. Reynolds	steamer	84	1899	frame only, assembled at Lakefield ON, burned 1908
	116691	Era	Hislop & Nagle	riverboat	50	1900	frame and mcy, assembled at Resolution NT
	111979	York	Canadian Pacific Rly Co.	steamer	134	1901	assembled at Okanogan Landing BC, abandoned 1932
35	111443	Ottawa	Canada Atlantic Transit	freighter	2,431	1900	foundered off Passage Is, Lake Superior 1909
36	111855	Tadenac	St. Lawrence & Chi SN Co	freighter	2,359	1902	The Iroquois 1903, Colorado 1920, Dornoch 1922, Brookton 1922, George Hindman 1940, Brookdale 1952, scrapped 1966
37	111654	Kingston	Richelieu & Ont Nav Co	passenger	2,925	1901	scrapped 1950
38	116600	Montreal	Richelieu & Ont Nav Co	passenger	4,282	1904	completed at Sorel by owner, burned near Sorel 1926
39	112180	Gypsy	Collins Inlet Lumber Co	tugboat	11	1902	sold in the USA
40	116263	Tadousac	J. Waldie & Co	freighter	2,359	1903	Doric 1906, Buffalo 1917, torpedoed off St Agnes Head 1918
41	116340	Alexandra	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	417	1903	assembled at Temiscamingue QC, converted to screw 1922, scrapped 1951
42	116641	Lady Minto	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	Paddle towboat	403	1903	assembled at Temiscamingue QC, converetd to screw 1929, burned 1968
43	116764	Haddington	Bertram Engine Works Co	freighter	1,749	1904	Maplehill 1921, Oakbranch 1938, Empire Lizard 1945, Basingbrook 1947, scrapped 1949
	116647	G.B. Pattee II	Upper Ottawa Imp Co	tugboat	51	1904	assembled at Quyon QC, Black Jack, as yacht
	116673	Tom Fawcett	Township of Wolfe Island	Composite ferry	224	1904	Wolfe Islander, condemned and beached 1946
	111831	Stoney Lake	Patrick C Young	passenger	156	1904	assembled at Young's Point ON, Island Queen, broken up 1954
	116985	Kingfisher	Rat Portage Lumber Co	tugboat	77	1904	assembled at Kenora ON
	121831	Ludlow	City of Saint John	ferry	534	1905	assembled at Saint John NB, broken up 1935
49	117196	Archibald	Mike Noonan	tugboat	20	1904	assembled at Gold Rock ON
	117071	Geneva	W. Thompson	steamer	92	1905	assembled at Orillia by Davis Dry Dock, abandoned 1925
	121710	Scow No. 36	Great Lakes Dredging Co	Dump scow	421	1905
	121841	Scow No. 37	Great Lakes Dredging Co	Dump scow	421	1905
53	121709	James Whalen	Canadian Towing Co	tugboat	313	1905	Denise V 1977, burned off Matane 1987 but salvaged, a museum in Thunder Bay ON
54	117193	Mather	Keewatin Lumber Co	tugboat	145	1905	assembled at Lake of the Woods ON, broken up 1965
	130346	P.W.D. No. 9	Dept. of Public Works	dredge	368	1906	completed by Canadian SB
	156708	P.W.D. Stonelifter No. 1	Dept. of Public Works	Stonelifter		1906	completed by John Inglis Co.
	122260	Alice	Govt of Canada	passenger freighter	402	1906	completed by Canadian SB, Hibou 1928, foundered off Chile 1953
Built by Canadian Shipbuilding Company
100	122219	Cayuga	Niagara Navigation Co	passenger	2,196	1907	scrapped 1961
101	125977	E. B. Osler	St. Lawrence & Chi SN Co	laker	6,787	1908	built at Bridgeburg ON, Osler, R. O. Petman, scrapped 1968
	125973	Cherokee	Muskoka Lakes Nav Co	passenger	328	1907	assembled at Gravenhurst ON, rebuilt as barge 1961 scrapped 1962
103	122218	Sagamo	Muskoka Lakes Nav Co	passenger	744	1906	assembled at Gravenhurst ON, floating restaurant 1958, burned 1969
	125983	Ontario No. 1	Ontario Car Ferry Co	ferry	5,146	1907	scrapped 1950
106	122407	Rapids King	Richelieu & Ont Nav Co	passenger	1,801	1907	scrapped 1951
	122475	Pollux	Upper Ottawa Imp Co		88	1907
	122476	Castor	Upper Ottawa Imp Co		88	1907
	122646	C. J. Booth	John R. Booth		86	1907	rebuilt as scow 1940
	122647	J. F. Booth	John R. Booth		90	1907	NLD 1999
Built by Toronto Shipyards Ltd (a Part of or related to Doty Engine Company of Godericha)
	126410	Silverland	Haileybury Nav Co	steamer	92	1909	frame and mcy, assembled at Haileybury ON, burned 1927
	126415	Queen of Temagami	Temagami Steamboat Co	steamer	36	1909	frame and mcy, assembled at Temagami ON, scrapped 1948
113	130418	Rapids Prince	Richelieu & Ont Nav Co	passenger	1384	1910	rebuilt 1929, broken up 1951
	176161	P.W.D. No. 38	Dept. of Public Works	dump scow	215	1909	later McLean No. 38, McNco No. 11
	171020	P.W.D. No. 39	Dept. of Public Works	dump scow	215	1909	later McLean No. 39, McNco No. 12
	130271	Amelia Mac	Arctic Ice Company	tugboat	64	1909	frame only, assembled at Winnipeg
	126413	Newminko	Wm. Hannah & Co.	freighter	121	1910	frame only, assembled at Gravenhurst ON, retired 1941, burned 1954
	130272	Rosamond Billett	Hugh Sutherland	Sand Dredge	679	1910	assembled at Winnipeg, T. P. Phelan, Howard S. Gerken, lost in storm off Buffalo 1926
Built by Thor Iron Works Ltd.
1	134450	La Salle	John E. Russell	yacht	85	1914	later Strathbell, sold 1954
2	134452	Donald Mac	Andrew Quinn	trawler	69	1914	rebult 1921 and 1961
3	134458	Emily Stewart	Canadian Stewart Co	tugboat	104	1914	later T. H. C. Tug No. 1, A. M. Macaulay
4	138211	Angoulime	Donald Steamship Co.	freighter	2,716	Feb 1918
5	138215	Troja	Troja Steamship Co Ltd	freighter	2,716	June 1918	Tello 1924, Erol 1935, wrecked off Cape Yasun, Samsun 1944
6	TR 13		Royal Navy	minesweeper	288	June 1918
7	TR 14		Royal Navy	minesweeper	288	June 1918
8	137909	St. Mihiel	Maple Leaf Steamship Co	freighter	2,742	Dec 1918	St. Priest 1924, Marionga II 1928, wrecked off Arzew 1929
9	137910	Le Quesnoy	Nova Scotia Tptn Co	freighter	2,716	May 1919	Tencho Maru 1922, torpedoed off Djakarta 1945
Built by Dominion Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Ltd.
1	140993	General Currie	Nova Scotia Steamships	freighter	2,490	May 1919	Braaland 1927, Choyo Maru 1927, mined off Rashin 1945
2	140995	General Morrison	Dominion Shipbuilding Co	freighter	2,490	June 1919	Bygdones 1920, Nordhav 1922, Noshiro Maru 1924, torpedoed 1944
3	140996	General Turner	Dominion Shipbuilding Co	freighter	2,490	Aug 1919	scuttled off Cape Kalyakriya 1921 (fraud)
4	140997	General Williams	Dominion Shipbuilding Co	freighter	2,489	Sep 1919	Saga 1919, Certo 1919, Krasnoarmeets 1935, deleted 1960
5	export	Hessa	Aalsunds Dampskibs	freighter	2,366	Oct 1919	Bestum 1934, San Pedro 1955, scrapped 1960
6	export	Skolma	Skibs A/S Grem	freighter	2,447	Nov 1919	wrecked N Bornholm Is 1929
7	141663	Torontonian	Black Sea Shipping Co.	freighter	2,239	June 1920	Spolanne 1929, Hai Wah 1933, wrecked Yunuisan, near Tsingtao 1935
8	141662	T. L. Church	T. L. Church Steamship	freighter	2,264	May 1920	Mabay 1923, Nautic 1929, foundered 1940
9	154878	Oriole IV	Geo. H. Goodereham	yacht	68	1921	completed in the US by Geo. S. Lawley, HMCS Oriole (KC 480)
10	150355	Canadian Pathfinder	Canadian Govt.	freighter	2,374	July 1921	Norman M. Paterson 1925, Novadoc 1926, Holmewood 1927, Mathiasen Trader 1934, Holmewood 1934, Ara 1936, sunk by mine 1942
11	150367	Canadian Engineer	Canadian Govt.	freighter	2,281	Aug 1921	Donald E. McKay 1925, Newbrundoc 1926, Ashington 1927, Erling 1931, Salvatore 1933, Sabine 1943, sunk by bomb 1944
12							Keel laid on spec, vessel broken up on ways
13							Keel laid on spec, vessel broken up on ways
14	Mexico	Gonzaba/Washington	Mexican Govt.	freighter	1,669	1920	scrapped 1934
15	Mexico	Floraba/Bolivar	Mexican Govt.	freighter	1,655	Sep 1920	scrapped 1934
Built by Dufferin Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Toronto Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
15	MS-15	Nipigon (J-154)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	11 Aug 1941	to Turkey 1957 as Bafra, scrapped 1972
16	MS-16	Burlington (J-250)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	6 Sep 1941	scrapped 1946
17	MS-17	Georgian (J-144)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	23 Sep 1941	scrapped 1946
18	MS-18	Thunder (J-156)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	14 Oct 1941	scrapped 1947
19	CN 114	Gananoque (J-259)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	8 Nov 1941	scrapped 1959
20	CN 115	Goderich (J-260)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	23 Nov 1941	scrapped 1959
21	CN 150	Mingan/Fort York (J-119)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	27 Feb 1942	to Portugal 1950 as Comandante Almeida Carvalho, Cacheu 1965, scrapped 1971
22	CN 151	Parrsborough (J-117)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	27 May 1942	scrapped 1948
23	CN 152	Qualicum (J-138)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	13 May 1942	scrapped 1949
24	CN 153	Shippigan (J-212)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	17 Jun 1942	scrapped 1949
25	CN 154	Tadoussac (J-220)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	28 Mar 1942	sold 1946 as Alexandre, hulked in Greece 1952
26	CN 155	Wedgeport (J-139)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	21 Apr 1942	to Egypt 1946 as Sollum, foundered off Alexandria 1953
27	CN 172	Port Hope (J-280)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	30 Jul 1942	scrapped 1959
28	CN 173	Sarnia (J-309)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	13 Aug 1942	to Turkey 1958 as Buyukdere, scrapped 1972
29	CN 174	Stratford (J-310)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	29 Aug 1942	collision near Halifax NS and scrapped 1946
30	CN 175	Westmount (J-318)	Royal Canadian Navy	minesweeper	672	15 Sep 1942	to Turkey 1958 as Bornova, scrapped 1972
Built by Redfern Construction Co., Ltd.
31	CN 319	Antares (J-282)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	23 Aug 1943	scrapped 1947
32	CN 320	Arcturus (J-283)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	23 Oct 1943	to Greece as Pyrpolitis 1947
33	CN 321	Aries (J-284)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	17 Jul 1943	to Greece as Armatolos 1947
34	CN 322	Clinton (J-286)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	25 Aug 1943	scrapped 1947
35	CN 323	Friendship (J-398)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	15 Sep 1943	scrapped 1947
36	CN 324	Gozo (J-287)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	9 Sep 1943	to Greece as Polemistis 1947
37	CN 325	Lightfoot (J-288)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	19 Oct 1943	to Greece as Navmachos 1947
38	CN 326	Melita (J-289)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	20 Dec 1943	sold as Satellite 1947, Melita 1951, scrapped 1959
39	CN 327	Octavia (J-290)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	24 Feb 1944	scrapped 1950
40	CN 328	Persian (J-347)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	12 Nov 1943	to Greece as Kikiades 1947
41	CN 329	Postillion (J-297)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	25 Nov 1943	to Greece as Machitis 1947
42	CN 330	Skipjack (J-300)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	29 Apr 1944	scrapped 1950
43	CN 331	Thisbe (J-302)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	8 Jun 1944	scrapped 1957
44	CN 332	Truelove (J-303)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	3 Apr 1944	scrapped 1957
45	CN 333	Welfare (J-356)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	4 Apr 1944	scrapped 1957
46	CN 498	Mary Rose (J-360)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	24 Apr 1944	later HMCS Toronto, scrapped 1957
47	CN 499	Moon (J-329)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	6 Jul 1944	later HMCS Mimico, scrapped 1957
48	CN 500	Providence (J-325)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	15 May 1944	later HMCS Forrest Hill, scrapped 1958
49	CN 501	Regulus (J-327)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	20 May 1944	later HMCS Longbranch, sunk by mine off Sista Is 1945
50	CN 502	Seabear (J-333)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	22 Jun 1944	later HMCS St. Thomas, scrapped 1958
51	CN 503	Serene (J-354)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	14 Sep 1944	later HMCS Leaside, scrapped 1959
52	CN 543	Coquette (J-350)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	13 Jul 1944	scrapped 1958
53	CN 544	Courier (J-349)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	31 Aug 1944	scrapped 1959
54	CN 545	Felicity (J-369)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	10 Aug 1944	sold as Fairfree 1947, scrapped 1957
55	CN 546	Flying Fish (J-370)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	14 Oct 1944	later HMCS Tillsonburg, to Ceylon as Vijaya 1949, scrapped 1964
56	CN 547	Golden Fleece (J-376)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	29 Aug 1944	scrapped 1960
57	CN 548	Lioness (J-377)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	11 Dec 1944	scrapped 1856
58	CN 549	Prompt (J-378)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	29 Sep 1944	later HMCS Huntsville, mined off Ostend 1945 and scrapped 1947
59	CN 664	Jaseur (J-428)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	27 Oct 1944	scrapped 1956
60	CN 665	Laertes (J-433)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	9 Dec 1944	scrapped 1959
61	CN 666	Maenad (J-335)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	16 Nov 1944	scrapped 1957
62	CN 667	Magicienne (J-436)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	11 May 1945	scrapped 1956
63	CN 668	Mameluke (J-437)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	19 Mar 1945	scrapped 1950
64	CN 669	Mandate (J-438)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	22 Mar 1945	scrapped 1957
65	CN 670	Marvel (J-443)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	2 Apr 1945	scrapped 1958
66	CN 671	Michael (J-444)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	20 May 1945	scrapped 1956
67	CN 672	Minstrel (J-445)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	7 Jun 1945	to Thailand as Phosampton 1947
68	CN 673	Myrmidon (J-454)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	9 Jul 1945	scrapped 1958
69	CN 674	Mystic (J-455)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	2 Aug 1945	scrapped 1958
70	CN 675	Nerissa (J-456)	Royal Navy	minesweeper	1,010	28 Aug 1945	scrapped 1960