Toronto Drydock Company
# Toronto Drydock Company

Toronto Drydock Company is a shipbuilding repair company in Canada and the name of two shipbuilders in the 19th and 20th centuries respectively.

## Toronto Dry Dock Company

The first Toronto Dry Dock Company was established in 1847 by William Botsford Jarvis (1799–1864) in the Province of Canada to build ships to ply the waters of the Great Lakes.

## Toronto Dry Dock Company Limited

Another Toronto Dry Dock Company Limited was established in 1917 by several partners:

* C. S. Boone – President of the C. S. Boone Dredging and Construction Company Limited
* John E. Russell,
* Lawrence Solman, manager of the Toronto Ferry Company Limited
* John J. Manley, C. S. Boone Dredging and Construction Company Limited
* Henry J. Dixon

Toronto Dry Dock and its floating dry dock and yard were located along the south edge of Keating Channel, along with the related Toronto Ship Building Company, owned by the same principals. The company acquired the shipbuilding business of Patrick Dixon and son Harry J. Dixon) under the Ontario Companies Act to build larger ships, and during WW I Toronto Shipbuilding constructed two wood-hulled freighters in 1918, the War Ontario and War Toronto, side-launching both into Keating Channel. The company remained in business until 1964 and was later acquired as part of the Port Weller Dry Docks.

The facilities were sold following the bankruptcy of Port Weller Dry Docks Limited, who moved the dry dock to Port Weller, Ontario and sold the facilities to Toronto Harbour Commission. The former dockyard is now used for storage by Harbourfront Centre and Port of Toronto (to store the airport ferries).

## Toronto Drydock

The current Toronto Drydock, founded in 1989 is a small marine repair facility built from the former St-Lawrence pulpwood carrier Menier Consol (built in 1962 and converted as floating drydock after 1984) and located in the eastern Portland area in the Turning Basin along Basin Street and across from the former Hearn Generating Station.

## History of shipbuilding in Toronto

Shipbuilding in Toronto dates back to the period when shipping was isolated to the Great Lakes. Early ship building was conducted by the Royal Navy for use in the Great Lakes, but several small, medium, and large private shipbuilding concerns developed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Polson Iron Works, established in Toronto in 1883, was a major builder of steamers into the 1900s. Located at the foot of Sherbourne Street, the Iron Works produced around 150 assorted vessels, including ten steel-hulled minesweepers for the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Navy, and six cargo vessels during World War I. After the war Polson declared bankruptcy and closed in 1919 due to lack orders and tariff protections.

A succession of ship builders were also located at Bathurst Street Wharf, starting with John Doty Engine Works (1875–1892). The yard was purchased by Bertram Engine Works (1893–1905), then by Canadian Shipbuilding Company (1905–1907); and then by Toronto Shipyards (1908–1910). The idled yard was later taken over by Thor Iron Works (1913–1917), which constructed two minesweepers for the Royal Navy and four cargo vessels before selling the yard to Dominion Shipbuilding. Dominion then built a new facility on reclaimed land leased from the Toronto Harbour Commission and constructed twelve merchant ships during and immediately following the war (1917–1921) before ceasing operations. The once again idle ship yard was reactivated during World War II by the Canadian Government to construct Bangor and Algerine-class minesweepers (1941–1945), with the yard operated by a succession of companies, starting with Dufferin Shipbuilding Company Limited, then government-owned Toronto Shipbuilding Company Limited, and finally Redfern Construction Company Limited. At the end of the war the yard was closed for good.

A number of other small builders dotted the waterfront east and west of Toronto proper:

* Rouge River
* Highland Creek – Thomas Adams
* Humber River
* Credit River

The Rouge River's ship building was linked to the prolific lumber industry. The shipbuilding industry ranged between 1810 and 1856.

Most of the ships were used for passenger and to carry potash, grain and lumber between Oswego, New York and Toronto, then called York.

A partial list of notable ships built in Toronto :

| Vessel | Type | Hull | Year launched | Builder |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| name unknown | wood sailing ship | | c. 1812 | Thomas Adams Port Union near Highland Creek |
| Duke of York | wood schooner | | 1820 | Capt. Hadley |
| Mary Ann | wood sailing ship | | 1834 | Thomas Adams Port Union at mouth of Highland Creek |
| City of Toronto | wood ship | | 1855 | built for Allan Lines |
| Knapp's Roller Boat | prototype | | 1887 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| City of Chatham | passenger | 20 | 1888 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Mayflower | ferry | | 1890 | by John Doty & Sons |
| Primrose | ferry | | 1890 | John Doty & Sons |
| Corona | passenger | 16 | 1896 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Toronto | passenger | 29 | 1899 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Ottawa | cargo | 35 | 1900 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Kingston | passenger | 37 | 1901 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Tadenac | cargo | 36 | 1902 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Tadousac | cargo | 40 | 1903 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Lurcher | light ship | 63 | 1903 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Anticosti | light ship | 63 | 1904 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Montreal | passenger | 38 | 1904 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Haddington | cargo | 43 | 1904 | Bertram Engineering Works Company |
| Vigilant | fisheries patrol | 70 | 1904 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Bluebell | ferry | | 1906 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Cayuga | passenger | 100 | 1907 | Canadian Shipbuilding Company |
| E. B. Osler | laker | 101 | 1907 | Canadian Shipbuilding Company |
| Rapids King | passenger | 106 | 1907 | Canadian Shipbuilding Company |
| Ontario No. 1 | railcar ferry | | 1907 | Canadian Shipbuilding Company |
| Trillium | ferry | 94 | 1910 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Rapids Prince | passenger | 113 | 1910 | Toronto Shipyards Ltd |
| Kwasind | RCYC passenger ferry | 105 | 1913 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS Festubert | minesweeper | 135 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS Ypres | minesweeper | 136 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS Messines | minesweeper | 137 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS St. Eloi | minesweeper | 138 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS St. Julien | minesweeper | 139 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS Vimy | minesweeper | 140 | 1917 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS TR-15 | minesweeper | 141 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS TR-16 | minesweeper | 142 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS TR-17 | minesweeper | 143 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| HMCS TR-18 | minesweeper | 144 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Tento | cargo | 133 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Asp | cargo | 134 | 1918 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| War Ontario | cargo | 1 | 1918 | Toronto Drydock Company / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| War Toronto | cargo | 2 | 1918 | Toronto Drydock Company / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| Angoulème | cargo | 4 | 1918 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| Troja | cargo | 5 | 1918 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| HMCS TR-13 | minesweeper | 6 | 1918 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| HMCS TR-14 | minesweeper | 7 | 1918 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| St. Mihiel | cargo | 8 | 1918 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| Le Quesnoy | cargo | 9 | 1919 | Thor Iron Works / Dominion Shipbuilding |
| War Hydra | cargo | 145 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| War Taurus | cargo | 146 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| War Timiskaming | cargo | 147 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| Aquila/War Hamilton | cargo | 148 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| War Algoma | cargo | 149 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| War Halton | cargo | 150 | 1919 | Polson Iron Works Limited |
| General Currie | cargo | 1 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| General Morrison | cargo | 2 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| General Turner | cargo | 3 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| General Williams | cargo | 4 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Hessa | cargo | 5 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Skolma | cargo | 6 | 1919 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Torontonian | cargo | 7 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| T. L. Church | cargo | 8 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Canadian Pathfinder | cargo | 10 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Canadian Engineer | cargo | 11 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Gonzaba/Washington | cargo | 14 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Floraba/Bolivar | cargo | 15 | 1920 | Dominion Shipbuilding Limited |
| Ned Hanlon | tug | | 1932 | Toronto Drydock Company |
| William Inglis | ferry | | 1935 | Toronto Drydock Company |
| Sam McBride | ferry | 6 | 1939 | Toronto Drydock Company |
| HMCS Nipigon (J154) | minesweeper | 15 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMCS Burlington (J250) | minesweeper | 16 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMCS Georgian (J144) | minesweeper | 17 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMCS Thunder (J146) | minesweeper | 18 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMCS Gananoque (J259) | minesweeper | 19 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMCS Goderich (J260) | minesweeper | 20 | 1941 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Fort York (J119) | minesweeper | 21 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Parrsborough (J117) | minesweeper | 22 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Qualicum (J138) | minesweeper | 23 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Shippigan (J212) | minesweeper | 24 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Tadoussac (J220) | minesweeper | 25 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Wedgeport (J139) | minesweeper | 26 | 1942 | Dufferin Shipbuilding / Toronto Shipbuilding |
| HMS Antares (J282) | minesweeper | 31 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Arcturus (J283) | minesweeper | 32 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Aries (J284) | minesweeper | 33 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Clinton (J286) | minesweeper | 34 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Friendship (J398) | minesweeper | 35 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Gozo (J287) | minesweeper | 36 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Lightfoot (J288) | minesweeper | 37 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Melita (J289) | minesweeper | 38 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Octavia (J290) | minesweeper | 39 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Persian (J347) | minesweeper | 40 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Postillion (J297) | minesweeper | 41 | 1943 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Skipjack (J300) | minesweeper | 42 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Thisbe (J302) | minesweeper | 43 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Truelove (J303) | minesweeper | 44 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Welfare (J356) | minesweeper | 45 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Mary Rose (J360) | minesweeper | 46 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Moon (J329) | minesweeper | 47 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Providence (J325) | minesweeper | 48 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Regulus (J327) | minesweeper | 49 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Seabear (J333) | minesweeper | 50 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Serene (J354) | minesweeper | 51 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Coquette (J350) | minesweeper | 52 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Courier (J349) | minesweeper | 53 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Felicity (J369) | minesweeper | 54 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Flying Fish (J370) | minesweeper | 55 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Golden Fleece (J376) | minesweeper | 56 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Lioness (J377) | minesweeper | 57 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Prompt (J378) | minesweeper | 58 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Jaseur (J428) | minesweeper | 59 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Laertes (J433) | minesweeper | 60 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Maenad (J335) | minesweeper | 61 | 1944 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Magicienne (J436) | minesweeper | 62 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Mameluke (J437) | minesweeper | 63 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Mandate (J438) | minesweeper | 64 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Marvel (J443) | minesweeper | 65 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Michael (J444) | minesweeper | 66 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Minstrel (J445) | minesweeper | 67 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Myrmidon (J454) | minesweeper | 68 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Mystic (J455) | minesweeper | 69 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| HMS Nerissa (J456) | minesweeper | 70 | 1945 | Redfern Construction Company Limited |
| Thomas Rennie | ferry | 8 | 1951 | Toronto Drydock Company |
