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 S.S. Moyie - Kaslo, BC Posted by:  ScroogieII
N 49° 54.701 W 116° 54.124
11U E 507031 N 5528815
The S.S. Moyie was the last operating commercial paddle wheeler in Canada and is now a popular tourist attraction on the waterfront in Kaslo.
Waymark Code: WM12YQP
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/08/2020
Views: 0
The oldest intact passenger sternwheeler in the world and a National Historic Site, the S.S. Moyie was launched on December 7, 1898. The Moyie was just one of several sternwheelers operated on the lakes and rivers of southern British Columbia by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the latter part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. She, and her siblings, were for years the only means of transportation for those who lived on or near Kootenay Lake for many years. Carrying not just passengers, the sternwheelers also delivered all the supplies, materials and machinery which came into the area during that era. After a stellar career, she was retired from service in 1957, the last operating passenger sternwheeler in Canada.
The S.S. Moyie was formally recognized as a Heritage Site by the Village of Kaslo on July 26th, 2011 and was listed on the Canadian Register on August 21st, 2012. It had previously been designated a Canadian National Heritage Site, this occurring on November 7, 1958. Open for tours from mid May to mid October, The S.S. Moyie has been lovingly restored and preserved through the efforts of the Kootenay Lake Historical Society.
S.S. Moyie
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The S.S. Moyie is a late nineteenth-century steam-propelled sternwheeler located on the south shore of Kaslo Bay on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. She has been in dry dock since 1958. The additional structures of the S.S. Kuskanook Saloon, the Mirror Lake Post Office, the miner's cabin, the caboose and visitor centre, as well as the historic collections located throughout the site are included on the Kaslo Community Heritage Register.
HERITAGE VALUE
The S.S. Moyie is valued because she is the oldest intact Canadian-built passenger sternwheeler, and because of the significant role played by such vessels in the opening up and development of the interior of British Columbia. The heritage value of this site resides in its historical associations, in the physical properties of the vessel itself, and in the collections of historical items and artifacts housed within the vessel.
Value is added to this historic place by the presence of several structures that represent the importance of transportation, communication, and mining in the early twentieth century in the Kootenay region. The S.S. Kuskanook ladies' saloon, built in 1906, emphasizes the importance of passenger travel and symbolizes the increased need for sternwheeler transportation on Kootenay Lake at that time. The Mirror Lake Post Office, with its original mail slot and small scale, demonstrates the communication methods of the 1900s in the Kootenays. The miner's cabin, built by Matt Oledo in 1906, has value because it illustrates the living conditions of prospectors in the area and contrasts with the conditions present on the sternwheelers. The caboose is valued because it represents the connection of goods and passenger transportation between railway and sternwheelers. The visitor centre provides valuable context and information, and contributes to the welcoming atmosphere of this historic site.
From Historic Places Canada
Official Heritage Registry: [Web Link]
Address:
324 Front Street
Kaslo, BC
V0G 1M0
Heritage Registry Page Number: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a Waymark in this category at least one photo of the property, taken by the visitor, must be included with the visit, as well any comments they have concerning either their visit or the site itself. Suggested inclusions are: what you like about the site, its history, any deviations from the description in the heritage listing noted by the visitor, and the overall state of repair of the site.
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