Burnaby, BC, Canada / ACCESSWIRE / June 3, 2014 / The replica of the original 137-foot, diesel-powered classic paddle wheeler sank below the waters of Cowichan Bay in early May, 2014. What a shame this replica could not have been saved as a reminder of the rugged history of this still wild and free part of Canada.
The original SS Beaver sidewheeler was the first steamship off the coast of British Columbia in 1836. Built in England, the Beaver made the long 225 day journey around the Horn rigged as a brigantine with her machinery and paddle wheels dismantled. She sailed up to Fort Vancouver on April 10th, 1835, and raised steam in the following May. Shown here off the Sunshine Coast in1836, she was the first steamship in the north Pacific. For the next 52 years she navigated the waters of the Pacific Northwest, first as a trading vessel and eventually as a freighter and tug.
The SS Beaver was, according to one marine historian, one of the most historic vessels ever built. Indeed, the whole history of the British Columbia coast, for half a century, is linked to the career of this sturdy pioneer steamboat. Referred to by one archivist as possibly the sturdiest craft of her size as was ever afloat, the Beaver was the steamer-flagship of the Hudsons Bay Company of England, and truly ruled the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest until 1888. On December 21, 1870, the Beaver was taken out of commission. Four years later she was auctioned off and finished her career as a tug and supply vessel until she was wrecked off Prospect Point in 1888.
Recording the History of Western Canada
This limited edition Giclee by Canadian artist John Crittenden is a new release from "the official portfolio of limited edition prints for Expo 86." The weather is rough and stormy, similar to what it often encountered. This portfolio of eighteen limited edition prints received the endorsement of Expo 86, the Government of British Columbia and General Motors of Canada and was presented to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales by the Honourable Claude Richmond, Minister of Tourism, on behalf of Expo 86 and the Government of B.C. It was featured in many shows across Canada including Expo 86 in Vancouver, the McLaughlin Museum In Oshawa and the National Art Centre in Ottawa among many others.
This and other limited edition Giclees from the History of Transportation can be viewed and purchased from PaintedTurtleArtPrints.ca, a Canadian company dedicated to recording the history Canada.
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CONTACT:
John Crittenden
(604) 421-1085
http://www.PaintedTurtleArtPrints.ca
SOURCE: Painted Turtle Art Prints